Getting the Message Across: One Researcher’s Mission to Make Communications Work for Everyone

Posted July 30, 2025

Most of the digital environment isn’t designed with all users in mind. From emergency phone alerts to job search platforms, a lot of technology doesn’t work well — or at all — for people with disabilities. Enter real-life barriers: to safety, healthcare, information, and making a living.

Fortunately, some people make it their mission to bring down those barriers. Salimah LaForce, senior research scientist for Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), studies where information systems fail and where they can be improved. Her research shapes policies, tools, and educational resources to make sure everyone — not just the non-disabled — can access the same opportunities and protections.

“Technology works best when it works for everyone,” LaForce said. “There should be no sociodemographic or systemic barriers to accessing lifesaving information or having the tools you need to work and live well.” 

LaForce’s work spans the breadth of accessibility research. She makes recommendations on how emergency mobile alerts can be improved, accesses job outcomes for people with disabilities, and even designs virtual games that help older adults protect themselves in the face of disaster.

But how did a humanities enthusiast from California end up designing virtual reality (VR) studies in Atlanta? It’s a path that, while unexpected, ended up coming full circle.

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