The 2022 Agenda

Previous Agendas: 2021 Agenda, 2020 Agenda.

  • Main Stage

    Day 1: Welcome to Sight Tech Global

    Speakers

    • Brian Fischler photo
      Brian Fischler, Host, Sight Tech Global
    • Karae Lisle photo
      Karae Lisle, Chief Executive Officer, Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    The Dynamic Tactile Device: That "Holy Braille" for education is near

    Following up on last years' discussion of the APH and Humanware collaboration to create an education-focused tactile display (see next session), Greg Stilson updates Sight Tech Global on the project's progress and APH's work toward an SDK for developers to build on the tactile display. Greg Stilson will also lead a breakout session for attendees who want to go deeper on the Dynamic Tactile Device.

    Speakers

    • Greg Stilson Photo
      Greg Stilson, Head of Global Innovation, The American Printing House for the Blind
    • Devin Coldewey Photo
      Moderator: Devin Coldewey, Writer & Photographer, TechCrunch
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    The DOT Pad: How the bible inspired a breakthrough

    For decades, engineers have worked toward a Braille display that can render tactile images and multi-line Braille. DOT Pad may have cracked the code with an innovative approach to generating dynamic fields of Braille pins combined actuated by smart integrations with existing technologies, like Apple's VoiceOver. Eric Kim and Ki Sung will also lead a breakout session for attendees to want to learn more.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Virtual reality and Inclusion: What does non-visual access to the metaverse mean?

    People with disabilities and accessibility advocates are working to make sure the metaverse is accessible to everyone. This panel will delve into research on the challenges current virtual and augmented reality tools create for people who are blind or have low vision.The panelists will share their experiences using immersive technologies and explore how these tools can be used to enhance employment opportunities in hybrid and remote workplaces – but only if they are built with inclusion in mind.

    Speakers

    • Alexa Huth photo
      Alexa Huth, Director of Strategic Communications, The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)
    • Brandon Biggs photo
      Brandon Biggs, Engineer, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
    • Aaron Gluck photo
      Aaron Gluck, Ph.D. candidate in Human-Centered Computing, Clemson University
    • Bill Curtis-Davidson photo
      Moderator: Bill Curtis-Davidson, Co-Director, The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT)
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Inventing the "screenreader" for VR: Owlchemy Labs' Cosmonious High

    For developers of virtual reality games, there's every reason to experiment with accessibility from the start, which is what the Owlchemy Labs team did with Cosmonious High, the 2022 release of a fun, first-person game situated in a inter-galactic high school that one reviewer said "has all the charm and cheek of a good Nickelodeon kids show." And it reveals some of the earliest approaches to accessibility in VR.

    Speakers

    • Peter Galbraith photo
      Peter Galbraith, Accessibility Engineer, Owlchemy Labs
    • Jazmin Cano photo
      Jazmin Cano, Accessibility Product Manager, Owlchemy Labs
    • James Rath photo
      Moderator: James Rath, Filmmaker, Accessibility Advocate, and Gamer
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Audio Description the Pixar Way

    AI-based, synthetic audio description may have a place in some forms of accessible video content, but the artistry of the entirely human-produced audio descriptions Pixar produces set a creative standard no AI is likely attain, and that's all for the good. Meet members of the Pixar team behind excellence in audio descriptions.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Accessibility is AI’s Biggest Challenge: How Alexa Aims to Make it Fairer

    Smart home technology, like Alexa, has been one of the biggest boons in recent years for people who are blind, and for people with disabilities altogether. Voice technology and AI help empower people in many ways, but one obstacle stands in its way: making it equitable. In this session, learn from Amazon about how they’re approaching the challenge ahead.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    See you tomorrow!

    Speakers

    • Brian Fischler photo
      Brian Fischler, Host, Sight Tech Global
    • John Glass photo
      John Glass, Chairman of the Board, Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Day 2: Welcome to Day 2 of Sight Tech Global

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    A deep dive into Apple’s industry-leading screen-reader, VoiceOver

    Learn how Apple's Accessibility team is harnessing innovations across hardware, software, and machine learning to support users who are blind or low-vision. Hear what’s new in VoiceOver, and other vision accessibility tools across Apple devices.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Hands on with Seleste

    Rapid advances in phones, data networks, and hardware miniaturization always seem to be converging on the concept of that super useful, affordable, unobtrusive assistive device. Seleste launches this year with a pair of tech-enabled glasses that mark an important waypoint on that journey.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Hands on with ARx

    Like Seleste, ARx is another recently released device designed to take advantage of the technology tech platforms that surround everyday life with a private, minimally visible, heads-mounted device. Both the Seleste and ARx leaders will discuss what they've learned in the course of developing and testing their devices.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    What's Next with StellarTrek

    Where Seleste and ARx are newcomers to assistive devices, Humanware is a highly respected, established player whose new StellarTrek also takes powerful advantage of technology advances but also parts way with the newscomers when it comes to technology architecture and form factors.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    The Problem with AI

    Despite the stunning advances in AI over the past decade, the so-called "deep learning" AI technology prevalent today has under-appreciated limitations and even poses societal dangers. Our speakers are world-renowned AI experts and AI "dissenters" who believe we need an AI that's both more accountable and better able to produce common sense results.

    Speakers

    • Dave Ferrucci photo
      Dave Ferrucci, Founder & CEO, Elemental Cognition
    • Gary Marcus photo
      Gary Marcus, Founder and Executive Chairman, Robust.AI
    • Ned Desmond photo
      Moderator: Ned Desmond, Founder and Executive Producer, Sight Tech Global
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Did Computer Vision AI Just Get Worse or Better?

    The ability an assistive tech devices to recognize objects, faces, scenes is a type of AI called Computer Vision, which calls for building vast databases on images labeled by humans to train AI algorithms. A new technique called "one-shot learning" learns dramatically faster because the AI trains itself on images across the Internet. No human supervision needed. Is that a good idea?

    Speakers

    • Danna Gurari Photo
      Danna Gurari, Asst. Professor, Founding Director, Image & Video Computing group, University of Colorado Boulder
    • Cecily Morrison Photo
      Moderator: Cecily Morrison, Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research Cambridge
    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    AI Decision Systems Permeate Our Lives. Now what?

    AI decision systems have permeated most of the critical decisions within our society. They shape our views, wants, friendships, hates and fears. They influence who is hired, fired, admitted, prioritized for healthcare, funded, voted for, and seen as a security threat. It is argued that current AI systems are mechanizing eugenics and segregation. They automate, amplify, and accelerate past discrimination more efficiently, accurately, and consistently. What is the impact if you have a disability? AI is also poised to make the next leap, moving beyond statistical modelling based on big data sets. What are the opportunities and risks of emerging forms of AI?

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    What Waymo learned at the DOT Inclusive Design Challenge

    Waymo participated in the US Department of Transportation Inclusive Design Challenge, and emerged with numerous accessibility lessons and features that will help Waymo's autonomous rides offer people with disabilities better service. Waymo's team is still processing all they learned.

    Speakers

    Concluded
    - PT
  • Main Stage

    Thank You and Final Remarks

    Speakers

    • Brian Fischler photo
      Brian Fischler, Host, Sight Tech Global
    • Alice Turner photo
      Alice Turner, Director of Community and Corporate Relations, Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
    Concluded
    - PT