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MARY MELTON: That’s Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft’s chief accessibility officer since 2016. Jenny misplaced her listening to totally as an grownup. Since then, she has been on a mission to make life simpler for individuals with disabilities. She and her crew have rolled out options just like the adaptive Xbox controller for avid gamers with restricted skill and dwell captioning on Microsoft Teams. In this episode, Jenny shares with us her private story, why accessibility issues to everybody, what enterprise leaders can do to empower their groups, and the way AI may assist alongside the best way. Here’s my dialog with Jenny.
MARY MELTON: Hi, Jenny. Thank you a lot for becoming a member of us at this time on WorkLab.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Thank you for having me.
MARY MELTON: Can you inform us about your story as an individual with disabilities?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: So sure, I dwell with disabilities. There is a journey of incapacity identification that all of us undergo, and I went by mine as an individual with declining listening to, getting a music diploma, after which going into IT, and I didn’t have that sense of empowerment with my incapacity. And so I discovered in a short time it was simpler on the time to cover it and never ask for what I wanted to achieve success, and bluntly realized that that was the exhausting path. When I got here to Microsoft, I took the simpler path, which was seeing my incapacity for what it’s—part of my human—and asking for what I wanted to achieve success. So I’ve positively discovered rather a lot through the years and have loads of empathy for individuals, irrespective of the place they’re on that journey. Most individuals with disabilities come to this gig by accident, harm, and sickness. Most usually are not born with, about 5 p.c are born with. It is one heck of a trip. But I’m very pleased with who I’m, together with my disabilities. And I’m pleased with utilizing the phrase. I’m a deaf, disabled lady, and I’m additionally a mother, a spouse, a canine mother, a stepmom. And I work in company America.
MARY MELTON: Well, the numbers are fairly excessive, Jenny, and I really have a look at the statistics: greater than 1 billion individuals dwell with disabilities. So we’re one in eight individuals on this planet reside with some type of incapacity, and 70 p.c of these usually are not instantly obvious.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: The numbers and the metrics that all of us lean on is that 1 billion, which got here from the World Health Organization in 2010. And right here’s the realism: We’ve simply gone by a mass disabling occasion. A pandemic is such. We additionally noticed as a consequence—and this was occurring earlier than the pandemic, not to mention throughout and after—sure areas bluntly exponentially rising. Mental well being being a kind of. And so understanding that true metric, I feel we’re going to study rather a lot in years and many years to return. And I stay up for studying from the scientists in entrance of it.
MARY MELTON: Yeah, I really feel like even the dialog round this has opened up tremendously. One of the places of work I work with, there’s a channel now that’s dedicated to neurodiversity. I’m the mother of a neurodiverse son, and it actually heartens me to consider how this dialog goes to vary generationally, however the way it’s altering proper now, that that is one thing that’s extra overtly mentioned in workplaces.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Well, I really like listening to that you’ve got the neurodiversity channel. I feel these communities are important. There’s one thing very highly effective about bringing collectively individuals to speak about their expertise, to study from others, to get greatest practices, to share when issues aren’t going proper. I lean on the neighborhood for that collective wealth and assist. It’s been instrumental to my journey, however I feel extra importantly, it’s been instrumental to loads of members in our incapacity neighborhood. And I feel if you happen to spoke to any firm, large or small, understanding somebody that has related experiences, significantly workers with disabilities, but additionally carers and oldsters and ensuring they’ve the best communities to coalesce in as effectively is significant. And I really assume as we went into the pandemic, these communities grew to become important.
MARY MELTON: Yeah, completely. Broadly talking, after we discuss accessibility at work, what are we speaking about actually? Is it neurodiversity applications? Is it making certain that elevators and ramps are on every ground, which can be, at this level, primary? Is it about making lodging or having particular instruments and gear in place? Is all of it of these issues?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Yes. Accessibility will not be one factor. What we’re studying is that, as people, we don’t are available singular, beautiful packages. You have a look at what a person may have in a office, and it varies. Accessibility is the means, whether or not it’s bodily, digital, or a mixture of, not to mention greatest observe language, etiquette—all of it goes to create a piece atmosphere the place any particular person might be profitable and unlock expertise and functionality that can provide help to as an organization ship extra. That is a ramp, in its easiest type. That is ensuring that you’ve got captioning on a video on this podcast. It is ensuring that you’ve got data of what language to make use of. So you’re listening rigorously to that individual, how they wish to be referred to, and also you’re asking questions the place applicable. All of that and the above, in order that we are able to empower inclusion, fairness—the entire beautiful issues that we should always have as people.
