Emily Harmsen

Emily has a background in fashion design (Ryerson U) and decided to return to graduate school to deepen her understanding of inclusive and accessible design theory & practice. Since beginning her studies as a part-time student in 2017, she has continued to work full-time jobs which have included some hands-on work within the field of accessibility. She completed the READi program at Carleton U in 2019 which strengthened her alignment with inclusive & empathic design methods. Her research includes developing a design framework that merges aspects of sustainable, inclusive & accessible design theories with the intention of making it easier for small scale designers to ensure more ethical and all around accessible products without compromising their unique aesthetics.