On April 3rd, I completed 5 years with D2L. That was fast! After I started working from home in 2020, time seems to go by even faster. That could also be because I enjoy my work so much.
D2L has helped me grow professionally and personally. I joined as an Accessibility Program Manager and now I am the Global Accessibility Lead for the company. Growing and maturing in accessibility practice both as an individual and as an organization has been the goal. In 2018, I got accredited as a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) with the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). In 2021, I could help move D2L to become an organizational member of IAAP, which enables six employees to acquire accreditations in accessibility competencies. Doing well by doing good is what drives us to do the best work of our life.
D2L is so driven by values and those values align so well with my own that my work life seems a natural extension of my personal life. An overarching focus on inclusion permeates the company culture. Our townhall meetings with over 800 people on a zoom call are like intimate family gatherings. This culture of inclusion also drives our product process from research to release and beyond, with a focus on delivering an exceptionally inclusive customer experience. Taking a break to play foosball or stretch some muscles forms an integral part of this inclusive process. To say that I love working with D2L would be an understatement.
Over my years here, I have discovered that the best way to scale and mature a company’s accessibility practice is to allow it to percolate deep through enablement, empowerment, and trust. Whatever be their domain, D2Lers are aware of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, and what that means to their work. This sets us apart as a company that offers not just educational technology but educational experiences that touch and transform lives.
Join us in this incredible journey. Whatever be the role you wish to pursue in D2L, you will learn to do it with a passion to make it more human-centered; you will be supported by amazing leaders; and you will get to eat cake every month to celebrate the D2L birthday of those who joined in that month, like my 5th this month. Hoping to resume the cake ritual once we all get back into the office again.
Written by
Sam Chandrashekar is D2L’s Global Accessibility Lead. In the five years that Sam has worked with D2L, she has been sharing her passion for accessibility and inclusion with other D2Lers, helping them choose to grow into accessibility subject matter experts in their own domain. D2L’s inclusive company culture makes her job easier. Sam is also passionate about teaching and research. She teaches and supervises graduate research alongside.