assistive.consulting

It’s too bad LinkedIn doesn’t allow photos and videos in the same post. Here’s the continuation to this post https://lnkd.in/gwm5inyd Waymo Community Event was a stark reminder that universal design and community engagement are keys to the future. It was great to host Kür?at Ceylan and G?khan Meri?liler, co-founders of WeWALK, see Sharon Giovinazzo in action and catch up with friends Caitlin O’Malior and McKenna Marshall, MBA. Rachel Kamen, it was great to see you! #universalDesign #CommunityEngagement #Technology4All assistive.consulting LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Waymo assistive.consulting

Attending the Waymo community event was a reminder of how inclusive innovation can change lives. Listening to my friend Sharon Giovinazzo, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired speak on the panel was especially impactful. Her advocacy for people with disabilities is deeply personal, challenging us all to think beyond technology toward meaningful empowerment. Waymo’s commitment to accessibility is addressing persistent issues visually impaired individuals often face, from ride refusals to limited driver support. Importantly, they engaged local nonprofits and first responders from the outset, collaborating proactively instead of scrambling to catch up. By designing for independence and reliability, Waymo is setting a new standard in mobility that offers autonomy, respect, and consistency. It’s heartening to see this level of dedication to accessibility in action. Here’s what Sharon had to say. Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow photos and video in the same post, so here’s second part: https://lnkd.in/gCxc-XYX #Inclusion #Accessibility #Waymo #universalDesign

On October 15, White Cane Day, a rally in front of Uber and Lyft offices in San Francisco brought attention to a persistent issue: many visually impaired riders with guide dogs continue to be denied rides, despite laws prohibiting such discrimination. Instead of holding companies accountable, some solutions, like requiring riders to self-identify as guide dog users, shift the burden onto those already facing discrimination. Organized by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the rally emphasized the need for rideshare companies to fulfill their legal obligations and uphold anti-discrimination laws. This responsibility shouldn’t rest on the shoulders of the individuals affected. #Accessibility #GuideDogs #EqualRights #Inclusion #WhiteCaneDay https://lnkd.in/gZzKWxaQ

Happy White Cane Day! ?? I had the privilege of joining 300+ visually impaired and sighted community members for an inspiring march across the Golden Gate Bridge, organized by the incredible team at LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It was an honor to represent assistive.consulting and WeWALK, the maker of the WeWALK Smart Cane V2, a revolutionary device designed to enhance mobility for blind and visually impaired individuals. ?? A big thank you to Lighthouse for organizing the event and the lovely picnic afterwards. It was great to see California State Senator Scott Wiener in attendance, supporting the blind community and raising awareness. I was also fortunate to reconnect with dear friends Sharon Giovinazzo and Jerry Kuns, and meet many new faces. Let's continue to raise awareness and support the blind and visually impaired community, ensuring everyone can navigate the world with independence and dignity. #WhiteCaneDay #Accessibility #BlindCommunity #WeWALK #AssistiveTech #AssistiveTechnology Kür?at Ceylan G?khan Meri?liler Joe Alfonso Murat Ugis Ay?egül Zincir

The announcements from yesterday’s #MetaConnect represent a profound advancement in accessibility technology, particularly for the blind and low-vision community. Meta’s partnerships are poised to redefine how individuals with visual impairments access and interpret their surroundings. The collaboration between Meta and Be My Eyes introduces a new level of innovation to real-time visual assistance. By integrating AI into their platform, the potential for enhanced autonomy and immediate access to critical visual information has expanded significantly, reinforcing the platform's mission to serve millions of users globally. Additionally, the participation of Envision founders, Karthik Mahadevan and Karthik K., showcased two groundbreaking initiatives: 1. Ally, a conversational personal AI assistant powered by Llama 3.1, Meta’s cutting-edge open-source AI model, is a sophisticated tool designed to cater specifically to the needs of blind and low-vision individuals. By allowing users to effortlessly access vital information. 2. The Project Aria Glasses prototype introduces a compelling integration of Llama’s language processing and computer vision, offering users the ability to interact with visual information via speech. This represents a pioneering stride toward wearable AI technology that empowers blind and low-vision individuals to independently navigate and engage with their environments. These developments, rooted in AI and machine learning, signal an exciting future where the boundaries of accessibility are continually being pushed, bringing us closer to a more inclusive world. #AI4Good #MetaConnect24 #PerceivePossibility #SmartGlasses #BlindLowVision #Innovation #Accessibility #assistiveTechnology #MetaGlasses

Great news for the community! Kudos to Michael Buckley and the Be My Eyes for stepping in and keeping a great resource, AppleVis, alive.

This is a call to all start ups in the assistive technology and accessibility fields and VCs who are interested in these fields. If you’re looking to funding, feedback from the community or networking with like/minded individuals, I would like to invite you to apply for the Ignite Accessibility Pitch Competition organized by the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Why Attend? Entrepreneurs Participating in a pitch competition offers visibility for accessibility-focused products and services, opening doors to investments, grants, and other financial resources necessary for further development and commercialization. Investors Some investors mistakenly believe that the accessibility market is too small. Attendees will challenge this notion, uncovering the enormous potential, with aggregated spending power projected to reach an astounding $13 trillion in the coming years. Application deadline is Aug 31st. For more information or to apply, please visit https://lnkd.in/grBVMaWz. I’m excited to be helping on this potentially transformational project. If you have any questions or would like to jump on a call, feel free to send me a private message. assistive.consulting Karae Lisle McKenna Marshall, MBA Jennifer George, MBA Catalina Reynolds Cavallieri John Giddings

Thank you Steven Scott for allowing to share my perspective on OrCam’s closing its blindness/low vision products division and shifting its focus to hearing suport market.

Thank you Karen Nowicki , David Steinmetz (Lion) , Arizona Industries For The Blind and Phoenix Business RadioX for inviting me to participate in a great discussion about assistive technology.

?? Final Review from American Council of the Blind / Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Conventions Exhibit Hall: LyriQ AI by Zyrlo, LLC ?? I'm hapoy to share my last review from the exhibit hall at the ACB/BVA Conventions, highlighting the innovative LyriQ Assistive Reader by Zyrlo, LLC. The LyriQ Assistive Reader is a game-changer for individuals with blindness or vision impairments. This scan-and-read device is designed to scan printed documents and read them out loud with incredible speed, accuracy, and ease. Key Features: - Simple: Just place the printed page on the LyriQ Reader’s surface and listen. - Responsive: Immediate scanning and reading with no waiting or button pressing. - Compact: Folds flat for easy storage, like a laptop. - Intuitive: Large tactile buttons make navigation straightforward. - Bluetooth-enabled: Connects to external speakers or hearing aids. - Battery/AC Powered: Portable with an all-day battery or plug into an outlet. I had the pleasure of catching up with Leon Reznik CEO of Zyrlo, LLC, who shared exciting insights about the LyriQ AI. This advanced version combines all the capabilities of the original LyriQ with cutting-edge AI. The LyriQ AI can read handwritten notes, summarize key sections of bills and receipts, recognize barcodes, and even perform translations on the fly – all requiring just a Wi-Fi connection. For more indirmatuon, read lease watch the demo below and visit https://www.zyrlo.com #AssistiveTechnology #BlindnessAwareness #LyriQReader #Innovation #Accessibility #Inclusion #ACBConvention #BVAConvention assistive.consulting