Empowering Lives: How AI and Technology Break Barriers for People with Disabilities (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Text appears. We believe technology can empower everyone to achieve more. A man uses a wheelchair equipped with a computer.

Speaker 2: We have so many peoples who are non-verbal, but still have so much to say.

Speaker 3: A young man signs. I want the exact same information that my hearing friends have. On a smartphone, speech to translated text. There are barriers to communication everywhere, but I think it's time we look at the barriers as opportunities. A group wearing t-shirts. Ability, imagine, build, enable.

Speaker 1: To reach out to everyone. And we're seeing this come to life. A woman with headset and a guide dog. Soundscape.

Speaker 2: Soundscape fills in a lot of the mental map as you move. Approaching intersection. You can just put it in your pocket and go.

Speaker 1: A man uses a wheelchair and computer. Eye control.

Speaker 4: With ALS, you become locked in. But we see technology as a way to give back what ALS has taken away.

Speaker 1: Touching icons on a tablet computer. Swift key symbols. Baby strut.

Speaker 2: There's no better feeling than to hear a child say something that they've wanted to say and the look on their face after they've been able to say it.

Speaker 1: A teacher and student. Learning tools.

Speaker 2: When it's reading, I see spaces between the words. And it's easy to focus on.

Speaker 1: Ajay realized that here was something that could change his life. AI is opening the door to a new wave of possibilities. A lecture hall. Joseph Ajay. Microsoft Translator.

Speaker 3: Now that I have my phone, I can see exactly what was said, and that's been a huge help to me. The system is learning as it goes, and the accuracy has improved tremendously. Students can pick any language that they choose to receive the information. It's like we've jumped into the future. Because communication is very important for all of us, and we just want to be together and not feel left out.

Speaker 1: To help autistic individuals communicate, we use images. Arthur's mother. I say something to Arthur, and the Helpicto app converts this instantly into pictograms and then repeats it as a voice command. Go get dressed and brush your teeth. We can go back to having a more spontaneous communication. I think it really helps build relationships. A family portrait. Seeing AI. Eric Bridges.

Speaker 5: Both my wife and I are totally blind, and we have a three-year-old son that's in preschool. He can see, but his parents can't. So to be able to know what's going on at his school is everything. The Seeing AI app has the ability to allow me access to the visual world. Artificial intelligence is beginning to have an impact on the lives of people with disabilities, but it's only going to grow. There is still so much out there to be done.

Speaker 1: And we are just getting started. Let's see what you can do. AI for Accessibility. Microsoft. Microsoft.com slash AI for Accessibility.