Help shape the next season of Made For Us! Please answer a few quick questions and tell us how we can make this show better : https://bit.ly/madeforuspod

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In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked disability data gap in AI, and why it matters for equitable hiring.

Ariana Aboulafia, who leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), joins us to share insights on designing more inclusive algorithmic systems and creating datasets that are more representative of disability.

Whether you’re building AI, hiring talent, or advocating for accessibility, this episode is a great starting point for understanding how to reduce disability bias in technology.

In the conversation, we explore:

• How effective AI hiring tools are at reducing human bias
• The importance of including people with disabilities at every stage of AI development
• The challenges of getting accurate disability data
• How understanding the different definitions of disability can improve data collection

Missed last week's episode? Would Stephen Hawking get hired today? The hiden bias in AI recruiting tools

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About Ariana Aboulafia

Ariana Aboulafia leads the Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, which focuses on the ways in which certain technologies impact disabled people.

An attorney with a strong background in public interest advocacy, and with particular expertise in disability, technology, criminal law, and the First Amendment, Ariana has also worked as a public defender.

Learn more about Ariana: https://cdt.org/staff/ariana-aboulafia/

Follow Ariana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianaaboulafia/  

Follow Ariana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArianaAboulafia

Read the disability data report: https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-07-23-Data-Disability-report-final.pdf

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

Could AI hiring create more barriers for people with disabilities instead of levelling the playing field? In this episode, Susan Scott-Parker, founder of business disability international, says standardised and inflexible AI hiring systems risk shutting many people with disabilities out of the workforce. She makes the case for more inclusive HR technologies that are designed for the full range of human experience. 

Tune in to learn more about:

• The unsettling truth about how AI hiring tools are screening out candidates with disabilities - and how to make them fairer
• How HR leaders can challenge biases in AI hiring tools and demand more from the technology they invest in
• Why Susan coined the term “disability confidence” and why it’s not just about “being nice” to disabled people

Further listening: How to innovate responsibly, with McKinsey's Rikki Singh

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About Susan Scott-Parker

Susan Scott-Parker OBE is a creative thought leader internationally recognised for her work on how to mobilise business leadership behind disability equality. She founded the world’s first business disability network, now the Business Disability Forum (UK). In 2016, she established business disability international and advises a growing global community on how to work productively with businesses as valued allies.

Follow Susan Scott-Parker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanscottparker1/

Learn more about business disability international: https://www.businessdisabilityinternational.org/

Learn more about Project Nemo: https://projectnemo.co.uk/

Follow Amit Ghose: https://www.tiktok.com/@amitghosenf1

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

This week, we're taking you back to the first ever episode of Made For Us (and the most downloaded in Season 1). It’s an interview with Cliff Weitzman, the founder and CEO of Speechify, a text to speech app that has made reading more accessible for people with dyslexia, ADHD, low vision and other conditions that make reading difficult. 

Speechify now has 50 million users who can listen to the internet, emails and other documents with over 200 AI voices, including those of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow.

We also have a special announcement about a big milestone that Made For Us reached this week.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen! And be sure to subscribe to the free Made For Us newsletter to get bonus content.

Also from the archives: Ade Hassan on moving beyond 'one-nude-fits-all'

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Learn more about Speechify

Website / Instagram

Follow Cliff Weitzman

Instagram / Youtube / Medium

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 

Help us make this podcast better for you! Please answer a few quick questions to help shape the next season: https://bit.ly/madeforuspod

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When Danish furniture craftsman Hans Jørgen Wiberg launched Be My Eyes, an app connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers, he had no idea it would grow into a global movement. But ten years after its launch, the app now boasts 800,000 blind users and over 8.5 million volunteers, more than the population of his country.

In this episode, Hans, who is blind himself, tells the origin story of the app, how it “spread like wildfire” and Be My Eyes’ partnerships with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI.

