Soon after I agreed to write Mismatch, my house flooded. Fifty thousand gallons of water and thirty-five thousand words later, it’s all a bit of blur. These pages were written nomadically: in airplane seats, hotel lobbies, coffee shops, kitchen tables, library corners, and even on the front steps of several porches. I’m deeply grateful to all the people who shared their homes, meals, and friendship with my family during this time. In particular, the Woodman, Wither-Wollersheim, and Grimes families, my mother, Sharon Tangney, and her husband Steve. You created the safe spaces that made this book possible.
John Maeda, thank you for encouraging me to write this book and making it seem like the obvious thing to do. You’ve shown me what it means to open doors for others and I promise to pay it forward.
Bob Prior, your trust and creative partnership were a first-time author’s dream. Thank you, and the MIT Press team, for the great care you brought to the nuanced topics in this book.
To the inclusive design leaders who contributed words to these pages: Tiffany Brown, John Porter, Victor Pineda, Sophia Holmes, Swetha Machanavajhala, Margaret Burnett, and Jutta Treviranus—thank you for sharing your expertise and stories.
The Airlift crew, thank you for creating a cover illustration that perfectly captures the essence of this book.
Karen Chappelle, your thoughtful and playful illustrations bring an important dimension to the ideas in each chapter.
Chuck Mosher, you coached me through the hurdles of writing. You endured my messiest thoughts to carve out my key points. Thanks for loving me that much.
Molly McCue, thanks for your eloquent feedback and being my writing soulmate.
Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, our long chats on misfits and mismatches helped me fit disparate pieces into one puzzle. And thank you for showing me how to write with Dragon when my words were in my mouth, not my hands.
Seema Sairam, Patrick Corrigan, Hsiao-Ching Chou, Sarah Morris, and Kris Woolery, thanks for your honest edits and remarkable friendship.
Irada Sadykhova, your compassion and clarity are woven throughout this book. Thank you for constantly challenging me, and a generation of inclusive leaders, to expect more of ourselves and each other.
To the extended community of inclusive design leaders and enthusiasts, especially at Microsoft, thank you for your partnership and support.
And finally, to my partner, Don, the rock that our family is built upon. When I decided to write a book, you didn’t even flinch. While I wrote, you shifted entire planets around me so I could focus. Remember when I made you read scores of disparate pages, over and over again, and then accused you of not really having read the book? Thanks for thinking that was funny. Our life is made possible by all that you create.