My interests, education, job skills, and life experiences have prepared me to become a UX Designer focused on #a11y and inclusive design.

Born and raised in a rural community in western Upstate NY, close to Lake Ontario, I have been drawing and creating since before I can remember. When my father was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer early in my senior year of High School, I had to turn down the early entrance offer from Carnegie-Mellon's Fine Art Department. Circumstances had me moving, sight-unseen, to Salt Lake City, Utah to attend the University of Utah's College of Fine Art. Four years later I graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Art (BFA) with a Minor in Arts Administration.

A year later, I moved (again, sight-unseen) to San Jose, CA and by 1988, was working as a contractor at Apple Computer, Inc. Eventually, I worked as a Creative Services Typesetter, which came in handy when I went to work at Adobe Systems, Inc., as a Creative Services Admin for the Systems Division in 1991. Noticing that the design staff "hid" every time a presentation came around, I volunteered to do all the company's presentations. My boss was ecstatic, and I was quickly trained by a Senior Art Director. From that point on, I was the Presentation Coordinator managing, illustrating / designing, producing and archiving 35mm slides and overheads for an average of 110 presentations a year for all the departments at Adobe Systems.

In the fall of 1994, I left Adobe Systems, Inc. to start my own design business which was a better lifestyle fit as a single mother. I ran my business from my home, hiring supportive contractors as needed, serving mostly high-tech clients. In 2018, I was disABLED by an injury that left me wondering if I could ever work again in design. I had to close my business and recover.

Rehabilitation (physical, mental, and vocational) would take almost 3 years. Along the way, I worked for SVILC, a disABILITY non-profit, and daily assisted other disABLED people with housing issues. Witnessing their struggles with technology has made me passionate about #a11y (accessibility) and inclusive UX Design.