MARY MELTON: What do you assume remains to be misunderstood by enterprise leaders about individuals with disabilities within the office?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: There’s some widespread misconceptions that I hear day-after-day, each week. I had somebody say this to me this week: Well, I don’t have any disabled individuals in my firm. You completely do. It’s whether or not or not they really really feel protected sufficient to determine to you as such. And one, simply transient, illustration of that, after I had the wonderful alternative to rent my crew seven years in the past, I knew that I had 50 p.c incapacity based mostly on what individuals had informed me by interview course of. A yr later, that quantity was 95. And that’s by making a dialog. Another widespread false impression is that “I’m sure it’s accessible.” If you don’t know if it’s accessible, it’s not. Don’t make these presumptions. There are some very fast and straightforward issues you are able to do to validate that, and don’t assume that is exhausting. There are instruments and plenty and many wonderful individuals on the market to assist. Presumption might be your worst enemy right here. Check the specialists. That’s the place individuals with disabilities might be an unbelievable asset to your organization. You know, typically I’ll shoot emails like, Hey, does this give you the results you want? And I’m simply ensuring it’s good. So there’s numerous others, however I feel it’s all the time—examine your bias.
MARY MELTON: So are you seeing enterprise leaders’ openness to this dialog or realization that they should make modifications within the office?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Well, one, you realize, simply to acknowledge, we’re nonetheless studying. So, one, I feel we’ve to remind ourselves of that each single day, as a result of accessibility is shifting very quick proper now. The wealth of alternative, significantly as we have a look at AI and this generative AI chapter we’re in, is thrilling. So, you realize, I don’t assume we’ve even captured an oz of that. If I look outdoors, and chatting with the wonderful of us I do know in firms, not simply right here within the States however in Europe and Australia and past, sure, I’m seeing it mature. I’m seeing way more funding occurring. Recognizing that incapacity inclusion have to be within the variety spectrum, and likewise recognizing that accessibility is a core elementary proper. I’m seeing that. But I’ll say that there’s way more have to speed up it. I don’t assume we’re maintaining with the charges of incapacity in any respect.
MARY MELTON: In the previous, you’ve stated one thing about being conscious of the ROI lure, which is enterprise leaders desirous to justify the price of an accessible product that possibly they assume will solely work for a small fraction of its buyer base or of its workforce. And I’d love so that you can speak a bit bit extra about that lure and assist us body up why inclusive design is a win actually for everybody.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Yeah, I exploit the phrase “ROI trap,” and my intent with utilizing that was to explain a state of affairs that I’ve seen play out a number of occasions, the place accessibility has been linked to a incapacity demographic, however then used to de-prioritize funding. And so if you’re trying to spend money on a function that can empower somebody who’s blind and then you definitely go and have a look at the demographics for any given nation, and there’s tons which are out there, and also you come again and—I’m making up these numbers, however—you discover out that on your explicit space there are one level one thing p.c of the inhabitants that can profit from this explicit gig. Well, there’s two methods of that quantity. One means is saying, Great, that’s superior, I’m going to get 1 p.c. And really, if I make investments on this function, possibly it’s going to develop functionality that may really empower a much wider section of human. And we see that point over time, by the best way. Seeing AI is an effective instance of that, the place you possibly can take an image of some textual content and you may get it learn out loud to you, after which really we discovered that neurodiverse discover that extremely helpful. So as a substitute of it being 1 p.c, it all of a sudden turns into an extra p.c. And then you definitely discover, oh my gosh, really it’s good to get issues learn out to me in audio in a darkened room or in a restaurant. Who wouldn’t need this? And all of a sudden it’s not 10 p.c, it’s 50 p.c. And that, bluntly, is the facility of accessibility. You simply take into consideration speaking books had been designed for the blind. But my husband lies subsequent to me, listening to his books as I’m studying mine. That’s the constructive use. The destructive use is the place that quantity, 1 p.c, is like, oh, not value it, let’s go. That in itself is a little bit of a lure since you’re lacking out on all of that potential upside and also you’re not doing that extrapolation of how an innovation, and designing for a function for an individual, might even have extra profound impacts past the group that you simply’re designing for.
