Glenda Sims

Glenda Sims has extensive experience in the field of accessibility and technology. Glenda currently holds the position of Chief Information Accessibility Officer (CIAO) at Deque Systems, Inc, where they lead the team in providing accessibility consulting services to a diverse range of clients. In their role, they develop enterprise-level accessibility strategies and implementation plans, and conducts manual and automated accessibility testing.

Prior to their current role, Glenda served as a Team A11Y Lead at Deque Systems, Inc, starting in 2011. Glenda was responsible for providing accessibility consulting services to government, education, and companies, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500. Additionally, they played a key role in developing enterprise-level accessibility strategies and conducting accessibility testing using appropriate standards.

Before joining Deque Systems, Inc, Glenda worked at Knowbility, starting in 2000. During their time there, they served as an Advisory Board Member, Trainer, and Judge, contributing to the organization's mission of improving the availability of accessibility information technology and supporting the independence of individuals with disabilities.

Glenda also held the position of Chair of the HighEdWeb Conference at Higher Education Web Professionals (HighEdWeb) from 2010 to 2011. In this role, they played a significant role in organizing and leading the conference.

With their expertise and passion for accessibility, Glenda served as a Senior Systems Analyst at the University of Texas at Austin for a significant part of their career, from 1986 to 2011. During this time, they acted as an accessibility expert and evangelist for the university, configuring accessibility monitoring systems and providing leadership and support for web-based IT projects.

Glenda's involvement in the accessibility field also extended to their roles in various organizations. Glenda served as the Co-Lead of Open Web Education Alliance (OWEA) from 2009 to 2010, Co-Manager and Co-Lead of International Liaison Group at Web Standards Project from 2006 to 2010, and was a member of RefreshAustin from 2006 to 2008.

Overall, Glenda Sims has a diverse range of experience in the accessibility field and has made significant contributions to the advancement of accessibility in technology.

Glenda Sims obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Management from The University of Texas at Austin from 1982 to 1986. In the same period, they also earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology from the same institution.

In terms of additional certifications, Glenda Sims obtained the "Trusted Tester Version 5 for Web" certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in October 2019. Glenda also obtained the "IAAP Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA)" certification from the IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals in March 2022.

Glenda Sims has other certifications, including the "Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)", "Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA)", and "Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS)" from the IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals, but the specific months and years of attainment are not provided.