Jamie Dean Is Making Technology More Accessible, One Day At A Time
Jamie Dean is a Senior Corporate Counsel with Microsoft. Before joining the technology field, he was a litigation attorney for 11 years. A member of the NCBA Professional Vitality Committee, Dean served as committee chair from 2021-2022. He is a former member of the United States Paralympic rowing team, which earned the silver medal in the 2008 summer Paralympics.
In this conversation, Dean describes his career transition from litigation to the technology field and his role at Microsoft, where he collaborates with other attorneys and engineers to make technology accessible for individuals with disabilities. Dean offers his thoughts on how law firms and legal practitioners can create greater inclusivity in both private and public legal spheres.
Jamie Dean celebrated two milestones in 2022. In May, he turned 40, and in July, he celebrated his first year as Corporate Counsel at Microsoft.
Dean, who enjoys the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, has embarked on his own journey in the last two years. In 2020, he made a career transition from litigation to in-house counsel in the technology field.
Pausing to express his gratitude for where he is today, Dean penned a LinkedIn post, in which he thanked his former colleagues at Womble Bond Dickinson, where he practiced for 11 years, and his new colleagues for “bringing out the best in him.”
“I try to have a general outlook on life of gratitude,” he shares.
“Viewing the world through a lens of gratefulness helps me in times when things have not been easy or have not been going well. But overall, saying, ‘You are really fortunate,’ is one of those anchor points that has been really sustaining for me.”
During Dean’s childhood, the unexpected happened. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that gradually impacts the retina and the ability to see. For him, the condition has resulted in blindness.
He received this diagnosis, but he was not daunted by it. He applied to study economics at Wake Forest University, and after earning a B.A. from the university, he continued on to the joint M.B.A./J.D. program at Wake Forest University School of Law and School of Business, where he graduated in 2009.
Recalling his experiences from law school to the present, Dean thinks about the computer programs that made it possible for him to study and practice law.
He is thankful for them.
“Every significant professional moment I’ve had going back to college happened with a PC sitting in front of me, running accessible software that enabled me to have notes and cases, deposition outlines, examination outlines and exhibits – all of those things. If it hadn’t been for accessible computers, I would not have been able to be a lawyer. And because of accessible technology, I was able to be a lawyer pretty seamlessly. So, personally, I recognize that there is a tremendous value to creating accessible tools.”
Screen-reading software, which reads on-screen text aloud using synthesized speech, is instrumental in his daily life.
“That’s the primary piece of accessible technology or assistive technology that I use,” he says.
Dean uses screen-reading software, which makes it possible for him to listen to on-screen text being read aloud.
Because of the software’s importance and his familiarity with it, Dean became interested in accessible technology and the field as a whole. He also became curious about how such software could be improved, and in learning more about advancements in technology that would be helpful for individuals with disabilities.
His interest in technology was one contributing factor in his decision to move from litigation to corporate counsel. Another factor in his decision was his involvement in professional associations, especially the NCBA.
In 2020, Dean was serving as vice chair of the Professional Vitality Committee when he read articles written by fellow members Coleman Cowan and Celia Pistolis that caused him to think about where his career had taken him and where he still wanted to go. Their words resonated with him, and as a result, he began to consider his priorities in a new way.
“They really talked about thinking through your career, being thoughtful about your career, making sure that the position you have is the one that you want to have. All those things together are what really gave me the courage to make the move. I’m not sure that I would have without the sort of serendipitous culmination of those voices.”
Reading the pieces on this topic made an impact on him, as did networking with other attorneys who practice with a disability. Dean attended a Minority Corporate Counsel Association conference, where he met an attorney who worked for Google. They became friends, and the new contact encouraged Dean to explore the possibility of moving into the tech field.
Dean gave extensive thought to what was next before applying for a new position. At the time, he had practiced as a litigator for close to 12 years at Womble Bond Dickinson. Dean first joined the firm while in law school, when he worked as a clerk there during the summers of his 1L and 2L years.
These internships helped him to realize he wanted to become a litigator. He became an associate attorney with the firm after graduating and rose to partner.
During his tenure with Womble Bond Dickinson, Dean handled a variety of cases, including insurance disputes, First Amendment cases, and Americans with Disabilities Act matters. He worked with Rick Rice and Mike Montecalvo, mentors who had an impact on his practice. Because of the support he received, he wanted to give back to others. From 2014 to 2021, Dean served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, where he taught courses on pre-trial practice and procedure.
His desire to play an integral part in making and improving accessible technology won out in the end.