MARY MELTON: That’s such an effective way to consider it. What are another first steps for somebody who’s simply considering, Well, the place do I, the place do I even begin? Is it beginning on the hiring stage? Is it assessing present workers? Where do you advocate for leaders to go to first?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: We, like many firms, have revealed coaching on accessibility and incapacity etiquette. Every Microsoft worker has to take necessary coaching on accessibility once they be a part of the corporate. And why will we do this? We do this as a result of we wish to uplevel the dialog as individuals are available, and create that widespread floor the place individuals can discuss incapacity they usually really feel assured and protected in doing so. And then we educate individuals a number of the instruments. Know that accessibility is in each single factor that you’ve got, and play with the options that there are. And I’ll let you know, that we wrap right into a 20-minute digital on-line coaching that’s simply on demand. But simply 20 minutes to get going. I’m fairly positive everybody can do this.
MARY MELTON: That’s such an amazing concept, and it’s such a easy factor to ask, particularly for once you’re assembly others for the primary time, which occurs rather a lot in conferences. Stepping away from a enterprise context shortly, what are you able to inform us concerning the work your crew has achieved to make gaming extra inclusive?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Well, the very first thing to state is that this isn’t me. This is the village of parents which are engaged on accessibility in each single a part of Microsoft, and there are lots of companions and lots of friends. So the aim is that expertise is simple to seek out, simple to make use of. It’s inexpensive, it’s discoverable, and it empowers you proper the place you might be. So in Windows, one of many enjoyable issues with Windows 11 was we had been in a position to put all of accessibility within the backside proper of your display. It’s proper there. My favourite is dwell captions, which was a function that was designed by Swetha [Machanavajhala], who’s one in all our deaf engineers, and I can simply flip it on. I can filter profanity, which issues. A deaf individual shouldn’t have issues filtered out for them except they want it, and I don’t have to have Wi-Fi connectivity, it may be offline as effectively. Simple issues like which are simply extremely vital. And then you definitely transfer to Office, the place you’ve obtained options inbuilt—Dictate and the brand new one, which is Accessibility Assistant, which implies that as you’re constructing your Word doc, your PowerPoint, it’s going to information you on how you can make that accessible: counsel the colours that work; counsel the image descriptions and the choice textual content, which is significant for the blind; provide help to with captions. I would like you to have the ability to stroll within the room, having run the accessibility checker and utilizing the assistant, you run your PowerPoint, and irrespective of whether or not you realize if somebody in that room is disabled or not, you realize it’s going to be an inclusive assembly. I’d nonetheless counsel you ask, does anybody want something? Really vital originally. But expertise will help you to do this. But I’ve obtained an actual large candy spot for gaming, so I really like what gaming is doing and I’m actually pleased with that crew and what they do day-after-day, from the adaptive controller to options that even do stunning issues like assist handle triggers for psychological well being. I’ve obtained to like even a flippant one, however I hate spiders with a ardour. I can now get warnings when there are particular issues. And that’s, you realize, very minor, however a few of these are actually vital. I nonetheless need to have the ability to play a few of these ugly video games, however you may not be a fan of a number of the impacts of them. You can get set off warnings. It’s digging into the wants of avid gamers on the market, that psychological well being is a giant one.
MARY MELTON: One I had not thought-about earlier than researching this was how the Blur background, that’s one thing that I feel lots of people use as a result of they’re actually embarrassed as a result of their desk is a multitude, proper? Or who is aware of what’s occurring behind them. But one thing that may be actually useful is for individuals who have bother with visible distractions.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Background on Blur was once more a deaf engineer making an attempt to determine how you can make it simpler to comply with lip studying. That was really the unique state of affairs, and in reality what they did was cut back the entire thing so you might solely see the face. And one demo, which by the best way, was in a short time, we moved on from, was solely seeing the mouth. That was the unique state of affairs. Then in check, you discover out, oh my gosh, that is nice for ADD, that is nice for autism, that is nice for neurodiversity. And once more, it was a lovely instance of the place the implications had been that it helps everybody.
