Beyond the Summit
Evolving Technology: An Exploration of Access, Ethics, and Community
Join us for ‘Beyond the Summit’, where we’ll build on the momentum of the 2026 Disability Leadership Summit. The Summit ignited critical conversations and deep connections. This event will continue the discussion around the future of digital accessibility.
This virtual convening will feature a fireside chat between Ariana Aboulafia, Nefertiti Matos Olivares and Thomas Reid, all expert contributors to the soon-to-be-released Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech.
Ariana, Nefertiti and Thomas will set the stage by defining the purpose and benefits of assistive technology, with an emphasis on visual accessibility. They’ll share insights and pose critical questions to help us understand and examine the rapidly shifting landscape of inclusive tech. Through honest conversation and reflections from lived experience, this talk will examine best practices and necessary calls to action while centering key ethical considerations.
This convening is an exclusive opportunity for Summit participants and Disability Lead Members. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in reflective conversation with fellow attendees and submit questions for a live Q&A with the featured guests.
Accessibility: American Sign Language and CART will be provided.
About the Speakers
Ariana Aboulafia
Ariana Aboulafia currently leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, where her work focuses on advancing policy solutions that maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of AI, algorithmic systems, and emerging technologies for people with disabilities. An attorney with particular expertise in disability law, tech policy, criminal law, and the First Amendment, Aboulafia is a former assistant public defender in Miami-Dade County. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and law, history and culture from the University of Southern California, as well as a J.D. with a concentration in social justice and public interest from the University of Miami School of Law. Her academic work has been featured in publications including the University of Florida Journal of Law and Public Policy and the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal, and she has published op/eds in outlets that include Slate, the San Francisco Chronicle, and Teen Vogue.
Nefertiti Matos Olivares
Nefertiti Matos Olivares is an award-winning Audio Description narrator, accessibility strategist, and cultural access leader working at the intersection of disability, storytelling, and emerging technology. Blind and bilingual, she brings lived experience and deep expertise in Assistive Technology to advancing more ethical, inclusive approaches to visual access.
As Workflow Manager for Quality and Inclusion at Descriptive Video Works, she designs systems that embed equity, quality, and disability-led practice into creative production, while expanding pathways for blind and low vision professionals in the field of Audio Description. She is also a core member of the Social Audio Description Collective, where she leads projects, directs quality, and narrates in English and Spanish.
Her work spans institutions including Lincoln Center, the Museum of the Moving Image, and the New York Botanical Garden, where she delivers disability-led trainings and advances accessibility as both a creative and ethical practice—challenging who gets to interpret the visual world, and how.
Nefertiti is a contributing author to *Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech*. Her chapter, co-written with Thomas Reid, “Who Sees What? Ethics Issues in Describing the Visual World,” examines the power and responsibility of description and advocates for culturally conscious, inclusive Audio Description—particularly in the development of AI-driven tools.
Thomas Reid
Thomas Reid is a freelance audio producer, voiceover artist, audio description narrator, and accessibility consultant and advocate. He is the host and producer of Reid My Mind Radio, a podcast offering fresh, nuanced perspectives on disability and culture.
Through his “Flipping the Script” series, Thomas explores the craft of audio description, moving beyond surface-level discussions to examine its broader impact on blind audiences and the disability community.
As a member of the Social Audio Description Collective, he serves as Project Lead, narrator, and audio editor/mixer. His audio description work has been featured on projects for Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, PBS, and more.
In addition to his creative work, Thomas consults with independent filmmakers and film festivals, co-facilitates workshops, and participates in panel discussions focused on audio description and accessible media.
