GALA Academy Q1 2025 - Designing for Accessibility: Inclusive Innovation

Jessica's role role encompasses a diverse array of responsibilities, where she not only supervises and facilitates communication across all departments but also plays a pivotal role in steering the company toward its development and accessibility goals.

Jessica's expertise extends to client relations and language access services. She actively engages with clients to comprehensively assess their language needs, offering insightful guidance and solutions.

Jessica's linguistic talents further enhance her capabilities, as she is a native Arabic speaker with fluency in French. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics with a double major in Computer Science, earned at Wayne State University. Committed to continuous growth, earlier this year she earned her MBA at the University of Illinois – Gies College of Business with a focus on digital marketing and inclusive design. Jessica is an avid accessibility advocate and is currently pursuing her CPACC certificate through the Accessibility Association.

Bruce is a highly-regarded expert in the areas of language access, disability access, and compliance. With his extensive experience and expertise, he serves as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Consultant to both the Idaho Supreme Court and New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts.
Prior to his current role, Bruce was a Senior Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked to ensure compliance with federal laws protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities.
In addition to his consulting work, Bruce is also a respected member of the academic community. He currently serves on the faculty of Georgetown University School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he teaches Implicit Bias in Health Care. Bruce has also taught at a number of other prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, Cornell University, Auburn University, The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Milena Spelta Parenti, born in Italy in 1967, is a seasoned professional with a strong background in languages. She holds a degree in Simultaneous Interpreting (EN-DE) from the School for Interpreters and Translators in Bologna and a specialization in Modern Foreign Languages from IULM University in Milan. Fluent in English, German, and French, Milena has over 30 years of experience in export departments across industries like ceramics, food industry, and steel processing.
 
In 2018, she co-founded Dema Solutions Srl, where she transitioned from Vendor Manager to Key Account Manager. In this role, she not only builds strong client relationships but also helps steer the company toward accessibility and development goals.
 
Milena is actively engaged in promoting inclusivity and accessibility, including through Dema Solutions’ participation in the prestigious AMAC Master 2024 (ACCESSIBILITY TO MEDIA, ARTS AND CULTURE) at the University of Macerata. She delivers webinar sessions sharing insights on creating inclusive cultural experiences.
A dedicated lifelong learner, Milena is a yoga enthusiast, avid reader, and traveller passionate about contemporary art and mountain trekking. She is currently studying Sanskrit to deepen her cultural knowledge.

Mr. Jassem Hashmi is a DHS Certified, ⭐TopRated accessibility specialist with over 25 years of expertise in digital and web accessibility. With more than 30 certifications, including Adobe, Google, Oracle, Microsoft, Amazon, and more, he brings unparalleled expertise to his work. As an IAAP member and certified in UI/UX, he excels in integrating accessibility solutions into diverse digital systems. A seasoned entrepreneur and project leader, Mr. Hashmi has managed global projects exceeding $30M, advancing inclusion and compliance across public and private sectors.

I graduated in Conference Interpreting and Translation at the University of Bologna in 2003. In 2009 I got my Ph.D. in English for Special Purposes with a thesis on live subtitling through respeaking. I am associate professor of audiovisual translation at the University of Leeds (UK), where I teach conference interpreting and respeaking and subtitling for the Deaf and the Hard-of-Hearing. I founded the biennial International Symposium on Live Subtitling and Accessibiity, and am the chairman of the Intersteno scientific committee. In 2016, I co-founded the international journal on linguistic and cultural mediation CoMe and in 2020 the journal of professional reporting and transcription Tiro. In 2018, I received the Italian association of cochlear implant users APIC honorary award for my commitment in promoting the empowerment of deaf people. As a professional I have worked as a freelance simultaneous interpreter, a technical translator, a parliamentary reporter, and a professional intralingual and interlingual respeaker. I have published extensively in the fields of Media Access and Audiovisual Translation, and am currently a researcher of the Horizon-UKRI project on easy language iDEM.