Passion for prioritizing accessibility inspires alumna

Valerie Horn ’19 (public policy), ’19 MS (science, technology, and public policy) believes accessibility should be at the forefront of entrepreneurs’ minds when developing their businesses. This belief pushed her to co-found Zestability, a consultation firm that advocates for prioritizing accessibility and inclusive business practices.

“I want everyone to have more choices. Deaf people and people with disabilities often have limited options, and that can also mean limited quality of services or products. It can be a very frustrating experience, and I’ve encountered that many times myself,” said Horn.

The mission of Zestability, co-founded by Horn and Sheila Xu, is to “change the way industries approach accessibility.” They collaborate with businesses to create innovative, inclusive, and accessible solutions for customers both with and without disabilities.

“The global disability market is $13 trillion in annual spending. That market includes people with disabilities, but it also includes their families, friends, and government agencies,” said Horn. “When companies invest in accessible practices, it can create loyalty among their customer base. If they make a bad impression by not being inclusive, customers are not going to use those services again.”

Since graduating from RIT, Horn has worked at several nonprofits in roles focused on policy and advocacy work for people with disabilities. She met Xu when she relocated to Boston for her current position as the nonprofit manager of Deaf Inc. The pair bonded by venting their frustrations over obstacles they’ve faced as deaf women due to businesses not prioritizing accessibility, and they channeled those frustrations into this new business venture.

Zestability was founded in early 2024. To Horn’s delight, the majority of their clients have been new startup companies. These companies benefit from consultations for product and customer experience development, as well as research and design feedback from Zestability’s disability network.

“People reach out to us because they’re not sure how to include accessibility within their products, and we help guide them,” said Horn. “We’re really happy to work with them at that beginning stage. Once a business has already developed products and information, backtracking to make things more accessible takes more time and money to fix.”

For clients seeking to improve their established offerings, Horn and Xu provide accessibility evaluations, language consulting, training workshops, and other services regarding appropriate practices and language needed to maximize inclusivity.

A passion for breaking barriers and inspiring people to achieve their goals is the motivation behind Horn’s work. She said that her time at RIT helped her realize that she could use her skills and experiences to make a difference.

“I did a lot of advocacy work for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community through my sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, and through Student Government. I think the self-confidence I gained through those experiences really helped me get to this point in my career,” said Horn.

This story originally appeared in RIT News.