The conversation covers:

• The diverse and innovative ways people use the Be My Eyes app
• Why microvolunteering - helping out for just a few minutes - has become such a powerful force for good
• The rapid growth of Be My AI, a new AI-powered feature providing users with quick visual assistance for everyday tasks
• The challenges Be My Eyes faces in reaching underserved communities

Missed last week's episode? Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech

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About Hans Jørgen Wiberg

Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes, a groundbreaking app that connects blind and visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time assistance via video calls. Born in Denmark and visually impaired himself, Hans created Be My Eyes in to address everyday challenges faced by blind and low-vision people. Under his leadership, the app has grown into a global community with 800,000 users and over 8 million volunteers in 150+ countries.

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Learn more about Be My Eyes : https://www.bemyeyes.com/ 

Follow Be My Eyes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemyeyesapp/?hl=en 

Follow Hans Jørgen Wiberg on LinkedIn: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/hans-j%C3%B8rgen-wiberg-8a16b915 

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Connect with Made for Us

Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 

Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

Help us make this podcast better for you! Please answer a few quick questions to help shape the next season: https://bit.ly/madeforuspod

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TB Bardlavens, Director of Product Equity at Adobe, joins us for this special edition featuring questions from Made For Us listeners. 

We discuss what it really means to build technology that works for everyone and how the Product Equity team tackles this challenge across all 137 of Adobe’s products. TB also shares how his team shaped Firefly, Adobe’s suite of generative AI tools, ensuring that its outputs truly reflect human diversity. 

Along the way, TB answers listeners' questions on the impact of DEI rollbacks in the US and Adobe’s approach to building inclusive global products that respect cultural nuances.

Other topics we explore:

• Why traditional product development often fails to meet human needs
• How Adobe is embedding equity and accessibility across its entire product ecosystem
• The human case and the business case for product equity
• The role of AI in creativity and Adobe’s mission to empower, not replace, creatives

Missed last week’s episode? AI vs the gender feedback gap

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About TB Bardlavens

TB Bardlavens is chaotic good in its purest form. He is a Gay, Black man from the Carolinas, a highly regarded social intrapreneur, and an advocate for equity in technology and design. He is a Product Executive, Cultural Strategist, Diversity, Equity, and Justice expert, Co-Founder, Writer, and International Speaker and Facilitator.

For more than a decade, TB has dedicated his career to dismantling systemic barriers, building and scaling teams, and launching innovative digital products for companies like Microsoft, Meta and Adobe.

Learn more about TB Bardlavens: https://www.bardlavens.com/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bardlavens 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bardlavens 

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Connect with Made for Us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/

Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

Join the Made For Us community by signing up for our free newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

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How does bias show up in workplace feedback, and can AI help fix it?

In this episode, we speak with Mykel Rangel, VP of Engineering at Textio, a company that has built AI-driven tools that are reshaping the way managers give feedback and how recruiters craft job ads. We explore the hidden biases in performance reviews, how feedback impacts employee retention and pay, and what leaders can do to create more equitable workplaces.

We also cover:

• Textio’s research on workplace feedback and what language can reveal about a company’s culture
• Why women tend to get more personality-based feedback than men
• How AI can help managers close the feedback gap
• Strategies for evaluating AI tools for bias mitigation

Enjoyed what you heard? Pass it on to a friend - or tell the world with a 5-star review.

Missed last week's episode? Subtitles for real life? There's a pair of glasses for that

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About Mykel Rangel 

Mykel Rangel is the Vice President of Engineering at Textio, a company using artificial intelligence to help organisations create more inclusive, effective, and engaging written communication. Starting off as a tech writer, Mykel transitioned into software before joining Textio. 

Learn more about Textio: https://textio.com

Follow Mykel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykel-rangel-18963322/

Read the report on bias in performance feedback: https://textio.com/feedback-bias-2024 

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 
• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

Transcripts for this episode are available here: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/

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What if you could subtitle everyday life? That question sparked the creation of XRAI, a company developing augmented reality glasses that display real-time subtitles right before your eyes. 

In this episode, XRAI CEO and founder Dan Scarfe joins us to share how AI and augmented reality (AR) are making conversations more accessible - for the 1.5 billion people worldwide with hearing loss, but also for anyone who’s ever struggled to hear in a noisy café, missed a detail in a conversation, or needed instant translation.

