FodnessMemo03

Kevin Fodness is a professor of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was responsible for turning the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Science and Technology Studies Initiative into a full Science and Technology Studies Department with funding from the National Science Foundation in 2016. He splits his time between teaching software design methodology to Information Technology students and teaching theories on access and use of IT to Science and Technology Studies students. His research has focused on how individuals access IT, and how IT enables and constrains individuals of various backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on how public and corporate policy regarding access are envisioned and implemented. He has been a special advisor to Congress regarding revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to include provisions which require private businesses to make their websites accessible to individuals with disabilities. His past research has included how individuals with disabilities access and use IT devices, and how failure to comply with published standards has hindered developments and restricts access in web technologies. His current research is into how new IT devices and technologies are enabling and constraining political discourse and access to lawmakers. He has published two books: Touchscreens for the Blind: Disability and Technology Design, and The ACID Test: Web Browsers, Web Development, and Standards Compliance in an Absence of Regulation.