S25:E8 - Empowering Developers of All Abilities (Judith Lung)
Oct 4, 2023
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Judith Lung, Software Engineer at LinkedIn, talks about her experience learning to code as someone who is blind and the changes she aims to make in the tech space to aid in the progression of tech accessibility. She discusses the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in the tech industry and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and building a supportive community. Judith also shares her career goals and addresses common misconceptions about assistive technology.
Inclusivity and accessibility are crucial in the tech industry, and it is important to understand and accommodate the different needs of people with disabilities.
Automated accessibility checks and linting can help developers create more accessible products and highlight violations.
Deep dives
The Importance of Accessibility and Inclusivity
Judith Lung, a blind software engineer at LinkedIn, discusses the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in the tech industry. She emphasizes that people with disabilities are just like everyone else and have different needs and accommodations. Asking questions and being open to connect with others is crucial to create a more inclusive environment. Judith shares her personal journey, the challenges she has overcome, and her dedication to helping others through accessibility tooling.
Passion for Coding and Overcoming Obstacles
Judith discusses her passion for coding, which stemmed from her frustration and challenges with accessible technology in her early years. She shares the obstacles she faced as a blind software engineer, including inaccessible websites and slow screen readers. With the support of great teachers, she was able to overcome these challenges and have a similar educational experience as her sighted peers. Her desire to create pathways for others with disabilities led her to a career focus on accessibility and assistive technology.
Learning Coding and Finding Opportunities
Judith details her journey of learning coding, starting in college when she took a computer science class out of curiosity. Despite initial struggles, she became hooked and continued to learn programming after graduation. She highlights the importance of resources and support, including community college classes and online platforms like edX. Judith also shares her non-traditional path to becoming a software engineer, starting with an apprenticeship at LinkedIn's REACH program, designed to support individuals from non-traditional backgrounds.
Working on Accessibility Tooling and Future Goals
As an apprentice and now a full-time software engineer at LinkedIn, Judith has been working on accessibility tooling to help developers create more accessible products. She explains the importance of automated accessibility checks and linting, which can highlight violations and provide developers with the necessary information to address them. Looking ahead, Judith aspires to work on user-facing products and hopes to make a direct impact on users through assistive technology. She emphasizes the need for continued efforts in making tech more accessible and the value of problem-solving skills of individuals with disabilities.
Saron chats with Judith Lung, Software Engineer at LinkedIn. Judith shares how she found herself in tech after initially getting her masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Judith talks about her experience learning to code as someone who is blind and the changes she aims to make in the tech space to aid in the progression of tech accessibility.
Judith is an accessibility engineer with a background in English, rehabilitation counseling, and assistive technology. She is passionate about using technology to create inclusive experiences and opportunities for people of all abilities.
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