Taliesin Smith

Taliesin designs inclusive features and conducts research on how to make PhET simulations more inclusive to more leaners and learner contexts. She received a Master of Design in Inclusive Design from OCAD University, Toronto, Canada, in 2016. She has a background in lingusitcs and accessible web design, and for her master's research she invesitgated how to create an interactive described experience that was capable of engaging blind learners exploring the PhET simulation, Balloons and Static Electricity, while using screen reader software and a keyboard. This work advanced the rendered design of PhET's Parallel DOM architecture, created several inclusive interaction patterns, and lead to the creation of a generalizable description design framework she uses to design descriptions. When not at her computer, Taliesin enjoys playing baseball with her son, and hiking along North America's most easterly hiking trail, the East Coast Trail.