The scariest part of AI isn’t the sci-fi stuff, it’s how fast it can change the tools people already rely on to live and communicate. We sit down with Dr Julie Eshleman, a postdoctoral researcher working across Georgia Tech and Georgia State, to connect the dots between AI-powered assistive technology, Medicaid waiver systems, and the policies that will decide what comes next for disabled people and their families.

Julie breaks down her participatory action research project building a RAG model chatbot trained on state guidance to help families navigate Medicaid waiver applications for home and community-based services. We talk candidly about what makes the process so brutal, why waitlists can stretch for years, and how practical support like clear FAQs and resource signposting can reduce friction while people wait. From there, we zoom out to AI policy and regulation, and the problem of disabled voices not being treated as essential stakeholders even when AI rules directly affect accessibility, privacy, and discrimination risk.

We also dig into real-world AI accessibility wins: large language models on AAC devices that speed up communication, smart home technology that restores control over one’s space, and everyday AI features that act like external working memory for neurodivergent users. Then we tackle the messy middle: AI literacy, misinformation, hallucinations, and why the better question is often whether something is correct rather than whether it looks real. If you care about disability inclusion, assistive tech, and responsible AI, share this conversation, subscribe, and leave us a review so more people can find it.

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If we can name every brand that gets accessibility wrong, why do so many disabled people still avoid working for disability organisations? That question drives our conversation with Deborah Ruh about Billion Strong’s new Disability Power Index, a “mirror” built to measure how well disability organisations actually walk the talk on accessibility, inclusion, and representation.

We unpack what makes this index different from the many corporate scorecards already out there. The focus stays on governance and leadership, employment, programs and advocacy, communications, and economic ecosystem inclusion. We talk candidly about why leadership without lived experience creates mistrust, how inaccessible internal processes shut people out, and why credibility collapses when organisations that claim to represent us cannot meet the standards they promote.

We also zoom out to the bigger systems problem: technology and AI accessibility tools are advancing fast, yet real inclusion can stall or slide backwards when the community is fragmented and under-resourced. Deborah shares how Billion Strong plans to strengthen methodology with university partners, fund the work through a membership organisation model with scholarship options, and build practical resources so the index helps organisations improve rather than just get judged. We close with a hard truth and a hopeful path: when we coordinate and raise our own bar, we gain power to change everything else.

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Movies have taught us what disability is supposed to look like for more than a century and too often the answer is a tired binary: tragedy or inspiration. We sit down with Isaac Zablocki, co-founder and CEO of ReelAbilities, and Lawrence Carter-Long, director of engagement, to talk about how their disability film festival is pushing for something better: authentic disability representation with nuance, artistry, and real authorship.

We get into how RealAbilities grew out of a partnership between film expertise and disability community organizing, why they refuse to compromise on storytelling quality, and what they mean by “reframing disability.” For them, film is the front door and culture change is the larger goal, which is why the work goes beyond screenings into conversations, pipeline building, and leadership development for disabled creators across writing, directing, producing, editing, and programming.

We also dig into accessibility and universal design, from audio description and captions to ASL and CART, with a focus on making access a built-in expectation rather than an add-on. Then we tackle AI in accessibility and entertainment: the upside of cheaper, more flexible tools like captions you can turn on anywhere, and the harder questions around AI-generated avatars, casting, and whether technology could “replace” disabled actors before the industry ever truly includes them.

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A dance class can be a mirror or a wall, and too many families know what it feels like to be shut out. We sit down with filmmaker and former dancer Dan Watt to unpack how his Emmy-winning documentary Everybody Dance came to life, why he searched for months to find the right inclusive ballet school, and what “access” looks like when it’s built into the culture instead of bolted on at the end. 

Dan walks us through the choices that shape ethical disability representation in film: earning trust slowly, showing up consistently, and letting disabled kids and their parents tell their stories in their own words and on their own timeline. We get specific about consent and autonomy in documentary filmmaking, including how he checks with families during editing when a moment feels vulnerable, and why some scenes deserve to stay because they reflect real communication and support for nonverbal autistic dancers. 

