Public benefits programs like Medicaid and SNAP must serve everyone, but too often treat accessibility as a to-do list item rather than a core value of service delivery. How should we define access for our neighbors with low incomes who have been and remain systematically oppressed, whose only way of accessing the internet is through a smartphone on a limited data plan? Join Code for America staff as they discuss their work with various state governments to build a social safety net that is truly accessible to everyone.
This session is from the Design track.
About the speakers:
Deirdre Hirschtritt, User Researcher, Code For America.
Preferred Pronoun: She/Her
Deirdre is a user researcher on the Integrated Benefits team. She has been working in public sector work since her time as a corps member with Teach for America. Her passion for expanding access to information led her to pursue an M.S. in Information at the University of Michigan. At U of M, she completed a 2-year fellowship at the University of Michigan Library, working on projects to increase the accessibility of library instruction. Prior to joining Code for America, Deirdre was a user researcher with EchoUser, a UX consultancy, offering research support and strategy to a variety of clients, from Autodesk to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Outside of work, Deirdre can be found at dance classes, hiking around the Bay, and baking bread.
Luigi Ray-Montanez, Principal Software Engineer, Code For America
Preferred Pronoun: He/Him
Luigi has been a proud civic hacker since 2008, when he published an open-source Ruby gem for an early open government API from Sunlight Labs. He then joined the Sunlight Foundation in 2009, working on government transparency and open data projects. Luigi helped start the media company Upworthy in 2012, and went on to work for Vox Media in 2016. Residing in Atlanta with his wife and two dogs, Luigi co-founded Code for Atlanta and continues to help run it today. He also served on the Code for America Brigade National Advisory Council in 2017. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.
00:00 Serving Everyone: Accessibility for Public Benefits
48:27 Q&A
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