TDSB & Me is a staff storytelling series that celebrates the people who help our schools and workplaces thrive. Each profile recognizes the everyday leadership, creativity, and care that shapes our system and supports student success.
Hojung An
Web Production and Training Specialist, Web Technical Services
Most of us visit a website without thinking about everything happening behind the screen. We click a link, find the information we need, and move on with our day. For Hojung An, making those moments feel simple, intuitive and accessible is the work.
Hojung has spent seven years with the Board, starting as a co-op student, followed by a year on contract before joining full-time. Early in his career, he was introduced to web accessibility and quickly saw its importance. He learned how small, thoughtful decisions in the way something is built can determine whether an experience includes everyone or creates barriers.
Accessibility remains a significant part of Hojung’s work. He regularly reviews and remediates issues across our websites, while also supporting content editors with updates, technical questions, and training. He takes real pride in making things easier for staff, developing features that simplify how content is managed and improve the experience for people visiting our websites.
Some of his proudest projects have come from solving practical problems. Hojung developed several features that improved the day-to-day experience for content editors, as well as a micro-application for the Athletics department to manage sports tournaments. He enjoys taking a real need, working through challenges, and building something people can use.
This approach has served him well, especially when technology presents limitations. Hojung has learned not to accept those limitations at face value. Through exploring, testing, and trying different approaches, he has found ways to deliver meaningful improvements even with older technology. “Creativity and persistence can close a lot of gaps that technology alone cannot,” he says.
One lesson has stayed with him throughout his time with the Board: “If something has a solution, it's not a problem — it's a challenge.”
Hojung also sees accessibility as a responsibility shared across the organization. He puts considerable care into making our websites accessible, but believes lasting change requires everyone to play a role. His work is one part of a larger effort to make our digital spaces easier for everyone to use.