We also talk about the nuts and bolts of inclusion in arts education: adapting cues for different learning styles, respecting sensory needs, and using simple structures that guide behavior without punishment. Along the way, we explore the ripple effects that matter most, like confidence, social connection, and the way volunteers and students build a community where differences stop being the headline and shared purpose takes over. 

If you care about inclusive dance, accessible performing arts, autism and the arts, or how to center disabled voices in media, this conversation will give you both inspiration and practical ideas. Subscribe, share this with someone who teaches or creates, and leave a review, what’s one barrier you’ve seen that could be removed with a better design?

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A hearing aid can be top-tier technology and still fail the moment it meets a shaky hand. We sit down with Jeff Szmanda, president of Each Ear LLC and a long-time hearing aid user advocate, to talk about the overlooked problem that derails success for millions of people: simply getting a receiver in canal (RIC) hearing aid speaker into the ear comfortably, consistently, and safely. When insertion is hard, everything else unravels the fit, the sound quality, the confidence, and often the willingness to keep wearing the device at all.

Jeff walks us through the assistive technology mindset that shapes his work: ergonomic design and universal design that respect real human bodies, not idealised “average” users. He shares how his earlier inventions in workplace accessibility led him to create Groove Buttons, a small but powerful interface that supports the fingertip and fingernail so users can control the speaker without slipping. We also dig into why this matters for caregivers, for people living with arthritis, tremor, Parkinson’s disease, or numbness, and for anyone who has ever watched an expensive hearing aid fall once and then disappear into a drawer.

We widen the lens to hearing healthcare and hearing aid pricing: consolidation among manufacturers, manufacturer-owned clinics, insurance and buying groups, and how consumers can make better choices across technology levels. Jeff explains key performance differences like programmable channels and speech-in-noise processing, and we talk about the links between untreated hearing loss, social isolation, and brain health.

If you care about accessible design, better hearing outcomes, and practical guidance for families, this conversation delivers. Subscribe for more accessibility and assistive technology conversations, share this episode with someone navigating hearing loss, and leave us a review with your biggest question about hearing aids and usability.

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If AI is rewriting the rules of work and the web, who makes sure accessibility isn’t left behind? We sit down with  Rylin Rodgers, Director of Disability Policy at Microsoft, to chart where policy, product, and lived experience meet—and how that intersection can unlock rights, innovation, and real productivity gains for everyone.

We start with three pillars that guide Microsoft’s approach: shaping digital and AI regulation so it accelerates accessibility rather than blocks it, modernising outdated benefits and employment systems that sideline disabled talent, and advancing civil and human rights through secure voting, accessible transportation, and universal connectivity.  Rylin explains why safety and privacy can’t be the only guardrails for AI; accessibility must be designed into models from the start through disability-informed safety prompts, representative data, and inclusive defaults that output accessible content.

The conversation moves from policy to practice: captions that handle non-typical speech, AI-generated image descriptions, plain-language conversions, and focus tools that reduce cognitive load. We examine the awareness gap—how many people use accessibility features without naming them and how many more don’t know what they already have. Framing accessibility as a productivity multiplier gives CIOs a reason to train and deploy at scale. We also explore bringing accessibility beyond the usual rooms, putting inclusive coding and AI testing on center stage at mainstream tech events.

Looking ahead, Rylin outlines a ten-year horizon where inaccessible sites are fixed at creation or routed around by AI, where disabled innovators shape agentic tools, and where support expands to a wider spectrum of needs. The pace of change can be tiring, so we dig into discoverability, training, and regulatory guardrails that help people keep up without burning out. If you care about AI ethics, inclusive design, or the future of work, you’ll find concrete insights and next steps to build a more accessible world—by default.

