Caren Watkins

Projects

Regulating the Digital Domain, Communication Access within the Accessible Canada Act, Optimizing Diversity with Disability, Intelligent User Interfaces for Virtual Healthcare, Inclusive Learning Design Handbook, Accessible Canada — Accessible World, Equitable Communication Draft Standard, Autism Framework for Standards Development

Bio

Caren Watkins is an inclusive designer, researcher, educator, and communication professional whose work focuses on accessibility, inclusive design, and equitable participation in education and society. Based at the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) at OCAD University, her current work is guided by a commitment to inclusive design as a catalyst for innovation, social participation, and systemic change. She is particularly interested in the intersection of accessibility, learning, policy, and technology, and in fostering collaborative approaches that create more inclusive futures.

At IDRC, Caren combines expertise in design, education, communication, and community engagement to help address complex accessibility and inclusion challenges. Caren leads and collaborates on projects that bring together people, knowledge, and perspectives from different fields.

Caren holds a Master of Design in Inclusive Design from OCAD University. Her graduate research explored how inclusive learning design can enhance learner engagement by recognizing and responding to the diverse ways people learn, communicate, and participate. 

Before joining the IDRC, Caren held leadership and director positions in editorial, creative, and content development. She has received numerous national and international awards for excellence in communication design and has taught at OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University, York–Sheridan Design, and Dalhousie University.

Upcoming talks

Open Education Conference 2026 / The Space Between

From Inception to Practice: Developing Open and Inclusive Education Resources

Connect