About the Session
What if simple, proactive principles could transform every aspect of the customer experience—for everyone? This session examines how integrating Universal Design into all facets of customer service not only enhances accessibility but also strengthens customer trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. Participants will explore how inclusive design practices benefit all users, while also supporting employee engagement, recruitment, and retention. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to create more welcoming, effective, and human-centered service environments.
Join the Disability Inclusion Network, a WA State Business Resource Group, for an engaging session on how prioritizing accessibility enhances equity, representation, and fairness – ultimately transforming the customer experience.
Learning Objectives
In this session, you will be able to:
- Define the core principles of Universal Design and explain how they can be applied to customer service environments.
- Recognize how accessible and inclusive practices enhance the customer experience for all, not just those with disabilities.
- Identify barriers in current customer service systems, processes, and environments that exclude or disadvantage certain populations.
- Describe the connection between accessibility, equity, and customer trust, loyalty and satisfaction.
- Apply practical strategies to design and redesign customer interactions, environments, and systems with inclusivity in mind.
- Understand how inclusive service practices support broader organizational goals such as employee engagement, recruitment, and retention.
- Advocate for accessibility-centered approaches within your organization by articulating their impact on fairness, representation, and business success.
Presenter Information
| Sarah Norton is a professional Employee Learning, Development, and Training Specialist with a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIAB) at the Washington State Department of Licensing. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Disability Inclusion Network, a Washington State Business Resource Group dedicated to advancing disability equity and inclusion across state agencies.
With academic foundations in psychology and library/information science, Sarah brings a unique blend of human-centered thinking and research-based insight into her work. She has been instrumental in developing internal DEI-focused workgroups and committees and is recognized for her leadership in disability justice and her commitment to removing barriers within the workplace. Outside of her professional role, Sarah is a passionate reader (her favorites are science fiction and murder mysteries) and a weekend adventurer who enjoys exploring new places across the country. She spends her free time with her long-time partner, her two goldfish (Lloyd and Bowie), and her many beloved nieces and nephews. Her favorite movie is The Fifth Element, and her favorite dinosaur is the Triceratops.
|