Growing up, Michele Brannon-Hamilton was taught to hide what made her different.

“I grew up in a time when disabilities were hidden,” she says. “It was a stigma.”

Today, she’s doing the opposite. Through her startup, Accessible Digital Design Academy (ADDA), Michele is helping organizations build accessibility into every slide, website and course they create.

“It’s about proactive design,” she says. “Like how we build mobile-first websites now, we should be building access-first content. You shouldn’t have to ask for accessibility. It should just be there.”

Finding belonging in Waterloo Region’s tech community

Michele never imagined she would become a founder. With a background in education and learning technology, she had spent years helping others navigate accessibility challenges. She ran a consulting business and a tutoring company, but didn’t think she could start a tech company.

“I honestly didn’t know if I belonged at Communitech,” she says. “I told myself, if there’s a parking spot when I get there, I’ll go in.”

There was, and it changed everything. Michele joined Communitech Startup Bootcamp, a six-week, hands-on program that helps early-stage founders refine their ideas. She quickly discovered that she wasn’t alone.

“Startup Bootcamp was life-changing,” she says. “I’ve always been entrepreneurial, but I didn’t realize I could build something of this magnitude.”

At the Startup Bootcamp Showcase in January 2025, Michele pitched ADDA to a packed crowd at the Communitech Hub, alongside 15 other founders. Her vision was an all-in-one AI tool that helps organizations create accessible content from the start.

“I like to call it the Grammarly for accessibility,” she says.

Turning expertise into innovation

Michele’s career journey included a Master of Ed Tech degree and wound through classrooms, colleges and universities before she became a founder. She’s taught college writing and business technology, built online learning communities and trained educators to design inclusive materials.

But she’s also lived the barriers firsthand, from lack of accommodations in school to bias in professional settings. Those experiences drive her mission to simplify digital accessibility in tech and make it second nature for everyone who designs slides, websites or online courses.

“People think accessibility is complicated,” she says. “It’s not. A few simple changes can make a huge difference, and it’s the right thing to do.”

A simple idea with lasting impact

Michele’s combination of passion and innovation fits naturally within Waterloo Region’s collaborative tech community, where small ideas often grow into big impact.

“I’m blown away by the support here,” she says. “There are so many people who genuinely want to help founders succeed.”

Through programs at Communitech and the Accelerator Centre’s AC:Incubator+, she’s found mentors, peers and community who are committed to building tech that includes everyone.

“We should stop thinking of it as disability and start thinking of it as access for everyone,” she says.

Communitech helps tech companies start, grow and scale ideas that make the world better. Connect with us to learn how we can support you along your journey.