FrancesWest&Co

Just finished attending and speaking at WCIT 2024 / DigiTec conference in Yerevan Armenia. It is a beautiful country in transition. A country that is very focused on investing in citizen’s technology education, especially on AI. I spoke on two panels consisted of very distinguished global leaders. 1: Tomorrow's World: Forging an Exciting future through AI. 2: Female Leadership in AI. We discussed issues and opportunities associated with ethical AI, digital inclusion, accessibility and need for human first (vs technology first) thinking and actioning. So thankful for the opportunity provided by WITSA as we, the visiting speakers had a chance to see this beautiful country, shared knowledge, and to meet up with old and new friends. One of the personal highlights was about meeting a young IBM Australia technologist Poojan Sharma who is passionate about learning AI and advocating for women in tech! . #ai #technology #ethics #womenintech #diversity #inclusion #innovation #digitalinclusion #accessibility #humanfirst #womenintech Badr Boussabat Berge Ayvazian Nancy Giordano Anders Halvorsen Stela Lupushor Bart Symons Seda Papoyan Agnès Flémal Antonella Silvagni Bertazzo Leticia Bertrand Jacqueline Karaaslanian Madlene Minassian, Ed.D. Anoush Arshakyan Martin Rigby Stephen Ibaraki Dato’ Dr. Sean SEAH frITs BussemakerAlberto Patron Dan E Khoo Emily S. Barner Stefan Lucas Ivy Chang, CPA, CISA, CFE Poojan Sharma

Excited about speaking at WCIT 2024 in Yeveran, Armenia in October! https://lnkd.in/eJP_KHCg

FDA called the new iPod hearing-aid mode announcement “an advance for the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support”. As a person who’s over 50 and is beginning to experience some hearing loss, I didn’t want to wear a medical hearing aid. Apple’s innovation of combining assistive technology with consumer product to improve hearing health is brilliant. I definitely will check it out! #innovation #technology #hearingloss #disability #accessibility #ageing

Excited to share that Stela Lupushor and I will be speaking at WCIT 2024 / DigiTec organized by WITSA in Yerevan, Armenia in October, coinciding with the US National Disability Employment Awareness Month. ?? https://lnkd.in/gQ6nc8zh This is one of the original technology conferences that brings together government policy makers and technology leaders around the world to discuss current and future technology trends and solutions. I had the honor to speak at WCIT Brazil 2016, WCIT Taiwan 2017, WCIT Malaysia 2022 but missed attending WCIT 2021 Armenia due to Covid19. So happy to be invited back. This year’s theme is on AI. I will be sharing my human first perspective about how authentic leadership is needed to ensure inclusive technology innovation, employment for all, especially for ageing and people with disabilities on the panel of Futuristic Perspectives: The Singularity and Beyond: Imagining a Post-AI revolution World. #ai #innovation #technology #publicprivatepartnership #humanfirst #authenticinclusion #peoplewithdisabilities #ageing #NDEAM

Thrilled to share this AI Technology Report from the Asian American Women in Tech series by Asian American Business Development Center #ai #authenticinclusion #technology #innovation #womenintech Check out the report ?? https://lnkd.in/eZravkmG

https://lnkd.in/eFGt2HZS

Incredibly honored to meet with the United Nations General Secretary António Guterres to discuss the human rights of older adults and inclusive technology. Ambassador Luis Gallegos chairman of United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provided Silvia Candamil Neira of Global Initiative on Ageing David Evangelista of Special Olympics and me this incredible opportunity to share our work. Thank you so much! #ageing #humanrights #technology #inclusion

Yesterday as an advisor to Global Initiative on Ageing, I participated in the panel discussion on Promoting Inclusive Ageing Through Technology during the United Nations 14th Open Ended Working Group on ageing. Two areas of focus - Why is it so important to build technology policy such as AI into human rights policy for older people? - How do we engage private sector in promoting technology solution design that respects older people’s abilities and preferences? Thanks to ambassador Luis Gallegos for the invitation. Silvia Candamil Neira for incredible moderating and fellow panelists Martin Fr?lander of Junoverse Jacque Lee of T-Mobile Troy Otillio of Aira for their insight and Mohammed Ali Loutfy of G3ict - The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs for support. #ageing #technology #ai #inclusion #stakeholders #accessibility #digitalinclusion #olderpersons #qualityoflife #innovation #humanfirst #authenticinclusion

This is a stunning example of how alt text technology from Scribely can describe the Met Gala in such a beautiful and nuanced language that not just blind and low vision individuals can benefit from the description but all of us can get a fashion lesson. Bravo to the CEO Caroline Desrosiers (CPACC) for such a beautifully executed use case. Another great example for the Global Accessibility Awareness Day celebration. #accessibility #technology #techmadehuman #unnovation #gaad #MetGala2024