The Ladder: Eva Wong/ Web-accessibility specialist

Aug. 27, 2018 The Ladder: Eva Wong: Today I found this article by Shelley White in the Globe and Mail: 

Eva Wong, 41, is co-founder and chief operating officer at Borrowell, a Toronto-based fintech company that specializes in low-cost personal loans and free credit scores.

I grew up in Whitby, Ont., a small-town, suburban kid. Middle-class, children of immigrants [from Hong Kong]. I taught piano all throughout high school, and I made pretty good money for a 14-year-old.

My first job [after a bachelor of commerce degree] was as an analyst at Oliver Wyman, and there are a lot of things I learned from that first job that I still take with me today. 

One is managing expectations. If you’re tasked with something and you’re having trouble completing it, just say it. The other thing is, under-promise and over-deliver. It’s not just about saying you’ll do something, it’s about executing.

I’ve often been interested in positions that allowed me to bring in business skills where they weren’t before. I spent a year in Malawi working with an international relief and development organization. 

I researched different business ideas that this not-for-profit could run and generate income to fund their activities. I went from village to village, talking to potential customers about what their needs were.

 It was a chance to apply some of my management consulting experience in a completely different context, in a way that was very hands-on and grassroots.

I joined the international division of Maple Leaf Foods out of grad school, in a business development role. I investigated new opportunities in Mexico, Southeast Asia and spent quite a bit of time in China. Then I moved to Trinidad to work on a project with the OTF Group, and also worked in Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti.

One of the things I loved about living and working in a new country was the challenge. With so much to learn and absorb, my brain would go into overdrive, and it was really exhilarating. 

There's learning a new industry, but also learning the geography, traffic rules, local expressions, best grocery stores and local markets – and most importantly, the challenge of building relationships with people.

 I think I developed a pretty high capacity for learning that is definitely helpful today in building a disruptive company, where so much is new and changing all the time.

When I came back to Canada after being overseas, an opportunity came up to work for The Meeting House, a church I’d been attending for a number of years. I was also involved in a volunteer capacity building a social venture called Toronto Homecoming with Andrew Graham [now chief executive of Borrowell]. 

It was a side business, not-for-profit and very successful, so I think that probably planted the seeds of entrepreneurship for me.

When Andrew quit his job and came up with the idea for Borrowell, I volunteered to work for a couple of weeks for free. Then I never left. I didn’t necessarily know it was going to go [well], but I knew I wanted to be part of it and I thought to myself, I’m going to have total fear-of-missing-out if I don’t do this.

I’m very thankful for all the experiences that I had throughout my career that were scary. If you’re not doing anything that scares you, or anything you’re worried that you’re going to fail at, it’s going to be really hard for you to learn.

Humility is a value that isn't talked about a lot, but it’s pretty key to our success as a company. Humility means we recognize that individually, we may not have all the answers, even though we're smart and we work really hard. Humility encourages us to work together and to listen to others.

I had no background in technology, startups or financial services before co-founding a fintech company. I was not your stereotypical computer science or engineering grad who’s 24 and a dude wearing a hoodie. I was in my late 30s and I had two kids when I founded Borrowell with Andrew.

You don’t have to have the perfect background or look a certain way in order to pursue a career in technology or even found a startup. I definitely think it’s easier when you see other people who’ve been successful who look like you. 

I want to show people who may not see themselves represented that it is possible. Whether it’s women, or people [from] diverse groups that aren’t represented in the majority, I want to encourage people to go for it.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/management/article-borrowell-coo-eva-wong-on-why-shes-thankful-for-all-of-her-scary/

Aug. 29, 2018 Web-accessibility specialist: Today I found this article by Jared Lindzon in the Globe and Mail:

Job: Web-accessibility specialist

The role: As more tools and services move online, accessibility issues are no longer confined to the physical world. Those who live with auditory, visual, mobility, cognitive or other disabilities are often able to participate in digital activities with a few additional pieces of hardware or software. 

The role of a web-accessibility specialist is to ensure that websites, applications and other digital tools are compatible with these technologies.

“What web-accessibility specialists like myself do are both audits and remediation of existing websites and software to make sure they are accessible for people with disabilities,” said Janos Sitar, a web-accessibility specialist for Vancouver-based Central 1 Credit Union. “And when new systems are developed, we also work to make sure that the designs are amenable to everyone.”

Mr. Sitar explains that most web accessibility specialists will spend a majority of their time testing the accessibility of websites, and about a quarter of their time researching and designing solutions, often alongside a web-development team. They also spend a portion of their time staying on top of trends and advancements in the industry.

Mr. Sitar adds that within Canada, the role is heavily concentrated in Ontario thanks to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The act stipulates that all newly created websites must meet provincial guidelines for accessibility, and all websites regardless of when they were created must meet those same standards by January of 2021. 

The role is also common among larger organizations that service markets where similar standards are enforced, such as the United States and Britain.

Salary: According to the online career resource Neuvoo, the average salary of a web-accessibility specialist in Canada is $72,919 a year. Furthermore, an international study by Web Accessibility in Mind, or WebAIM, found that 67.6 per cent of practitioners expect to earn more than US$60,000 in 2018, or about $78,000.

“For entry level, it’s usually somewhere in the $40,000 to $60,000 [per year] range, and mid-career would be $60,000 to $100,000 [annually] or higher, and then management is usually $100,000 [a year] and higher,” Mr. Sitar said.

Education: While an educational background in computer science or software engineering is of benefit, it is often not a requirement for entry-level employment, as web accessibility specialists typically prescribe solutions that are implemented by dedicated developer teams.

“If you can do the work, nobody really cares what your educational background is,” Mr. Sitar explained. “It can vary depending on the workplace; there are people with backgrounds in computer sciences, but I had a degree in Greek and Roman studies and a degree in English and a Masters in film studies.”

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals also offers a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) designation to those that successfully complete an online training program and pass an exam, but Mr. Sitar says the certification is not necessarily a requirement for employment.

“You could get higher compensation for it, and at the same time it also enables you to enter more of a leadership role,” he said. “It's not absolutely required, but at a certain point if you've been in the field for four or five years you should probably get it.”

Job prospects: While job prospects have been largely concentrated in the province of Ontario, the recently introduced Bill C-18, known as the Accessible Canada Act, could soon mandate the same requirements countrywide.

“There’s definitely a shortage of qualified people, and a federal law is coming,” Mr. Sitar said. “If Ontario doesn’t have enough people who can do this now, then when this goes federal there will definitely not be enough people across the country.”

Why they do it: Web-accessibility specialists are motivated by the ability to make technology accessible to all.

“One of the things I love about my job is the fact that my entire role is dedicated to making things better for people,” Mr. Sitar said. “So a person who is blind could actually be working as a professional lawyer or an accountant.”

Misconceptions: Mr. Sitar says many mistakenly believe that those with disabilities are unable to utilize modern technology.

“I still run into people who think that a person who is visually impaired can’t use a computer,” he said. “The technology is so powerful now that there are people who are legally blind and are also photographers with their own Instagram accounts.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/career-advice/article-i-want-to-be-a-web-accessibility-specialist-what-will-my-salary-be/