MARY MELTON: I’m excited by what you stated on the Microsoft Ability Summit, once you spoke about AI and stated that it has the potential to be a recreation changer. There’s been great breakthroughs in current months. For individuals with disabilities, what do you see because the potential there? I imply, I alluded earlier, I’ve a son who has autism, and I’m fascinated with, you realize, he’s launching into school and fascinated with, how totally different is that this street going to be for him with the arrival of AI and alternatives that come up?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: I see monumental potential with AI. But we additionally should guarantee that we’re doing it in a grounded means, ensuring that the information that we lean on to energy AI is incapacity consultant. It contains footage and pictures that matter to individuals with disabilities, whether or not that’s pictures of canes, listening to aids, wheelchairs. It’s obtained to be in there to be able to study from it and you may present clever outcomes. And then you definitely’ve additionally obtained to guarantee that any utility that leans on AI can also be accessible as we undergo this highly regarded and quick innovation curve, which goes to proceed. If we have a look at generative AI. So the partnership that we’ve with OpenAI, and the way we’re pulling that into Azure at Microsoft, and what does that imply for disabled communities? I feel what we all know at this time might be tip of the iceberg to what we’ll know in six, not to mention 12, months from now. Just have a look at the potential of Copilot as a principal. This isn’t doing it for you, that is working with you to make it faster and simpler to write down a doc, provide you with an overview that then you possibly can edit, you possibly can personalize, you can also make your personal. That’s obtained profound implications. I even have an autistic kiddo, and we’ve been simply taking part in with it to see the way it might assist with a few of her research. And I imply, one, she’s had wild enjoyable with it, creating poems within the type of Dr. Seuss, however it’s additionally helped her to construction her ideas. But I feel the opposite profound one we’re studying from is Be My Eyes, which is a partnership with OpenAI and a small, wonderful firm that gives a free app to blind-low imaginative and prescient, the place you name a sighted volunteer that will help you discover issues, or with a activity. So, hey, are you able to assist me discover my keys? And that volunteer then will help you visually. Well, they added GPT-4 in there, and as a substitute of calling, take an image, and it’s shortly figuring out the place these keys are, with out the necessity to make a name. I feel on the core of it, this AI, if achieved proper and if we’re accountable, it may possibly assist save time, it may possibly empower duties, it may possibly empower independence, and accomplish that in a fast, inexpensive means. But once more, we’re studying, we’re studying scorching and we’re studying quick.
MARY MELTON: How do you see it growing productiveness?
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Well I’m seeing it already. To be blunt, I’ve all the time used Bing. I used to be a part of the unique Bing crew many, a few years in the past earlier than I flipped into accessibility. And I’m typically researching what’s occurring on this planet on various things. Bing has turn into my sidekick in determining a few of that. It’s saving me hours of time. And usually, if you concentrate on that course of, I’d be opening up totally different tabs, I’d be looking, I’d be clicking by to these URLs. I’d be on the lookout for the related bits on the pages. I’d be copying and pasting these right into a Word doc or Notepad or one thing so I might put them right into a PowerPoint or I might put them into some speaking or an e-mail that I might ship to my crew. Think concerning the variety of clicks that’s. Now take into consideration that state of affairs from a pair members of my crew who’ve muscular dystrophy, the place these clicks take further time utilizing assistive expertise that empowers them day-after-day. Suddenly you will have an equalizer, the place we’re each going to 1 web page, placing in the identical search gig. It turns into a recreation changer, and you’ve got this compounding impact of it saving time throughout. So we have to hold exploring that state of affairs. We have to hold pushing that ahead.
MARY MELTON: Well, thanks a lot, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft. This was an exquisite dialog—you gave us rather a lot to consider and rather a lot to be eager for.
JENNY LAY-FLURRIE: Thank you for the time.
MARY MELTON: Thank you once more to Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft. And that’s it for this episode of WorkLab, the podcast from Microsoft. Please subscribe and examine again for the subsequent episode, the place we can be speaking with Jared Spataro, who heads up trendy work and enterprise purposes at Microsoft. If you’ve obtained a query you’d wish to pose to leaders, drop us an e-mail at worklab@microsoft.com, and take a look at the WorkLab digital publication, the place you’ll discover transcripts of all of our episodes, together with considerate tales that discover the best way we work at this time. You can discover all of it at Microsoft.com/WorkLab. As for this podcast, please charge us, overview, and comply with us wherever you pay attention. It helps us out rather a lot. The WorkLab podcast is a spot for specialists to share their insights and opinions. As college students of the way forward for work, Microsoft values inputs from a various set of voices. That stated, the opinions and findings of our company are their very own, they usually could not essentially mirror Microsoft’s personal analysis or positions. WorkLab is produced by Microsoft with Godfrey Dadich Partners and Reasonable Volume. I’m your host, Mary Melton, and my co-host is Elise Hu. Sharon Kallander and Matthew Duncan produce this podcast. Jessica Voelker is the WorkLab editor. Thank you a lot for listening.