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What if a simple webcam could unlock your computer and games without touching a mouse? We sit down with SensePilot co-founder Mike Hazlewood to unpack how head tracking and facial gestures become fast, precise inputs for everyday work and high-stakes play. Built for Windows and running entirely on-device, SensePilot keeps latency low, privacy intact, and enterprise approvals realistic—no cloud uploads, no special hardware.

Mike traces the journey from a 2024 hackathon to a 2025 launch, where a bold idea met real-world testing. A friend with a spinal cord injury wanted to play Call of Duty again; designing for that level of precision made everything else—from Excel to email—more usable. Collaborations with SpecialEffect in the UK and a Ukrainian NGO supporting veterans revealed just how varied needs are, from ALS and muscular dystrophy to RSI and carpal tunnel. That diversity drove SensePilot’s granular approach: tune trigger strengths, build unique profiles for desktop vs. gaming, and even switch profiles inside a single title for driving, flying, or on-foot movement.

We also dig into the bigger picture of accessible technology and AI. On-device processing lowers security barriers and keeps assistive tools resilient when networks fail. Thoughtful AI support can speed text input and streamline workflows without replacing human judgment. The key is specificity—narrow, task-focused agents outperform generic models for accessibility testing and coding, while keeping the person’s intent front and center.

Looking ahead, Mike shares a vision for mainstream inclusion: optional head-tracking onboarding inside games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, letting anyone try hands-free immersion with one click. No wearables, no extra gear—just a webcam and curiosity. If accessible input becomes a standard feature, everyone wins: gamers gain immersion, and people with disabilities gain flexible, independent control.

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Want AI that works the first time instead of the tenth? We sit down with Andreas Schachl, co-founder of Responsible Annotation Services, to unpack the quiet truth behind reliable models: ethical, high-quality training data produced by people who take clarity and precision seriously. Andreas shares how a single internship sparked a company built around neurodivergent talent, turning data labeling from a churn task into a strategic advantage.

We walk through why annotation isn’t going anywhere, even with foundation models and smarter tools. When you’re training on private, business-owned data across text, images, audio, video, and LiDAR, you need a human in the loop and documentation you can defend. Andreas explains how his team co-authors rigorous annotation handbooks with clients, translating fuzzy goals into exact rules, edge cases, and review procedures. The payoff is real: higher consistency, fewer iterations, and a clear compliance trail for regulators and auditors.

Bias mitigation becomes a practice, not a promise. A neurodivergent lens exposes hidden assumptions and pushes for instructions that are unambiguous and testable. We explore practical systems—daily stand-ups, structured chat, and even “coffee calls” with agendas—that help people do their best focused work. We also confront the ethics of the global annotation supply chain and outline a different path: EU contracts, fair wages, social worker support, and leadership that values diligence over hype. From 2D images to complex 3D point clouds, we show how modern tooling plus human judgment builds AI you can trust.

If you care about responsible AI, data quality, and making models perform sooner with less guesswork, this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe, share with a colleague wrestling with training data, and leave a review with your biggest annotation challenge—we’ll tackle it in a future episode.

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What does it take to make inclusion real for 420,000 people across 55 countries? We sit down with Karine Vasselin, Group Head of Inclusive Futures at Capgemini, to unpack a pragmatic playbook that turns diversity into business value and culture into daily practice. Karine shares how a simple shift in language—“inclusive futures for all”—opened the door for everyone to see themselves in the work, from parents and caregivers to neurodivergent colleagues and people with disabilities.

Across the conversation, we dig into the tools and choices that matter most. Inclusion Circles give managers semi-guided, scenario-based conversations that build psychological safety and shared norms without adding corporate fluff. Employee networks—Women@Capgemini, OutFront, Capability, and NeuroAbility—move beyond awareness to shape policies like safer travel guidance and inclusive benefits that recognize all families. We also examine hard-won lessons from neurodiversity pilots: why early enthusiasm ran into real-world friction, how smaller cohorts and expert partners like Auticon and Ambitious about Autism changed outcomes, and what it takes to scale responsibly.

