Aaron Leventhal

IBM (2004 - 2009)

Accessibility Architect and Leader in Open Source Community

• Developed accessibility ecosystem with a core value of openness: Created IBM-Mozilla accessibility partnership to drive accessibility strategy, centered on development, harmonization and implementation of standards such as WAI-ARIA, AT-SPI and IAccessible2. These standards provide authors with additional semantics which enable accessibility in Web 2.0, Windows and GNOME applications. Funded and led a team of grantees, volunteers and employed contributors to develop browser support, assistive technologies, testing tools, platform infrastructure, JavaScript toolkits and documentation. Organized critical mass of talent into a self-sustaining community.
• The success of this initiative led Mozilla Foundation's executive director to write "Looking for more Aaron's" (hecker.org/mozilla/foundation-grants).
• Drove an end-to-end web application accessibility vision and strategy for IBM: to implement WAI-ARIA in the entire chain of technology IBM uses to deliver accessible products. The benefit extends beyond IBM to both users with disabilities and web developers around the world.
• Represented IBM as a strong, experienced, positive force in the accessibility arena in numerous articles (such as widely published AP article), on panels, W4A keynote, standards commitees, in the United Nations G3ICT accessibility initiative and via Mozilla-funded community summits and conference activities.
• Until mid-2008, continued active role in Mozilla codebase: one of the top all-time Mozilla contributors. Implemented Firefox and web application accessibility. After Firefox 3 shipped in mid-2008, progressed to a community leadership role.
• Key participant in standards committee work, specifically IAccessible2 and W3C's PFWG and the development of the WAI-ARIA standard. Invented creative solutions to difficult problems, such as using human politeness concepts to describe semantics for interruption policies of AJAX updates.
• Developed next generation crowd sourcing concepts, using technology to facilitate discussions, planning and brainstorming.

America Online, Netscape (2001 - 2004)

West Coast Accessibility Lead

• Responsible for strategy, education, product requirements and delivery.
• Liaison to AT vendors and key organizations such as W3C, OS vendors and ATIA/ITI.
• Conducted accessibility evaluations for design prototypes and products.

Netscape and Mozilla Accessibility Lead

• Project Lead for Mozilla and Netscape accessibility.
  • Internal review called a11y the "best run project at Netscape".
  • Maintained a thorough Mozilla accessibility project page (www.mozilla.org/access)
• Principle Software Engineer for Mozilla and Netscape accessibility.
  • Module owner, architect and lead developer for cross-platform accessibility API implementation.
  • Module owner, keyboard navigation and Find As You Type
    • eWeek: "... the coolest new feature in the browser is Type Ahead Find." (page no longer available)
    • Washington Post: "The best addition to Mozilla is Find As You Type" (June 16, 2003)
  • Fixed or coded over 1000 bugs and features, often in core code run by several hundred million users. Areas involved were:
    • Focus and navigation
    • Events
    • DOM
    • User interface
    • Find engine
    • OS hooks
    • A11y API support
    • XUL engine
    • XBL engine
    • Form controls
    • Layout
    • General core
  
  
• Designer for Netscape UI team. Utilized universal design concepts and user testing.
• Accessibility lead for AOL Communicator Suite. Enabled wxWidgets and application in 6 months.

Raised Dot Computing, Braille Planet, Duxbury Systems (1990 - 2000)

Lead Architect and Software Engineer for Braille Publishing Software

• Designed and coded most of MegaDots (www.duxsys.com/megadots.asp), a professional Braille desktop publishing tool and word processor for teachers, Braille transcription organizations and visually impaired individuals. MegaDots innovations include:
  • Auto structuring of documents
  • OCR-optimized spell checking
  • Braille as a view, not lossy translation
  • Proofreading and automation
  • Full mathematics support
  • Auto tables, TOCs, etc.
  
  
• Built a community of volunteers to assist with design, QA, marketing and user education
• Represented company in overseas relationships. Negotiated multi-year contract with RNIB (Royal National Institute of the Blind — www.rnib.org.uk), the world's largest Braille producer, beating even their own in-house developed software. RNIB currently uses MegaDots for Braille production.