Biography
Tireless advocate for the end user of technology and services, always looking for opportunities for information to flow upwards through hierarchies (and not just downwards).
Richard Abisla (Ricky) most recently served as an Accessibility UX Researcher at Meta, where he worked on projects that made technology more accessible and inclusive for Meta’s hardware users. He has also worked with the UX hardware team at Google Nest. Prior to joining industry, Ricky led the development and implementation of a nationwide human centered design training program with librarians in Brazil. He has worked alongside grassroots groups in Honduras and Jamaica, public housing residents in Chicago, and new immigrants in San Francisco. Ricky was also selected to serve as an India-US Public Interest Technology Fellow at New America, where he investigated emerging community-based models of organizing and publishing open transit data in four cities in India.
A seasoned facilitator, Ricky has employed participatory approaches to engage with diverse stakeholders on a range of pressing issues, ensuring that their perspectives are not only heard but also integrated into decision-making processes. Ricky believes that including the perspectives of people at the bottom of social and public hierarchies can ensure that products and services are truly inclusive, meet the needs of users, and that funding streams are used in responsive and responsible ways. Ricky is a graduate of the University of Chicago (AB) and Teachers College, Columbia University (MA). He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and is currently improving his French.
