Pat Kogos is the Director of Digital Accessibility in IT Services, where she leads the Center for Digital Accessibility (CDA). Digital accessibility is the ability of a website, mobile application, or digital content to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. The CDA provides digital accessibility consulting, assessment and training for students, faculty, other academic appointees, staff, and postdoctoral researchers at UChicago.

Pat joined the University of Chicago in January 2020 to become the CDA’s founding director. During her career in IT, she has been a software developer, small business owner, web content editor, and business analyst. She has spent many years advocating for people who are blind or visually impaired, including serving as a volunteer and board member for the nonprofit Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments.

Pat was recently interviewed for the podcast “Digital Accessibility: The People Behind the Progress,” where she shared more about her journey in working in this space. Listen to the episode to learn more.

She answered our questions about her interests and experiences:

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at UChicago?
I came to UChicago two years ago, about six weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began. I have been impressed by how friendly and welcoming my colleagues are. I feel very supported by a lot of smart, committed, and engaging people.

Q: What were you doing before you came to UChicago?
I was in the IT department at Washington University in St. Louis for six years, where I learned to value the higher education environment, including the strong focus on teamwork and collaboration.

Q: How did you get involved with working on digital accessibility?
I was editing an online publication for WashU when I learned that accessibility applied to digital assets. For many years, I had been involved in groups that supported people who are blind or visually impaired, and I was surprised to discover that people with disabilities often don’t have equal access to websites and other digital content. I learned more about digital accessibility in an informal way and then began a formal training path.

Q: You are the founding director of UChicago’s Center for Digital Accessibility in IT Services. What achievement are you proudest of so far?
Our team has conducted training sessions for hundreds of UChicago community members over the past couple of years, spreading the word about digital accessibility guidelines and their impact on users. People across the University have embraced the concept and its importance, and they have been working to make websites and other content more accessible.

Q: What do you like to do to relax at the end of the work week?
My husband and I live in downtown Chicago. We love to walk around the city, eat good food, enjoy the theater, and spend time in the beautiful parks.

Q: What is the last good book you read?
I recently read The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by British illustrator and author Charlie Mackesy. It’s a short, wonderful story full of lessons on life and friendship.