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KARAE LISLE: Well, good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Welcome to Sight Tech Global, the opening day. My name is Karae Lisle, and I'm one of the hosts this year. I'm the CEO of Vista Center, the producer of Sight Tech Global. We're a nonprofit serving 3,700 blind and visually impaired people with programs and services annually. Sight Tech Global is a fundraiser for Vista Center that produces content for many of our clients and many more people around the world who are interested in innovation and assistive and accessibility tech. I'm looking at the 65 speakers we have assembled this year, and it's an incredible feeling to have so many dedicated minds with a shared purpose to make technology a force for inclusion. At this conference, we are all here to push forward, not just in the innovations we create, but the importance we hold for accessibility. I'd like to introduce our talented co-host, Ross Minor, who's joining us from Los Angeles, California. Good morning, Ross.

ROSS MINOR: Good morning, Karae, and thank you so much for having me here. For anyone who doesn't know me, my name is Ross Mineor, and I am a totally blind accessibility professional and content creator. I specialize in video game accessibility, but I'm also an audio description narrator as well. I sort of have my hands in multiple projects at any given moment. Many of the videos I create on my YouTube channel consist of assistive technology and gaming, and I was absolutely thrilled when you invited me to be your co-host for the 2024 conference. I'll also be participating as a panelist on the game accessibility panel, which I'm super excited about, but I am a little biased.

KARAE LISLE: Well, we're thrilled to have you with us, Ross. And this year, one idea is incredibly clear. The time is now for accessibility. To be woven into the very fabric of every product, system, and digital workflow. For years, accessibility has often been seen as an add-on, something to layer on top of existing products or processes. But in 2024, we've turned a corner and arrived at the right point. We know AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace, so we have the opportunity and the responsibility to make accessibility fair; we have the opportunity and the responsibility. This year's Sight Tech Global is packed with sessions, session discussions, and speakers who are continuing progress and breaking new ground in accessibility. From industry leaders at companies like Intel, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Waymo, to startups and their investors, who are all reimagining everyday technologies, we all hold an excitement for these advancements being made into accessibility. This year, we'll see firsthand how AI is advancing wearables like never before. We'll also see and learn how accessibility is transforming e-commerce, online learning, digital advertising, and marketing. And finally, we'll learn that when digital workflows become accessible, they open doors, create connections, and enable independence for millions of people. So let's keep this year's mission front and center. The time is right. The technology is here. And together, we can drive the change that makes accessibility a priority everywhere. So this is your first time at Sight Tech Global, right, Ross? What are you looking forward to?

ROSS MINOR: Yeah, this is my very first time at any Sight Tech Global. And yeah, I'm definitely excited. I'm really excited for all the great discussions that are going to be taking place. I think Sight Tech Global serves a unique role because it's not specific to one business. It's a unique brand. You know, it brings inventors and investors from all over the country and the world, different companies to discuss blind and low vision tech. As a virtual conference, it also makes it easier, just that much easier for anyone to tune in, no matter where you are. And I'm a huge fan of those types of conferences. I'm personally really excited for all of the navigational tech that is going to be introduced and talked about here, but more on that later.

KARAE LISLE: Great. Great. Well, you know, this is our fifth year at the conference. And today we have over 4,000 people watching us from 70 countries. And we are ready for the conference to begin. So let's get started.

ROSS MINOR: To introduce this keynote panel discussion, Mike Shebanek will be in discussion with Microsoft's Saqib Shaikh about some really big AI accessibility tech concepts. Saqib is a pioneer in the accessibility and tech space. So I'm really excited to hear his ideas. I'll turn it over to Mike, who is an admired advocate with an impressive career in the space.