Accessibility is often seen as a box to be checked—a bare minimum consideration to sneak your digital experience through already inadequate regulatory checks. For the more than 60 million people in the U.S. living with disabilities, this means that less than 3%† of the internet is truly accessible. For thousands of brands, this is a missed opportunity to engage with the biggest minority group in the U.S., and their families, friends and networks.
Moderated by Ad Age's John Dioso, a panel of executives from Dept, Google, Unilever and Diageo explore why accessibility is overlooked, and how creativity is the key to building a truly inclusive digital future.
Space is limited—entry is first come, first served.
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Speaker X is a host of exceptional ability. Studies show that a vast majority of guests attending events by Jennifer have been known to leave more elated than visitors to Santa's Workshop, The Lost of Continent of Atlantis, and the Fountain of Youth.
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DEPT®️ is a pioneering technology and marketing services company that creates integrated end-to-end digital experiences for brands such as Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, eBay and more. Our team of 4,000+ digital specialists across 30+ locations on 5 continents delivers pioneering work on a global scale with a boutique culture. DEPT®️ is committed to making a positive impact on the planet and since 2021 has been Climate Neutral and B Corporation certified. www.deptagency.com
Dan Peres is the president and editor-in-chief of Ad Age. Before joining Ad Age, he was the editor-in-chief of Details magazine for 15 years. Prior to that, Dan spent nine years at W Magazine, overseeing bureaus in Paris, London and Milan. Dan started his career as a reporter at Women’s Wear Daily. While in college, he worked as a copy boy for The New York Times. Dan lives in New York and has three sons.
A self-taught designer, Steven leads both the creative team at BASIC/DEPT® and DEPT®, fostering creative environments that cultivate ideas big and small.
From the start of his career behind the color copier at Kinkos, through the mount room of BBDO, and into the design studio of W+K, he brings raw energy, originality, and a poetic approach to creativity and design.
It all began with award-winning campaigns for Canadian Club, Levi’s®, and Dodge, and evolved to his current role building teams, methodologies, and practices that scale companies and deliver results for brands today. His mission is simple, make work that creates legacies.
Jeremy is responsible for transforming the Design capability and output of Diageo’s current brands and new products worldwide. Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business. He is passionate about the impact Design has on business performance and the way Design Thinking leads to breakthrough ideas wherever it is applied. Standout projects include Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Guinness Harp dispense fount (winner of the DBA Design Effectiveness Grand Prix 2020) and the Johnnie Walker Brand Home in Edinburgh which opened in September 2021.
Prior to joining Diageo Jeremy was Head of Design for Tesco, responsible for the portfolio of 19,000 private label products and for leading the Store Formats and Design teams. His early career was as a Freelance Designer and University Lecturer.
Jeremy is a Cannes Lions and TEDx speaker. He is Chair of Trustees of the charity Soulmates Academy Foundation, Board Director and former Chair of the Design Business Association, a member of the Design Commission advising the UK government on design policy and a visiting Lecturer at INSEEC Business School.
KR is a leader in the area of disability inclusion and LGBTQ rights. She has been on the forefront of issues blazing a trail towards inclusive design and marketing for more than 25 years. Diagnosed with severe hearing loss at the age of three, she’s made it her life’s work to be a strong advocate for disabled people.
As the Head of Brand Accessibility at Google, Brand Studio she drives innovation of representation and storytelling for diverse disabled audiences, a segment that historically has been overlooked. She successfully lobbied on Capitol Hill with Senator Warren’s team and helped pass the Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017, made available as of October 2022.
She is on several boards such as Deaf Kids Code, American Association of People with Disabilities, and was appointed by President Biden to the United States Access Board in 2022. She is a nationally awarded advocate, with a strong reputation in inclusive design, brand marketing, policy, and inclusion. Most recently, she was given a U.S. Congressional Award, and named as Fast Company Queer 50 2022 Honoree, AdAge 2022 Leading Woman honoree, Campaign 40 Over 40, and 2021 ADWEEK Creative 100 Honoree.
Aline Santos is responsible for marketing, communication and innovation excellence, global marketing services and capabilities and ensuring that Equity, Diversity & Inclusion are central to Unilever’s values and behaviours.
Having joined Unilever as a marketing trainee, she has been the architect of many successful purpose-driven marketing campaigns and in 2021, she was elected Marketing Leader of the year by the Marketing Society.
Most recently, she has led the creation of Unilever’s marketing philosophy, Get on the Frontline, designed to help brands Get Real, Do Good and Be Unmissable. She is the driving force of Unilever’s #Unstereotype initiative ensuring that marketing and advertising break outdated stereotypes and harmful social norms to set new standards of empowerment, equality and equity, in front and behind the camera.
Recognising the power of partnerships, in 2017, Aline co-convened the Unstereotype Alliance with UN Women—an industry wide collaboration to accelerate the progress on this agenda across the industry. Internally, Aline increased the representation of women in management to 50% a year ahead of Unilever’s 2020 target.
John Dioso has been the Editor of Ad Age Studio 30, the creative content arm of Ad Age, since August 2018. Built on the same bedrock of journalistic integrity, Ad Age Studio 30 specializes in multichannel membership content for Ad Age subscribers, as well as custom and sponsored content that resonates with its audience.
During his career, Dioso has overseen some of the most popular and celebrated media brands in the world, including Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Glamour, Martha Stewart Living and Us Weekly. As Executive Managing Editor of Cosmopolitan, his management of the editorial team helped lead the magazine to the first National Magazine Award in its history.
Before that, Dioso was the longtime Deputy Managing Editor of Rolling Stone. During his tenure, Rolling Stone won numerous awards, including the 2007 National Magazine Award for General Excellence. In 2010, he edited Rolling Stone’s best-selling special issue “The Beatles: 100 Greatest Songs.”
Dioso lives in Brooklyn with his wife, cat, and way too many guitars. They have three daughters.