“I really wanted to see what life would look like in a non-litigation career and doing something full-time that relates to an area of real personal interest for me. As a blind person and a technology nerd, the idea of working in accessibility was very high on the list. I had been litigating Americans With Disabilities Act cases on the defense side, working somewhat in technical accessibility issues with Womble. Transitioning to doing that in-house means building things and supporting people, and building things that are accessible, rather than just defending against accusations that websites and products aren’t working for people with disabilities.
“This is probably the best way to say it: I really wanted to be a part of the creation process of building things, making products that have a worldwide reach and that truly change lives. Moving to Microsoft gave me that opportunity.
“I was going from a place where I was very comfortable with what I was doing, and things were going really well to switching to a completely different type of career, and a somewhat different subject matter, so I definitely weighed the risk as well – that this is not a small change. But thus far, I have enjoyed it and am glad I made the move, although I do miss my colleagues at Womble.”
Dean, his spouse Lauren, and their children stop for a photograph while traveling along the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.
At Microsoft, Dean works as an attorney on the Accessibility Regulations Team, which focuses on helping product attorneys and engineers understand Microsoft’s global legal obligations with respect to accessibility. He is one of two attorneys on the team, which is also comprised of engineers and policy experts.
“It is a lot of fun. I feel like I get to be a part of and to contribute to discussions that are happening in circles where real change takes place. And so, it’s a very rewarding place to be.
“What our team does is assess global laws and regulations that relate to accessibility of the types of products and services that Microsoft makes. Then we communicate those legal requirements to the engineering teams who are actually making the products and services. We help resolve confusion and ambiguities, and, generally, act as the sort of central source for legal counseling on accessibility issues.”
Dean studies both new and pending regulations, meets with teams, and advises on matters of regulations that apply to those teams. He also responds to questions about how to apply those regulations.
He works closely with other attorneys, referred to as frontline attorneys, who are assigned to specific product teams and provide more general counsel. When frontline attorneys reach out, Dean answers questions. This collaboration helps frontline attorneys to assist their product team clients.
In particular, Dean enjoys hearing about advancements in accessible technology, and being a part of the conversations significant to these advancements.
What are some new applications or software for individuals with disabilities?
Dean mentions one iPhone application in particular, Seeing AI, which is specifically tailored for individuals who are blind or who have low vision.
“The app uses AI to give somebody who’s blind or low vision information about the world around them. It can do things like recognize text on a physical document or on an inaccessible screen, like an airport terminal sign. It can recognize money. It can tell you if the lights are on or off. It can take a picture of a theme and give you a basic description of the room and what’s in it, and allow you to feel around on your iPhone screen to get a sense of where different objects are in the room. It can scan barcodes and read information and instructions for many products.”
Important to Dean, Seeing AI is totally free. He explains that previous devices such as desktop scanners cost a large amount of money, and, often, cost can be an issue for individuals with disabilities. A product’s price may determine if someone will be able to purchase it and to access what they need.
Practical applications such as these can make a world of difference for individuals with disabilities by making everyday activities easier than before. While technology can serve to assist individuals with disabilities in their daily lives, it can also open up opportunities for enhancing inclusivity on a larger scale.
Dean reflects on how adding an element of personalization to a game opened up more opportunities for individuals with disabilities to be represented, and to feel welcomed.
“One of our new games gives users the ability to create avatars, and the avatars can reflect a disability. For example, your avatar could have a prosthetic, or your avatar could have hearing aids, and I continue to see feedback from people about how personally meaningful it is to them to be able to have a character on a game that reflects their disability, and how it makes them feel so much more included.”
That companies are creating these accessible applications and personalized features signifies the cultural shift towards inclusivity.
“We are at a really unique time in history when there’s a lot of focus on disability rights and accessibility. There also have been laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act – that has been around for more than three decades. Also, there’s an important law called the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). It deals with things like content that is shown on TV and also advanced communication services.
“These laws have been around long enough that you’re starting to see products reflect the aspirations of the legislators who created them.”
Both Microsoft and Apple offer computers with screen-reading software and other assistive technology included without cost. This makes computers more accessible for people with disabilities because they are able to purchase computers with the necessary technology already built in.
When Dean attended college, the screen-reading technology software that enabled the PC to speak text aloud was not included within the computer; it was an add-on one purchased separately from a third party. It cost approximately one thousand dollars. Now, the software’s cost has significantly decreased.
“I can license it instead of buying it outright, and that makes it much, much more affordable. In the old days, when it was a thousand dollars to buy, a lot of people had to make hard choices about whether they were going to be able to buy that software or not. Now, when you can license it for less than one hundred dollars per year, it’s democratizing the technology.”
Dean and his children hiking at Pilot Mountain.
As Dean describes, technology companies are prioritizing accessibility for people with disabilities.
