Our SME’s help you understand real life accessibility and usability
At WeCo, living with a disability everyday helps us bring understanding to others. Our experienced subject matter expert (SME) speakers bring unique insight to your events, including professional conferences and industry gatherings. Some of our most requested topics include:
- What digital accessibility means to us
- The difference between legal compliance and accessibility
- How usability differs for users who live with disabilities
- How to work with an existing website for accessibility
- Accessibility basics businesses and nonprofits need to focus on
Interested in learning more about WeCo Speaking Services? Please contact us through our Accessibility Services Department at: 855-849-5050 x1 or accessinfo@theweco.com or complete or Contact Us form.
WeCo’s Most Popular Speakers
Our most popular speakers are listed below. We also have a number of Testers , Staff Team and Advisory Board Members with inspiring stories to share. We are happy to work with you to find the right WeCo speaker for your event.
LYNN WEHRMAN
President/Founder
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
WeCo Founder and President, Lynn Wehrman is a highly-experienced and sought-after SME speaker for keynote and organizational, association meetings and conferences. Her breadth of experience and understanding regarding the legal and usability needs of real life accessibility, coupled with her warm, conversational presentation style, draws the audience into an engaging experience.
Lynn began her career working in digital accessibility as one of the first government digital accessibility specialists. With an education in communications, and professional background in federal program coordination, her work on the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan resulted in ground breaking work in government digital accessibility.
Keynote Speaking Engagements
- Cities Speak Podcast – December 13, 2019
- The types of disabilities people live with that impact computer use
- Primer on devices and disabilities that do not require devices, but instead focus on design needs
- Basic aspects of accessible websites
- Free and low cost resources to help
Past Speaking Events
- NYC Department of Education Website Accessibility Summit 2019/Lynn Wehrman: You’re Not Building a Website, You’re Building Inclusion (New York City Department of Education)
- Tech Cities 2019/Lynn Wehrman: Accessibility is Your Business Survival Tool: How Aging and Disability Will Impact Business Growth (University of Minnesota)
- World Usability Day 2017/Lynn Wehrman: Closing Keynote: Can I Do It Myself? Testing with Users Living with Disabilities (YouTube)
- ADA Great Lakes AFA Center 2016/Lynn Wehrman/Sue Ann Rodriquez: Real Life Accessibility: Software versus Disability-Based UX Testing (Great Lakers ADA Center)
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SUE ANN RODRIQUEZ
Director of Accessibility Services
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
WeCo’s Director of Accessibility Services, Sue Ann Rodriquez, began her digital career as the webmaster/data base administrator for Twin Cities RISE! She completed her Master’s Degree in Digital Communication from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota. While at Metro State, Sue Ann’s explored digital accessibility and UX by testing the accessibility of the University’s Disability Services Department’s webpages utilizing assistive technology, including the JAWS screen reader software she uses in her daily life.
The insights she gained from this work prompted her to find an organization that could put her UX/assistive technology and web development capabilities to use. Sue Ann’s SME background makes her a sought-after trainer at conferences and events.
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Past Speaking Events
- World Usability Day 2019/Sue Ann Rodriquez: “Designing a Mobile Future For All of us: A Panel of Mobile Users with Disabilities”
- ADA Great Lakes AFA Center 2016/Sue Ann Rodriquez/Lynn Wehrman: Real Life Accessibility: Software versus Disability-Based UX Testing (Great Lakers ADA Center)
MAUREEN PRANGHOFER
Sr. Client Relations Specialist
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
WeCo’s Sr. Client Relation’s Specialist, Maureen Pranghofer, has a BA in Music Therapy and has worked toward a Masters in Social. Work. She worked for Courage Center for 12 years and began her own “Braille It” business. Working for WeCo for eight years, she has been a Certified Test Consultant (CTC) and presently works with clients providing solutions to their website accessibility needs.
In addition to her work with WeCo clients Maureen runs an in home Braille transcription service. Both jobs keep her quite busy. However she still finds time to be active in her church, as past president of the Can-Do-Canines Lions club, speaking to groups about disability, and enjoys hobbies of reading, Scrabble and music. She lives with her husband of 41 years, Paul and black lab service dog, Walter.
Maureen is also a pianist song writer, and singer performing at venues throughout the Twin Cities.”
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
MN Disability Connection/ February 12, 2020 – Accessibility in the Church for the Blind
