Andrew Somers is Director of Research at Inclusive Reading Technologies, Inc., a California nonprofit focused on improving readability for all. He is the creator of the Accessible Perceptual Contrast Algorithm (APCA) and lead author of the APCA Readability Criterion (ARC), a next-generation set of guidelines for visual accessibility and readability on electronic displays.

APCA is the candidate contrast method under evaluation for W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0 and has been voluntarily adopted by organizations including Stack Overflow, ServiceNow, and Schibsted Marketplaces. The algorithm is integrated into Chrome DevTools, implemented by over 20 third-party tools and plugins, and referenced in published research from the University of Cambridge, KAIST, and Springer.

Andrew’s expertise in color science and visual perception is grounded in more than 35 years of professional experience in the Hollywood film and television industry. As a technology evangelist during the industry’s transition from chemical to digital imaging, he developed workflows for major studio productions and earned three Emmy awards — two as supervising sound designer for CBS’s Beakman’s World and one in a related technical capacity. His feature credits include work on The Matrix, TRON: Legacy, The Thin Red Line, and Beauty and the Beast. He is a member of the Editors Guild, Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

After his own eyesight became severely impaired due to early-onset cataracts and related complications, Andrew redirected his career toward visual accessibility research. He served as an Invited Expert at the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, leading the Visual Contrast subgroup of the Silver (WCAG 3) task force. His research integrates established vision science — including color appearance models, contrast sensitivity functions, and psychophysical readability research — into practical guidelines for content designers and developers.

Andrew’s current focus is the global readability crisis: research indicates reading has declined significantly in the era of electronic media, and he is committed to ensuring that display technology enhances rather than degrades the ability to read.