Sign In

Andrew Kirkpatrick

Director, Accessibility at Adobe

Andrew Kirkpatrick is a prominent figure in the field of digital accessibility. He served as the Director of Accessibility at Adobe from December 2020 to February 2024, leading the company's accessibility efforts.13 With over 15 years of experience at Adobe, Kirkpatrick held various roles related to accessibility, including Head of Accessibility, Group Product Manager for Standards and Accessibility, and Corporate Accessibility Engineering Manager.1

Kirkpatrick's expertise extends beyond his work at Adobe. He co-chaired and edited the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group at the W3C for seven years, contributing to the development of WCAG 2.1.1 He has also served on committees for the U.S. Access Board, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to guide regulations for accessibility.3

In March 2024, Kirkpatrick joined G3ict (Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs) as a Senior Fellow, where he will advise on global digital accessibility harmonization, standardization, and related digital inclusion policies.3 Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his contributions to accessibility, receiving awards such as the Adobe Founder's Award and the Digital Accessibility Leadership Award from G3ICT.1

Kirkpatrick's commitment to accessibility is evident in his work to promote safe and trustworthy AI, as demonstrated by his attendance at the signing of the administration's executive order on AI at the White House in October 2023.2 His efforts have significantly contributed to Adobe's accessibility initiatives, including the launch of new Adobe Accessibility Principles in September 2023.4

Highlights

Mar 5 · linkedin

Reflecting on 18 Years at Adobe & Embracing New Opportunities

The past 18 years at Adobe have been a whirlwind of change, both personally and professionally. One of my first projects was to help Adobe Connect implement closed captioning, but now every video conferencing tool has captioning support. I worked with the Flash team to try to squeeze as much accessibility out of the Flash platform possible, but now Flash is an increasingly distant memory. My youngest, 4 months old when I joined, started college this fall - leaving a quiet house and time to reflect.

As of February, I’m moving on from Adobe and am excited to figure out what is next.

My years at Adobe were filled with collaboration and growth, allowing me to work with fantastic teams, leaders, and customers. I had the pleasure of building a dedicated accessibility team - leading this talented group was a privilege, and I'm incredibly proud of everything we've accomplished.

Here are some of my highlights:

Elevating accessibility awareness: I collaborated with nearly every Adobe product, from Acrobat to Workfront, promoting accessibility best practices and engaging with customers.

Championing accessibility within and beyond Adobe: I actively contributed to the AccessAdobe employee network, integrated accessibility into the company's procurement process, and supported many departments, including Design, Legal, Policy, and DEI.

Shaping accessibility standards globally: I co-chaired the W3C's Accessibility Guidelines Working Group for seven years, helping modernize Working Group processes and co-editing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and 2.2. Additionally, I represented Adobe on key committees, including the US Access Board's TEITAC to develop recommendations for the updated Section 508 standards, the FCC's VPAAC to develop recommendations for the implementation of the CVAA law, and STF536 at ETSI to revise EN 301 549 for the EU Web Accessibility Directive.

Looking ahead: I'm taking some time to strategize where I can make the greatest impact next. I'm passionate about both standards and policy work and helping organizations integrate accessibility seamlessly across all areas of their business. Additionally, I'm fascinated by the potential of AI and new interaction types, both offering exciting opportunities and potential challenges.

Connect with me: I'd love to hear about your work, your challenges, and how I can be of assistance. I'll be attending the CSUN Conference (March 19-22) - a great place to connect in person! Feel free to reach out even if you can't make it to CSUN.

Meet with me at CSUN:

Related Questions

What are some of Andrew Kirkpatrick's most notable achievements at Adobe?
How has Andrew Kirkpatrick influenced digital accessibility standards?
What awards has Andrew Kirkpatrick received for his work in accessibility?
Can you provide examples of Adobe's accessibility initiatives under Andrew Kirkpatrick's leadership?
What is Andrew Kirkpatrick's role at G3ict, and how does it differ from his role at Adobe?
Andrew Kirkpatrick
Andrew Kirkpatrick, photo 1
Andrew Kirkpatrick, photo 2
Add to my network

Location

Concord, Massachusetts, United States