{"683391":{"#nid":"683391","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Getting the Message Across: One Researcher\u2019s Mission to Make Communications Work for Everyone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMost of the digital environment isn\u2019t designed with all users in mind. From emergency phone alerts to job search platforms, a lot of technology doesn\u2019t work well \u2014 or at all \u2014 for people with disabilities. Enter real-life barriers: to safety, healthcare, information, and making a living.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFortunately, some people make it their mission to bring down those barriers. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/salimah-laforce\u0022\u003ESalimah LaForce\u003C\/a\u003E, senior research scientist for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cacp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Advanced Communications Policy\u003C\/a\u003E (CACP), studies where information systems fail and where they can be improved. Her research shapes policies, tools, and educational resources to make sure everyone \u2014 not just the non-disabled \u2014 can access the same opportunities and protections.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTechnology works best when it works for everyone,\u201d LaForce said. \u201cThere should be no sociodemographic or systemic barriers to accessing lifesaving information or having the tools you need to work and live well.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaForce\u2019s work spans the breadth of accessibility research. She makes recommendations on how \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/43620\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022node\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022597713d7-7c36-4b18-a611-4ce5d387f796\u0022 data-entity-substitution=\u0022canonical\u0022\u003Eemergency mobile alerts\u003C\/a\u003E can be improved, accesses job outcomes for people with disabilities, and even designs virtual games that help older adults protect themselves in the face of disaster.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut how did a humanities enthusiast from California end up designing virtual reality (VR) studies in Atlanta? It\u2019s a path that, while unexpected, ended up coming full circle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/unexpected-paths\/salimah-laforce\u0022\u003ERead the full article.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom disaster alerts to job tools, Salimah LaForce is working toward a digital world that includes people with disabilities in every way.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From disaster alerts to job tools, Salimah LaForce is working toward a digital world that includes people with disabilities in every way."}],"uid":"36009","created_gmt":"2025-07-30 18:58:56","changed_gmt":"2025-07-30 19:00:32","author":"cwhittle9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677536":{"id":"677536","type":"image","title":"salimah.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ESalimah LaForce studies where information systems fail and where they can be improved. Her work helps ensure that people with disabilities aren\u2019t sidelined when it comes to safety, health, and opportunity.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1753901940","gmt_created":"2025-07-30 18:59:00","changed":"1753901940","gmt_changed":"2025-07-30 18:59:00","alt":"Salimah LaForce","file":{"fid":"261444","name":"salimah.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/30\/salimah.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/30\/salimah.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1177378,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/30\/salimah.png?itok=WdliLQjL"}}},"media_ids":["677536"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Writer, Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}