There are 57 million Americans living with a disability, and many of these people need to use assistive technology to interact with websites and digital marketing materials. If your website isn’t built properly, it won’t be compatible with these devices, and you could be unintentionally excluding customers who would otherwise like to buy from you. You can also be at risk for legal liability if you’re in an industry that is subject to accessibility compliance regulations.

In this talk, Marisa Smith of The Whole Brain Group, will illustrate why businesses and marketers should be thinking about this when they develop marketing plans and launch digital campaigns. From basic to complex, Marisa will discuss how to prevent your digital marketing from presenting obstacles for those with disabilities.

Since her early days of playing office in her parents’ basement, Marisa has been obsessed with creating processes and automating repetitive tasks. She first developed an interest in web design and workflow automation after she earned her Master of Higher Education Administration degree at the

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While working as an advisor of undergraduate engineering students, she was frustrated by the lack of good electronic tools for managing student records, and decided to solve the problem herself.

Marisa worked at the University of Michigan for several years, helping administrative offices solve their paper problems by designing web-based electronic solutions, and decided to strike out on her own in 2002 so she could help even more people.

Her real passion is for improving the quality of life for individuals and organizations and she’s devoted to helping people implement electronic solutions to improve efficiency and create more time and abundance in their lives.

Marisa is the Social Media Co-Chair of the Communications Council and a member of the Executive Advisory Board for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national nonpartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business. She also serves on the Boards of The Small Giants Community and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber.