Summary

Lucy Collins and Ken Groom explore what allyship means in digital accessibility, especially for people without lived experience of disability. She explains why she feels cautious about using the label “ally” and why it matters to make space for disabled voices. The episode focuses on amplifying lived experience rather than speaking over the people directly affected. Lucy argues that accessibility advocacy should be a shared responsibility. She describes how inclusive user testing can help teams understand barriers through real experiences. She encourages allies to speak up when products, suppliers, or decisions are inaccessible.

Takeaways

Make room for disabled people to share their own experience's

Use your platform to amplify those voices, not replace them.

Treat accessibility as a shared responsibility.

Include people with a range of access needs in user testing.

Help decision-makers understand barriers through direct user experiences.

Challenge inaccessible tools and processes when you encounter them.

Sound bites

“Good allyship means lifting up disabled voices rather than taking space from them”

“Allyship is not passive support, but active advocacy”

“Disability inclusion becomes a shared responsibility”

“Inclusive user testing lets people experience accessibility barriers directly”

“Allyship means both amplifying others and challenging exclusion”

“Speak up when products or services leave people out”