Delivery · Leadership · Accessibility
I’m Michael Harshbarger, a program and project leader who blends enterprise-scale delivery experience with accessibility, user experience, and instructional design. I help teams modernize systems, build inclusive products, and deliver under pressure — without chaos.
Built with accessible, standards-based HTML. Keyboard and screen reader friendly — because I lead with the same standards I expect from my teams.
Think of this as my professional home base. It exists to explain how I lead, give colleagues and partners a place to follow my work, and create a clear view of how I approach complex delivery, accessibility, and leadership.
My background in program and project leadership is strengthened by a deep focus on accessibility. I understand user experience, non-functional requirements, and how to teach teams what “good” looks like.
I’m building a public voice around project leadership, accessibility, user experience, and AI-assisted delivery. This site is the anchor, my social channels are the ongoing conversation.
I post new thoughts and short videos on LinkedIn most weeks and connect them back here.
See recent postsI speak at conferences and internal leadership events on accessibility, modernization, and the human side of AI and digital delivery. Years of teaching have shaped how I design sessions: plain language, strong presence, and actionable takeaways.
My “stint” in accessibility wasn’t a detour. It shifted how I think about projects, products, and people. I now lead with a stronger understanding of users, of non-functional requirements, and of how to teach teams rather than simply direct them.
I’ve also operated at a smaller company and run my own businesses, which means I’m comfortable leading with fewer resources, wearing multiple hats, and seeing the enterprise as a connected whole.
More about how I workAccessibility deepened my understanding of UX. I lead projects with customers at the center of decisions, not just requirements documents.
Accessibility sits alongside security, performance, and usability. I treat these as strategic differentiators that define product quality and brand.
Instructional design changed how I communicate. I design messages to be understood, remembered, and applied — not just heard.
From Fortune 40 to small-company and startup work, I’ve been both project leader and hands-on executor. Running my own businesses strengthened my holistic view of how strategy, operations, and delivery fit together.
Not every bullet — just enough to show how I lead.
“Michael’s leadership was instrumental in propelling a large enterprise data center program forward. The program was lean, complex, and highly visible, and he continually optimized resources while keeping momentum and clarity.”
“Michael inspires others with his passion and leads with vision. He gets to know his team, and the encouragement he offers makes every member feel unique, important, and capable.”
Featured weekly insight
Updated weeklyA practical look at what happens when accessibility moves from “nice to have” to a non-functional requirement that shapes how you plan, manage risk, and talk to customers.
Current feature: Accessibility as a core requirement · ~8–10 min read
This week on LinkedIn
New every weekA short video about why your vision and mission are the real start of the most important company: the one with you at the center.
Weekly micro-insight
→Every mistake I have made on projects have started with the phrase "Let's hurry up and...".
Before you jump into that next thing, take a moment to plan and think through what is going to happen. Some times it is better to slow down before you speed up.
Each week, I share one short idea like this that comes directly from real programs, not textbooks. Think of these as conversation starters for your own teams.
New long-form pieces are added here and expanded on the Insights page.
Why treating accessibility like security and performance changes how you plan, manage risk, and earn customer trust.
~8–10 minute read · Planning · Risk · Trust
How a simple Teach → Try → Show → Revise cycle makes project communication clearer, more repeatable, and easier for teams to act on.
~10–12 minute read · Communication · Change
A forthcoming piece on why program leaders have to see across lines of business, funding models, and delivery teams to make good decisions under pressure.
In progress · Will link into my speaking topics on modernization and accessibility leadership.