About Me

Ethan stands on a sandy beach with his yellow Lab guide dog, Ginsey, sitting by his side. Large rock formations and the ocean are visible in the background under a cloudy sky.

Who I am in five fun facts

  • I travel through life with my guide dog, Ginsey, by my side. He is my eyes and best friend.
  • I love being on the forefront of technological innovation, learning how new tech can benefit our lives. Artificial Intelligence and mixed reality devices as they relate to accessibility currently drive my studies.
  • I work to break down digital barriers, ensuring technology is accessible and works for everyone.
  • I am a public speaker and disability advocate. I am passionate about making sure everyone has a voice.
  • I love baseball. Go Cardinals!

Professional Overview

My story: What drives my work

Ever since a young age, I have had a passion for technology and outreach. As someone who is blind, technology has done so much to level the playing field for me. I have always been drawn to learn more about how technology can better the lives of myself and others. This drives my passion for my work in accessibility, where I test websites, apps, and other resources to ensure they provide the same, usable, and positive experience for everyone.

For me, accessibility isn't just about making things work, it's making sure everyone has the same enriching experience when they use a product. I want to provide feedback that leads to products, services, and resources everyone would want to use.

On top of my passion for technology, I have always enjoyed outreach. While I love advocating for accessibility, I also enjoy giving outreach presentations on blindness—covering topics like independent living skills, guide dogs, and navigating the world without sight. I like to inform and motivate where I can.

Work and Study

Currently, I work at Illinois State University as a graduate assistant in digital accessibility. My duties involve reviewing accessibility documentation and VPATs from vendors for procurement, manually reviewing apps, websites, and PDFs, and meeting with internal and external teams to improve the accessibility of their products.

I am also currently working on my Master's degree in Creative Technologies. Here, I study the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and accessibility. My long-term study plan revolves around learning how we can make mixed reality devices, like virtual reality headsets or augmented reality glasses, more accessible for those who are blind or visually impaired through AI, audio, and haptic technologies.