In this episode, we cover:

• The highs and lows of building inclusive tech
• How XRAI’s earliest users (and Dan’s granddad) helped refine the product
• The different use cases for the technology - benefits for the deaf and neurodivergent communities as well as global businesses
• The future of AI-driven assistive technology and what’s next for XRAI

Enjoyed the conversation? Tell a friend - or tell the world with a 5-star review.

Missed last week's episode? Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2af77d

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About Dan Scarfe:

Dan Scarfe is the CEO and founder of XRAI, a company using AI and augmented reality to improve accessibility. Inspired by his grandfather’s hearing loss, he developed XRAI Glass, smart glasses that provide real-time subtitles. Under his leadership, XRAI is expanding into live translation and workplace integration, aiming to make communication more inclusive worldwide.

Learn more about XRAI: https://xrai.glass/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xraiglass/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xraiglass/

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/

Why aren’t more tech companies prioritising inclusion in product development?

Research by McKinsey & Company found that only 17% of product managers ranked inclusion among their top priorities. Yet, it can be a powerful strategic advantage.

In this episode, we speak with Rikki Singh, a partner at McKinsey and founder of the McKinsey Product Academy, about the critical role of product management in fostering responsible and inclusive innovation.

The conversation explores:

• Real-world examples of companies innovating to serve underserved markets
• How generative AI is exposing biases in tech while also unlocking the ability to create a more level playing field
• Actionable tips for enterprises and startups to prioritise inclusion in product development

Love what you heard? Leave us a 5 star review - it helps more people find us, and helps us bring you more great guests.

Missed last week’s episode? Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2ad6a1

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About Rikki Singh 

Rikki Singh leads McKinsey’s software product-management work, helping the world’s largest software and fast-growing SaaS companies with product development and business building. She also founded the McKinsey Product Academy.

Learn more: https://www.mckinsey.com/our-people/rikki-singh

Follow Rikki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritikasingh24/

Read the report on responsible product management: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/responsible-product-management-the-critical-tech-challenge

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

Your feedback is important to us - shape the future of Made For Us by taking our quick survey: https://bit.ly/madeforuspod

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We’re kicking off Season 2 of Made for Us with Lucy Edwards, a trailblazing broadcaster, author and content creator who is redefining perceptions of disability.

Lucy shares her journey of navigating life as a blind woman, from losing her vision at 17 to becoming a disability advocate and consultant to major brands to creating content that's been seen by millions. The conversation covers:

• Lucy’s viral wedding, where she and her husband gave guests a glimpse into her world
• Her book, Blind, Not Broken, a memoir and guide to overcoming loss and embracing self-acceptance
• The challenges of living in a world that often overlooks accessibility
• Lucy’s work with global brands like Pantene and Barbie-maker Mattel, and her plans to launch a makeup line with inclusivity at its core

If you enjoyed this conversation as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you, we’d be thrilled if you could leave us a 5-star rating! Your support means more listeners will be able to discover the show. Thank you!

About Lucy Edwards 

Lucy Edwards is a blind broadcaster, journalist, author, and digital content creator who has become a leading advocate for accessibility and inclusivity. 

Lucy uses platforms like TikTok and YouTube to educate her audience about living with blindness while championing equality. Lucy is the author of Blind, Not Broken and the children's book Ella Jones vs The Sun Stealer.

Learn more about Lucy Edwards: https://www.lucyedwards.com

Follow Lucy Edwards on Instagram: @LucyEdwardsOfficial

Follow Lucy Edwards on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lucyedwards

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Connect with  Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/ 

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Season 2 credits:

Creator/producer/host: Tosin Sulaiman

Graphic design: Judith Raynault | Cover art: Valentin Grimoux

Audio engineer: Justin Orive | Marketing intern: Abigail Brierley

Made For Us is back for another season!

Subscribe now so you don't miss new episodes.

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Connect with Made for Us

• Show notes and transcripts: https://made-for-us.captivate.fm/ 
• Newsletter: https://madeforuspodcast.beehiiv.com/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeforuspodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeforuspodcast/