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Meet Sina Bahram, an inclusive design and blind accessibility expert. Sina is the president of Prime Access Consulting, Inc. He is a researcher and entrepreneur pushing for sustainability, equity, and change.
Education
Energetic and articulate, a conversation with Sina is stimulating. An hour with him will refresh a listener’s interest and passion for inclusive design. A highly motivated and informed personal drive to achieve a high level of thoroughness, what Sina calls rigor, is clearly expressed in all he strives for and has achieved.
Sina’s education, training, and experience have established him as one of the premier experts in his field. His formal research was in human-computer interaction (HCI) and user experience (UX), focusing on designing interfaces specifically for people with disabilities.
During his college years, Sina applied high rigor and accumulated a diverse knowledge base of subjects studied in computer science, his chosen discipline. This was because, in his own words, “I spent a lot of time trying not to be the blind guy in accessibility. So, I did everything else first. From computer security to data visualization, I tried it.”
Experience
When asked to explain what he does in the inclusive design arena, Sina provides a clear and thorough example.
“If it’s for people, if it is for other humans to use, whether it’s content or a video game or an entire museum …how do you design that in such a way that it is welcoming to the widest possible audience? That means a lot of stuff. It means everything from making sure website content is accessible. It means looking at how a building is designed from the ground up to ensure that the architecture is welcoming to people of all disabilities.”
Sina shares what led to the launch of Prime Access Consulting, PAC.
PAC Was started in 2012 to formalize Sina’s consulting efforts. Very quickly on, Sina and Corey met on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) project, of which Corey Timpson was the project director. That capital project involved the design and build of a national museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where inclusive design could be centered and prioritized. During the project, Sina and Corey developed the first iteration of the inclusive design methodology that PAC has now evolved and uses with various clients and collaborators, such as the forthcoming The Dot Experience.
“The combination of meeting Corey Timpson, my lived experience as a blind computer scientist, the amazing people who choose to spend their time and talents at PAC, and my professional and academic background in computer science are how I am able to have a positive impact on the world, for which I’m deeply grateful.”
It’s no surprise that Sina credits his parents as his greatest supporters. Additionally, he credits the rest of his family for not just their love but their absolute belief in him. He also emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the privilege of working with an amazing team at PAC. “Support networks are, I think, oftentimes maybe not talked about as much, and we concentrate on the accolades and the awards and the impressive resume. But I’m here because of other people, and I think that’s worth mentioning.”
Accolades
Sina’s resume is impressive. Below are a few of his accomplishments:
- In 2012, President Barack Obama recognized Sina as a White House Champion of Change for his doctoral research work enabling disabled users to succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.
- In 2021, Sina was selected as a Mission: Astro Access ambassador, aiming to make space and space travel accessible to all. Consequently, Sina and his fellow ambassadors tested various accessibility and inclusive design strategies in microgravity aboard a 0G flight.
Current Pursuits
Believing that accessibility and inclusion are more sustainable when adopted as a culture, not just a tactic, PAC works with executive management, policymakers, engineering teams, and other stakeholders within institutions to promulgate accessibility and inclusive design throughout the fabric of an organization.
Sina also serves as an expert witness and consultant on court cases advancing accessibility and the rights of disabled people. Learn more about Sina Bahram and read more about his Prime Access Consulting, Inc.
Career Conversation Interview
Join APH CareerConnect for what promises to be a lively and educational conversation with Sina Bahram on November 14, 2024 at 6:00 pm Eastern. Register here for the Career Conversation with Sina Bahram.