About Lichen
Lichen Community Systems is a worker-led cooperative that offers access technology design research, education, and development services with a focus on supporting the arts, disability, non-profit, and cooperative communities. Lichen operates as a non-profit organization dedicated to creating expressive technologies and systems that are designed by, accessible to, and ownable by communities.
Lichen can help with:
- Designing and building accessible web applications and mobile apps
- Supporting community-led research and co-design for complex, multi-stakeholder collaborative projects
- Providing training, mentorship, and education on community-led design and access technology
- Developing creative technologies for artists and cultural organizations, including accessible interactive audio, video, connected sensors, and haptics
- Identifying and addressing web accessibility barriers to meet accessibility standards (AODA, ADA Section 508, and W3C WCAG)
Our Team
Dana Ayotte is an artist and designer who has been working in the field of inclusive design for over 10 years. She has collaborated on a broad range of projects including: the design of an accessible museum kiosk; UI design for accessibility preference tools; community co-design of an ecocultural mapping tool; and the co-design of digital platforms with women's cooperatives in India. With a background in mechanical engineering and an active visual art practice, Dana brings a multi-faceted approach to accessible and inclusive technology design.
Colin Clark has over 25 years of experience designing and developing innovative access technology. He has led accessibility teams in the research and non-profit sectors, developed large-scale assistive technology systems, established global open source communities, and contributed to the development of new community-led design methods. Colin works with accessible creative technology, including AI-based motion tracking, haptics, handheld and wearable devices, and interactive sound and video systems. He has collaborated with Kinetic Light, Propeller Dance Company, Vibrafusion Lab, and other disability arts organizations.
Michelle D'Souza has been working in the digital accessibility and inclusive design field for over 20 years in many roles, including software development and project, product and team management. Her focus on collaboration and communication results in projects and products that meet the needs of diverse stakeholders and communities. Michelle is an artist at heart with a love of fibre and dance.
Avtar Gill has over 20 years of open source infrastructure, system design, and web accessibility experience. He creates solutions that are inclusive, secure, and cost effective. Avtar is passionate about work that contributes to creativity and human connection, and is informed by mindfulness and compassion-based practices.