When asked about how the legal field can be made more inclusive for individuals with disabilities, Dean offers his thoughts and relates some of his experiences.
“It’s interesting how people with disabilities have been excluded from discussions about diversity and inclusion. It’s because we don’t speak with a homogeneous voice. Around twenty-five percent of our population in the U.S. has a disability, but we come from different age groups, different demographic groups, different ethnic groups. Often we have close ties to people who share our disability, but don’t know many people with different disabilities. We don’t necessarily do a great job of speaking with one voice. And yet, we are a huge number of people. To me, it’s critical that law firms and other businesses make sure that group is considered when they are thinking about increasing representation and building an inclusive culture.
“Something else they can do is contemplate the technology that they use and the vendors they hire – is this successful? Will this work for people with disabilities? Because of course, one of the reasons that I think law firms can be hesitant to hire someone with a disability is fear around accommodation. How will they be able to do the job? Well, you make that a much more intimidating prospect if your procurement processes have never contemplated the accessibility of your technology.
“If your email system isn’t accessible, if your document management system isn’t accessible, if the legal databases you use online aren’t accessible, it’s going to be really hard for a person with a disability to succeed at your firm. But if all of those things work with assistive technology, the law can be a very accessible profession, as it has been for me.”
Incorporating these changes is simpler than what might be expected.
“I think most law firms would be very surprised at how easy it is for things to work for a person with disabilities. And I think, in general, all of us need to be frank about the types of biases that may influence us when it comes to people with disabilities.”
In some instances, Dean has experienced being treated in a different way, and it can be challenging.
“The thing happens the most often is people treat me in a way that’s not contextually appropriate for my age and profession. That’s a nice way of saying they treat me like a kid. It might be addressing me with patronizing terms like ‘big guy’ or ‘buddy’ in contexts where I’d normally be referred to as ‘sir’ or ‘Mr. Dean.’ Or, very frequently, people try to address me through my colleagues rather than speaking directly to me. They might ask ‘What does he want?’ or ‘Where is he going?’ It’s amazing how dogged people can be about this, even when I try to redirect them by offering responses, myself.”
Dean does not attribute these interactions to ill motives.
“It’s not anything intentionally harmful. It is just that the reality is there’s still a lot of awkwardness and uncertainty around the issue of a disability in our society and, unfortunately, most people don’t know of many examples of disabled professionals.”
Dean remarks on why it is important to address these issues, especially in the legal profession.
“What makes me concerned about that is I think it can lead to a bias of not believing that people with disabilities are equally competent. And that’s very dangerous – in our profession in particular, that bias – because it could affect the way that you’re perceived by judges. It could affect the way that you are perceived by clients and can affect the work that you’re handed by other partners.”
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Considering how the legal field could be more inclusive to people with disabilities, Dean also addresses the public sector.
“We need to rethink the systems and processes that underlie our litigation system to make sure that it’s a system where people with disabilities can equally participate as litigants, witnesses, jurors, and advocates. My experience, in general, in the court system was positive.”
But there were also some difficulties he encountered when he was a litigator.
“An easy example of this is the practice of people bringing printed-out cases to state court motions hearings. Most courts required briefs to be submitted ahead of time, but cases are frequently handed up to the judge at the hearing.
“That was always a pain for me. Because what I ended up doing was furiously searching for the case on my computer if I had good internet access, which was not always a given. Then I would try to listen to my computer reading the case in one ear while listening to opposing counsel’s argument in the other. It was not an easy situation.
“But the truth is, it is not a great situation for anybody. Because if you’re there to argue your case, what you’re not there to do is do legal research. If you are reading a case, trying to understand a case and think about how to distinguish it and figure out what all of its nuances are, you’re not doing that and listening closely to the opposing counsel’s argument. It seems to me that advocates, the judge, and the parties would all be better served if we simply required all materials cited in an argument to be provided in advance.”
As Dean points out, there are many advantages to creating with inclusivity in mind.
“We point to these classic examples like curb cutouts with a ramp. They’re necessary for someone using a wheelchair, but also extremely beneficial if you are pushing a stroller. Or take audiobooks. They were created for people who are blind or low vision or have reading-based disabilities. And, now, everyone loves audiobooks and the freedom they provide to read while driving, working out, or doing other activities that prevent you from looking at a physical book. It makes our lives so much more efficient.”
Making processes, products and services more inclusive is a priority, and it is one that he says begins with thinking about accessibility – considering others with disabilities – as a starting point.
Dean is paving the way for advancements in accessibility by advocating for himself and others and by sharing his experiences, one day at a time.
It is a mission he is glad to be a part of, and as he forges a new path, he is making a difference in others’ lives and encouraging them to join him on the journey.
Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.