Kathryn Locke

Dr. Kathryn Locke serves as a Researcher at Curtin University's Centre for Culture and Technology (CCAT), where she specializes in disability studies, digital accessibility, and media technology. As a key member of the Digital Disability research program, she investigates how people with disabilities navigate digital spaces and technologies. Her research portfolio includes groundbreaking work on smartphone accessibility for vision-impaired users, streaming media accessibility, and urban navigation technologies. She has contributed to major research initiatives including the ARC-funded "Navigating Urban Spaces" project and multiple Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) funded studies examining video-on-demand accessibility. Her influential publications explore the intersection of disability and technology, including work on privacy ethics in disability research, smartphone usage during COVID-19, and the evolution of accessible streaming services. Through her collaboration with CCAT's research team, she continues to shape understanding of how digital technologies can either create or alleviate disability barriers while advocating for more inclusive design practices