Meet the Leads: SnapAbility
July marks Disability Pride Month — a time to celebrate people with disabilities,? learn about their intersectional identities, and honor their achievements. Disability Pride Month campaigns also seek to change the way people think about and define disability, end the stigma and promote the belief that disability is a natural part of human diversity.
Disability Pride Month was first celebrated in the US in July 1990, after the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — and is now commemorated worldwide including, in the UK, South Africa and many other countries throughout the year.?
The SnapAbility employee resource group first launched in April 2019, and has been dedicated and passionate about pursuing accessibility, both in Snap’s products and in its internal team culture, ever since. They aim to lift the voices of people who are? marginalized by ableism (discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities). The ERG advocates for empathy and inclusion by design, and seeks to create an environment where all team members are empowered to thrive.
SnapAbility is not just for those who personally identify as having a disability. If you are passionate about the work being done in the accessibility space, or are someone who advocates for disability inclusion in their family or personal life, this form of allyship more than qualifies you for membership.?
Amita Sharma (She/Her)
SnapAbility, 1st Term
Title: Manager, Law Enforcement Operations Enablement
Location: Palo Alto
Why SnapAbility? I’ve been a member of SnapAbility since I first joined Snap just over a year and a half ago. As someone who identifies with having a disability, I wanted to find a community/ safe space to share my experiences, learn from others, and champion the importance of accessibility.
SnapAbility is important to me because having an autoimmune disease means my disability is invisible to others. I look healthy on the outside, so people can’t see the chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms I experience daily. This ERG has provided me with a forum and the confidence to speak up and raise awareness, not only to help myself but to encourage others to feel comfortable sharing their stories.
Proudest accomplishment? It’s tough to decide! I’m so proud of the overall impact SnapAbility has had on the community (both internal and external). This ERG has given a lot of folks a sense of belonging and connection and lived up to its mission to lift the voices of those marginalized by ableism in society.?
If I have to pick one personal accomplishment though, it would have to be sharing my experiences with disability through blog posts. Writing my stories down and publishing them to the company required me to step out of my comfort zone - it takes courage to be vulnerable, especially in front of such a large audience, but I do hope that talking about my experiences helps others feel less alone and educates folks on what it means to have an invisible disease/ disability. Shameless plug for my blog posts:?
Why is it important that Snap (and Snapchatters) engage with Disability Pride Month? ? According to the World Health Organization, roughly 16% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Disability Pride Month is all about celebrating inclusion and raising awareness of what it means to have a disability, the difficulties faced by people with disabilities, and challenging the stigmas associated with disability. Everyone should engage in this month because learning about disability and accessibility promotes understanding and empathy, thus creating a more inclusive environment. And we should all be working to create an environment where all individuals have equal opportunities to participate and thrive. This is an opportunity for Snap employees to further embody our Kind, Smart, and Creative.
Fun Fact? I grew up dancing (jazz, tap, hip-hop) and even danced competitively up until high school. It continues to be a passion of mine - I love watching dance videos (and attempting the moves), and taking ad-hoc dance classes. I also enjoy an impromptu dance party to de-stress from a long day.??
Allie Browne (She/Her/Ella)
SnapAbility, 1st Term
Title: Localization Program Manager
Location: Los Angeles
Why SnapAbility? I've been a member of SnapAbility for some time, mostly as an ally. I served as co-lead for SnapFamilia for two years before this and wanted to continue leading an ERG. SnapAbility has allowed me to learn more about myself, and what it means to navigate life with mental health challenges. I was diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder a few years ago, but it only recently occurred to me that this is considered a disability. For me, SnapAbility is about learning about a vast range of lived experiences, and continuing to develop my skill set in allyship.
Most looking forward to in 2023? We're organizing a panel discussion on digital accessibility — what it takes to offer a seamless product experience for Snapchatters who use assistive technology. We're lucky to have Snap team members who are subject matter experts in the space — and in partnership with our executive sponsor and local champion, I believe we can generate momentum around accessibility (a11y) and eventually, business impact.
This Disability Pride month, we're leaning into Council: it's an incredible tool available internally to facilitate meaningful conversations. We'll be hosting 2 ERG Council sessions, focusing on what it means to be an ally to people with disabilities.
Advice for team members to consider around accessibility or disability? There are some simple things we can do to make Snapchat more accessible. Add accessibility labels for any strings in the Snapchat UI — particularly buttons! And add alt text to any images. Screenreader functionality is a form of assistive technology which enables blind or low-vision users to enjoy software products with ease. When products aren’t accessible, companies miss out on potential users all over the globe.
Fun fact? I'm a huge soccer/football fan. I've played since I was five years old, competitively throughout college and grad school. I've had ACL surgery 2x on my left knee... but it hasn't slowed me down. Soccer is a big part of my routine — I still play four nights a week! I'm also headed to Australia/New Zealand in August for the Women's World Cup :)