SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Traditionally, when it comes to digital content, “accessibility” has been treated as a box-ticking exercise, a fringe consideration for satisfying a small pool of users.

But what if accessibility in media could really move the needle?

In this video interview with Beet.TV, Laurel Rossi, Chief Marketing Officer, Infillion, calls on the industry to cater to a group that is bigger than many people may realize.

Improve engagement

“I think there’s an unbelievable opportunity in the industry, with 20% of the global population having some form of a disability, for the media industry to really embrace accessibility,” Rossi says.

“Digital accessibility is one of the most empowering things we have at our fingertips. And it’s something that we are working on collectively.

“From a technology perspective, now we’ve really got to create the access to get folks with disabilities engaged.”

Driving change

The web has long had a series of evolving accessibility guidelines.

They also extend to making audio and video more accessible.

Aside from leading the positioning of Infillion, a new company recently formed out of a merger of Gimbal and true[X], Rossi self-describes as an advocate for women and people with disabilities in the workforce.

She co-founded and chairs Creative Spirit US, a non-profit to “create integrated employment for neurodiverse individuals at the best companies in the world”.

That organisation has been speaking-up about the difficulties certain groups have accessing digital content.

Inclusion in The Digital Age: Ensuring Internet Access for the Disabilities Community

Diverse accessibility

“The accessibility via technology that we all take for granted every single day just needs to get to those who have disabilities,” Rossi continues.

“‘Accessibility’ can mean a lot of things. One is just to make the tech available, but the other is to make sure it’s affordable as well.”

Infinite possibilities

Infillion’s true[X] was previously acquired by Fox and then sat with Disney through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

In October 2020, true[X] was sold to Gimbal, a technology company focused on using location information to activate ads.

This February, the pair announced a new single brand, Infillion.

Rossi was previously an agency-side executive with experience at Publicis Groupe and Omnicom.

The new ‘Infillion’ brand name, she suggests, captures a moment in time.

“It means ‘infinite possibilities’,” she explains. “And I think there’s no better time in this industry for infinite possibilities than right now.”

You are watching coverage from Beet Retreat San Juan 2022, presented by AppScience, Infillion, MadHive, SpringServe, Univision & VideoAmp. For more videos, please visit this page.

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews