David Dame ♿️’s Post

Microsoft’s Ability Summit will be held on March 7th and will focus on how artificial intelligence can fuel accessibility innovation. Creating a culture of inclusivity has always been a top priority for me. Ensuring teams have an inclusive mindset is so important to building solutions that benefit everyone. Microsoft’s Ability Summit is a free, virtual event that brings together leading experts to discuss how new technology supports accessibility, drives innovation and empowers people with disabilities and allies to achieve more. It will feature exciting breakout sessions focused on: 1) Imagine - Explore innovative technologies leveraging AI, Assistive Technology and Inclusive Design to break down the barriers to push the future of inclusion and accessible technology. 2) Build - Join experts sharing the importance of inclusive-by-design with accessible products, services, websites, and culture, including how to make accessibility easier to achieve through tools, knowledge sharing and next steps. 3) Include - Meet leaders with disabilities and allies who specialize in disability culture, workplace accommodations, organisational responsibility and disability policy. Learn how you can amplify the perspectives of people with disabilities for a more inclusive world. Click this link - https://lnkd.in/dDSR8QCf - to learn more and register. #Inclusion #Diversity #Inclusion #Ability #Microsoft Kevin Peesker Jenny Lay-Flurrie Rachel Bondi Richard Ellis

This week, we had the privilege of hosting our Brand and Design team at the Inclusive Tech Lab. It was an engaging session where we shared insights into Microsoft's Inclusive Design journey—a journey rooted in empowering every person and every organization to achieve more. We explored how thoughtful design can bridge gaps and create opportunities for everyone, particularly in the disability community. The conversation didn’t stop there—we also discussed the exciting potential of tools like Copilot and the challenges and opportunities for AI to help close the disability divide in unprecedented ways. Inclusive design isn’t just about accessibility—it’s about innovation that benefits everyone. By embedding inclusion into our processes and leveraging cutting-edge technology, we can create experiences that truly reflect the diverse needs of the world. A big thank you to the Brand and Design team for engaging in this dialogue and helping us imagine a more inclusive future. Let’s keep pushing boundaries, together! 💡🌍 #InclusiveDesign #Accessibility #Innovation #DisabilityInclusion #Microsoft #FutureOfTech #InclusiveTechLab

Diverse needs call for inclusive tech that empowers uniqueness. We all have different ways of doing things—and our technology should reflect that. I believe cutting-edge technology is best used opening pathways and unlocking experiences for people of all circumstances and abilities.    With technologies like Copilot that support dictation, captioning, and audio descriptions and provide AI-augmented assistance for almost any task, we're making it easier for everyone's voice to be heard. Over 1 billion people around the world live with a disability, and at Microsoft, we know that inclusion fuels innovation.     This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, explore how people are personalizing tools for their one-of-a-kind journeys here: https://lnkd.in/eeDwY49Y #GAAD2024

Microsoft Research: Designing Access Technologies & Innovating Teachable AI Systems for Inclusive, Human-Centric Experiences at #RAREfest24 At Microsoft Research in Cambridge, they’re on a mission to transform the world through deep research. “To truly understand how we can empower others, we need to put the people at the centre of what we do. In a hybrid world the dynamics of how we work, communicate and feel a sense of connection with others is evolving, which is a significant opportunity for our research. Community participation is key to developing technologies that truly enable people with disabilities. Come and see how we’ve done it.” Microsoft Research’s exhibit at #RAREfest24 has a number of demos of access technologies built with disability communities - come and try them out and chat with researchers about the process and their work. Our 14+ Unique Feet: Rare Youth Voices team visited the MS Research HQ in Cambridge recently and can vouch for the fact that it's a pretty cool place to work, with good cake. Find out more and book your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/eJ63BEyc #Microsoft #MicrosoftResearch #Disability #Accessibility #AccessTechnology #AIforGood #Tech4Good #ResearchDesign #InclusiveDesign #RAREfest #CamRARE #RareDiseases #RareDisease

Breakthrough in communication technology! Imagine just thinking your words and seeing them appear on screen. This new mind-reading chip makes it possible, opening up new opportunities for those with motor disabilities. The future of communication is here, and it’s effortless! #techinnovation #ITCareer #datascience #sunelearning #techtrend #fullstack

First week of the Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator is a wrap ✅ My CTO Michael Jamieson and I gained immense value from the Techstars team and alumni, and we had the chance to collaborate in person for the first time. Key takeaways: 1. Increased awareness of the “curb cut effect” - More people are recognizing that disability-friendly features benefit a wider audience than initially intended. 2. Growing recognition of disability tech - There's a rising appreciation for the impact and importance of technology designed to support individuals with disabilities. 3. Power of a neurodivergent team - Embracing diverse perspectives and cognitive styles has significantly enhanced our team's creativity and problem-solving abilities. Excited for the next steps in our journey with Techstars! #Techstars #DisabilityTech #Neurodiversity #CurbCutEffect #StartupLife

