OZeWAI Ask the Professionals session – 13 November 2025 – Accessibility testing ARIA.
Panelists
Andrew Downie (he/him)
Andrew worked for TAFE NSW for 25 years in the areas of assistive technology and accessible online material. He now works part time for University of Technology Sydney as an Accessibility Consultant. A psychologist by training and inclination, Andrew appreciates the potential benefit of thoughtfully developed hardware and software. He is also frustrated by the poor design of much online material.
Rafal Charlampowicz (he/him)
Rafal has worked in the field of accessibility for more than 20 years. He is an acknowledged subject matter expert and is often sought as a participant in projects relating to technology for the blind.
At AccessibilityOz, Rafal conducts accessibility testing using our automated accessibility testing tool, OzART, as well as all screen reader testing on JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver (Mac), VoiceOver (iOS), TalkBack (Android), VoiceView (Kindle) and Voice Assistant (Samsung).
Rafal had a fundamental role in the ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium’s Mobile Site and Native App committees by providing screen reader expert advice. Rafal has written many articles for AccessibilityOz on his unique needs, covering audio descriptions, ALT attributes, captions and video player accessibility. He conducts the screen reader testing for AccessibilityOz’s semi-annual video player and social media accessibility testing. He also delivers presentations and runs workshops.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcharlampowicz/
Sara Soueidan (she/her)
Sara is an independent, inclusive Web UI engineer, published author, international speaker, and educator. Sara is the creator of the “Practical Accessibility” course—an online video course offering a clear, comprehensive, and actionable accessibility curriculum for frontend designers and developers.
With more than a decade of experience in the field of front-end development, she has worked with companies around the world building Web user interfaces and digital products with focus on responsive design, accessibility, performance, and cutting-edge tech. Today, she is dedicated to teaching designers and developers how to create inclusive and usable web user interfaces, with a strong focus on accessibility..
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarasoueidan/
Moderated by:
Russ Weakley (he/him)
Russ has over 30 years of experience in the design and development field. He is a User Experience professional, front-end developer, author, and trainer, with a deep passion for accessibility and inclusion. Russ has dedicated much of his career to advocating for accessible design practices, ensuring that digital experiences are usable and inclusive for everyone, regardless of ability.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russweakley/