Disability is truly the mother of invention
My overarching mission is to bring more lived disability experience to mainstream design, and more thoughtful design to accessible experiences.
Connecting Dots — A Blind Life
A memoir by Joshua A. Miele with Wendell Jamieson
About Josh Miele
Joshua A. Miele is a blind scientist, designer, author, and disability scholar.
He writes, advises, and collaborates widely on accessible design, disability-inclusive research methods, and the disability experience, often with emphasis on blindness and low vision.
Projects and Collaborations
I’ve been incredibly lucky to find amazing people to dream and collaborate with. Here you can read more about some of my past and present projects and partnerships.
Connecting Dots and Related Events
Find out more about Josh’s memoir, Connecting Dots, as well as a calendar of up-coming speaking engagements related to the book.
MieleLab Blog
Personal and professional musings on disability, accessibility, and design, as well as reports from my own blind experience.
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Getting Started — Learning About Disability Basics
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to get started learning about a complex topic like disability. If you haven’t had exposure to disability, or if you are just beginning to think about it in your own life, There can be a lot of confusing and conflicting messages. History, literature, and popular culture offer quite a […]
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Working with Wood
Most of the accessibility work I do is digital in one form or another. It’s satisfying to create digital experiences, but they usually lack a certain concrete durability. Maybe that’s why one of my favorite hobbies is woodworking.
Upcoming Events
Joshua’s work bridges technology and disability, striving for accessibility across all aspects of the digital and physical world.
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Connecting Dots comes to the Berkeley Public Library, featuring an extraordinary interview, audience Q&A, and book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
This time, Josh will be in conversation with colleague, friend, and highly-respected disability-rights lawyer, Lainey Feingold. Lainey is the author of Structured Negotiation, A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits, now in its second edition. Their fascinating and far-reaching conversation will connect dots from both of their careers building on the history of disability and technology in Berkeley, weaving in threads from Josh’s memoir. You really don’t want to miss this one!
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Dr. Miele is thrilled to discuss his memoir, Connecting Dots – A Blind Life, at the University of Washington on Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This hybrid event is hosted by CREATE, UW’s vibrant and edgy scholarship community known for centering lived disability experience and uniquely combining disability studies with accessible design and engineering. This is an amazing opportunity for the broader Seattle accessibility community to gather for an engaging conversation about disability, accessibility, and design, with ample opportunity for audience Q&A in the context of GAAD. Copies of Connecting Dots will be available for sale, with in-person book signing to follow the presentation.
Registration is required for this event whether attending in person or online.
Learn more about Connecting Dots in Seattle – Josh Miele at University of Washington on GAAD
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Dr. Miele is honored to be discussing his memoir, Connecting Dots – A Blind Life, at The New York Public Library on the evening of June 26. In conversation with acclaimed journalist and author, Andrew Lealand, and using Dr. Miele’s memoir as a framework, attendees can anticipate a fascinating public dialog about blind identity, disability representation, and accessible design. Copies of Connecting Dots will be available for sale, with opportunity for audience Q&A and book signing to follow. RSVP here for in-person or online attendance.
MacArthur Fellowship Award
The MacArthur Fellowship award celebrates individuals who demonstrate extraordinary creativity, significant accomplishments, and the promise of future impactful work.
Josh’s recognition by the MacArthur Foundation underscores his groundbreaking contributions to accessibility, supporting blind and visually impaired (BVI) individuals in accessing information and everyday technologies. His work crosses traditional lines of accessibility, focusing on practical, affordable, and readily available solutions.