AI runs as a hopeful throughline. For many neurodivergent and disabled employees, generative AI behaves like assistive tech—organizing ideas, clarifying communication, summarizing meetings, and removing friction through captions and text-to-speech. But tools alone can’t fix culture. We talk hiring pipelines, role design, advancement, and the manager skills needed to spot bias and coach diverse teams. Karine also offers career advice for future inclusion leaders: build credibility through business and talent experience, and learn to influence without authority.

If you care about practical inclusion, leadership training that sticks, and using AI to expand access rather than entrench bias, this conversation delivers a clear blueprint you can adapt tomorrow. Subscribe, share with a colleague who leads teams, and leave a review with one policy you’d change to make work truly work for everyone.

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What if accessibility wasn’t a checkpoint but a capability baked into every release? We sit down with Shlomit Shteyer, a technical program leader at Salesforce, to explore how large organizations make accessibility real, measurable, and scalable without slowing product velocity. Her journey from shipping features at Twitter to building accessibility programs offers a candid look at turning strategy into operations and aligning teams around customer impact.

We unpack the practical models that work at scale: start with a centralized core to set standards, then grow embedded expertise through a Champion Program that upskills engineers, designers, and PMs. Shlomit explains why this blend beats false either-or choices and how it creates durable habits across design, development, testing, and release. Executive commitment proves decisive. At Salesforce, accessibility targets sit in the annual planning framework, right alongside feature delivery and security, so teams have time, tools, and a clear definition of success.

AI enters the story as a helpful colleague, not a shortcut. Think agentic assistance that flags issues early, suggests accessible patterns, and speeds remediation while leaving accountability with humans. We also look at a shifting market reality: customers now demand accessibility at contract time, moving organizations from reactive bug-fixing to proactive, compliant design. Collaboration across companies is a surprising superpower too, with leaders openly sharing training methods, metrics, and automation approaches to raise the bar industry-wide.

From global, inclusive training formats to positioning accessibility within the broader trust layer—security, availability, sustainability—this conversation offers a roadmap for leaders who want impact, not slogans. Shlomit’s advice is grounded and human: cultivate curiosity, connect your strengths to work that matters, and build systems that make good choices the default. If you’re scaling accessibility or looking for a place to start, this episode will give you frameworks, language, and momentum.

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A single UX critique and one candid email from a blind traveler set off a chain reaction inside Skyscanner: a grassroots movement, a formal program, and a culture that treats accessibility as core product quality. We sit down with Heather Hepburn—Head of Accessibility at Skyscanner and co-founder of the Champions of Accessibility Network—to unpack how real user stories, practical structure, and community energy turn good intentions into measurable change.

Heather walks us through the early days: a quiet Slack channel, a room of curious allies, and leadership’s turning point when they saw how exclusion blocks customers from booking. From there, she shows how to make momentum stick—creating a champions pathway with training and one-to-ones, appointing a lead accessibility engineer to anchor the technical depth, and sharing hard-won patterns with partners and peers. We also explore the CAN community on LinkedIn, a sales-free space where thousands swap tactics, tools, and encouragement.

Education is the other engine. Heather explains how Teach Access Europe connects industry and universities to weave accessibility into computer science and UX curricula, supporting lecturers with resources and realistic assessment. We spotlight hands-on university collaborations: student projects centered on accessibility, live sessions with a disabled testing panel, and the Skyscanner Accessibility and Inclusion Award that elevates practical solutions, like tools for dyslexic learners. The message is clear: when students graduate with inclusive habits, teams ship better products faster.

We close by taking accessibility beyond the usual echo chambers—onto travel industry stages and into business schools—meeting leaders where they are with clear demos, data, and language that resonates with strategy, risk, and growth. Want to help build the next wave of inclusive tech? Join the Champions of Accessibility Network on LinkedIn, explore teachaccess.org/europe, and share this conversation with a colleague who signs off on roadmaps or curriculums. If this episode moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us where you’ll start change today.

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