News

Meet Dataviz Accessibility Expert, Frank Elavsky

by

Nancy Dillon

2 minutes read

Accessibility

Photo by Halvor Farsund Strovik

This article is a summary of an article that appeared in Sogn Avis by Halvor Farsund Strovik

Frank Elavsky, a universal design and accessibility expert with experience at Visa, Apple, and Microsoft, never imagined he would end up in Vik, a small Norwegian village with majestic views of the fjords. Yet, here he is, spending a week interning at Highsoft, the tech company behind the popular data visualization library, Highcharts.

From Visa to Vik

Elavsky’s journey to Vik began in 2018 when he was hired by Visa to create accessible data visualizations. While exploring tools for this task, he was introduced to Highcharts. Delving deeper into Highsoft’s ecosystem, he became fascinated by their commitment to accessibility and set out to learn more about the company.

Photo by Halvor Farsund Strovik

Nowhere? Norway

Accustomed to working at big corporations with thousands of programmers, Elavsky was surprised to learn that Highsoft, a leader in data visualization software, was a small team based in a remote Norwegian village. “Is this how you do it in Norway? Start world-leading tech companies in the middle of… nowhere?” he wondered.

But it was Highsoft’s dedication to accessibility that truly impressed him. “Highcharts was way ahead of the rest of the industry and still is,” Elavsky says.

Photo by Halvor Farsund Strovik

Going Local

During his visit, Elavsky is not just working—he’s also enjoying the local culture. Accompanied by his wife, Shelby, he’s explored the scenic views and sampled local delicacies including gamalost cheese. “I actually liked it. My wife might need some convincing.”