SHARE!!! "Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges 🌍 Communication is a basic human right, yet so many in the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community face daily challenges in connecting with the world around them. We’re working on a solution that isn’t just an app—it’s a tool for inclusion, empowerment, and connection. It’s designed to bridge the gap, making communication accessible for everyone. While we can’t share all the details yet, our mission is clear: to create technology that transforms lives and opens doors. We’re looking to connect with developers, visionaries, and investors who share a passion for accessibility and innovation. Together, we can make this vision a reality. Let’s talk about building a world where communication has no barriers. 💬 #Accessibility #Innovation #DeafCommunity #InclusiveTech #Accessibility #InclusiveTech #InnovationForAll #SignLanguage #BrailleIntegration #TechForGood #EmpoweringCommunities #FutureOfCommunication #Accessibility #Inclusion #TechInnovation #DeafCommunity #Braille #SignLanguage #DigitalEquality #Empowerment #Innovation #AccessibilityTech #FutureOfTech #TechForGood #DisabilityInclusion #EmpathyInTech #InnovationForInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #TechForGood #GlobalImpact #EmpoweringCommunities Haben Girma Mike De Araujo Richard Branson Google Microsoft Apple Meta NVIDIA SAP Dimension Data Andreessen Horowitz Sequoia Capital Naspers Limited Intel Capital RiseFund LLC World Health Organization Disability Rights Fund Inclusive Design Research Centre BCX Bluegrass Amazon Web Services (AWS)

"GenAI for Accessibility: more human, not less" released yesterday from EY, in collaboration with Microsoft, this external study is about understanding the impact of Copilot on individuals with disabilities or who are neurodivergent, ultimately fostering the human benefit and augmented inclusion Copilot brings and sharing how this technology improves the day-to-day working experiences for these communities.

🧠💡How can you learn more about neurodiversity (ND) in the workplace? ND is still a new topic that we're just starting to learn about in society. I was at Google until 2018 and it wasn't something that was actively talked about then, even at the tech giant (at least not in EMEA). To learn & stay informed about the field, I've found it really helpful to follow thought leaders on LinkedIn. Here are three experts I highly recommend: /// 👉 Tristan Lavender Founder & Chair of the ND Network at Philips Tristin shares lots of personal stories as an autistic person. I see myself & people close to me in his stories so they really hit close to home. He also shares practical information such as how to create autism friendly spaces. 👉 Pierre Escaich Neurodiversity Talent Program Director at Ubisoft Pierre is the only person I know working in the games industry that solely focuses on ND. He's an inspirational speaker so you just might get to sign up for talks he delivers if you follow him. Bonus: If you're in the games industry, go to GDC Vault and watch his talk from 2023. It's 60 minutes of pure gold. 👉 Rajesh Anandan CEO of Ultranauts He actively talks about being a leader at "the world's first remote-native, neurodiverse organization". My favorite posts are about how he managed to navigate the economic downturn in a neuroinclusive way and the lessons he learned along the way. Talk about vulnerability! /// So that's my list of people follow. What I like about this approach is I get to continue learning in small chunks + follow discussions about the topic as it evolves. Go follow them to start learning here & now and many more days to come 😊 --- ℹ I created this post because I was supposed to give a short talk about ND at a games industry conference in September, but COVID happened and I couldn't! I'm posting snippets of what I had planned to share that day. More posts to come. #Neurodiversity

My year-long contract has ended with the Microsoft Inclusive Tech Lab team. I’m now on the hunt for the next, interesting opportunity that will help me stretch and grow as a human. (To my network, drop me a note if you hear of one you think I might enjoy. I kind of miss interviewing people and sharing a little about what they think!) Read on, if you’d like to hear more about my recent experience… Over my past year in the lab, it has been an absolute pleasure to engage with so many passionate, internal and external accessibility advocates and groups. I had a literal, front-row seat to everyone’s interest in making the world (and its products) more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. Many of those lessons will travel with me. I applaud this focus on accessibility and inclusive design, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it is also a fundamental right for those with disabilities. While my journey with the lab has closed for now, my learning journey to make my content more accessible continues. One of those efforts starts today with this – and any future – LinkedIn posts. I am now adding an alternative text (alt text) description for any image that accompanies my post. As I’ve learned, doing so helps those with sight challenges (who might be using a screen reader, for example) to grasp and enjoy more nuances of each post. Cheers, everyone! I can’t wait to see what the future brings. 😊 #accessibility #inclusion #inclusivetechlab Question: Have you learned anything recently that you’d like to share about how to make content or products more accessible? Feel free to comment below. [Content creation note: This post was written by a human writer, not generative AI. All choice of words/phrases are my own. Mild grammar/spell-check aids were used during early draft creation. The views expressed in this post are mine and mine alone and may not be shared by any employer, past or present.] [Alt-text image description: Image of me from the shoulders up, smiling with my head slightly tilted at the camera. I am shown sitting on the couch in the sensory space at the Inclusive Tech Lab. I am a white woman wearing glasses with brown eyes and short, brown curly hair. I am wearing a paisley blue shirt with brown and white accents. Behind and above me are many clear, thin, fiber-optic strands that make up part of the sensory space’s “Jellyfish” feature. These strands hang from the ceiling. Also in the background are several stuffed animals, a partial TV screen with blue and green patterns on it, and two bubble machines.]