"The Buzz", by Nagish
By Tomer Aharoni
"The Buzz", by NagishDec 04, 2024
From Marvel to PBS, Ira Rubenstein is Advocating for Accessibility Across the Industry
Meet Ira Rubenstein, PBS's Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, who's spent his career shaping how we consume digital content. For the past 25 years, Ira has been navigating hearing loss in the corporate world at companies like Marvel, Sony Pictures, and Fox.. He started with hearing aids, and when his right ear went completely deaf in 2010, he became one of the first people to test cochlear implants for single-sided deafness in FDA trials. Now with bilateral implants and serving as Vice Chair of the Hearing Loss Association of America, he's using his position to push for real change - from making sure PBS employees have hearing aid coverage to advocating for better captioning at major industry events.
From Haptic Devices to AI: How One Mathematician Changed Speech Recognition
Dimitri Kanevsky started his career researching at top academic institutions like the Weizmann Institute and Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study. Now, as an AI Research Scientist at Google, he's developing practical solutions that support everyday challenges for those experiencing hearing loss. In this episode, Dimitri shares how his personal experience with hearing loss informs his understanding of accessibility and his approach to designing technology. His work demonstrates how accessibility drives innovation - solutions initially developed for people with specific needs often become valuable tools for everyone. From early haptic devices to modern AI-powered captioning, he's seen how technology evolves when developers focus on user needs. He advocates for considering accessibility from day one of development and emphasizes that even imperfect solutions can make meaningful differences in people's daily lives.
How Linda Kozma-Spytek is Rethinking Public Spaces With Accessible Solutions
Linda Kozma-Spytek has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of technology and accessibility, focusing on solutions for individuals with hearing loss. With a distinguished career at Gallaudet University’s Technology Access Program, she has contributed to groundbreaking work in standards development, public policy, and research that has shaped how accessible technology is developed and implemented. Recently, she transitioned to consulting, continuing her mission with the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and Gallaudet University’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on projects that redefine accessibility in public spaces. In this episode, Linda delves into how accessible technology is evolving to bridge the gap between industry innovation and real-world user needs. She shares insights from her current projects, including her work with the Smithsonian Institution and Kennedy Center on assistive listening technology and her leadership role in the Industry Consumer Alliance for Accessible Technology (ICAT). Join us for a deep dive into the future of accessible technology, the value of consumer feedback, and how regulatory support can drive meaningful change.
How One Storyteller Found Her Voice After a Lifetime of Hiding Hearing Loss
This episode of The Buzz features Patrice Poltzer, a former TODAY Show producer and founder of her own video storytelling company who spent years hiding her hearing loss while shining light on others' stories. Patrice shared the pivotal moment when she stopped hiding and began sharing her own story, helping her connect with others who could relate. She explores how sharing her story empowered others to do the same, the importance of community in navigating hearing loss, how she uses tools to limit its impact, and her evolving definition of what success looks like. Patrice also goes into the pressures of the media industry, her path to entrepreneurship, and the surprising ways her hearing loss has influenced her storytelling approach.
How Hearing Loss Shaped Laura Taylor's Mission to Advocate for Change
On this episode of The Buzz , Laura Taylor, our Head of Engagement and Support at Nagish joins us. Laura brings over 15 years of experience as a trusted advisor and digital media executive. Now, she’s using her expertise to advocate for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. In this conversation, Laura opens up about her personal journey with hearing loss and how it changed her life, at work and beyond. We dive into the unique challenges late-deafened adults face, the common misconceptions around hearing loss, and the resilience it takes to navigate between the hearing and deaf communities.
The Future of Assistive Technology: An In-Depth Q&A on Nagish's Vision
In this week’s special episode of The Buzz, we're doing things a bit differently. Instead of hosting a guest, I'm getting into the questions that have been flooding my inbox about Nagish, our mission, and my own journey in the world of accessible tech.
You asked, and I'm here to answer! I'll be sharing insights into the heart behind Nagish, the challenges and triumphs of building tech that breaks barriers, and how my personal experiences have shaped our vision for a more inclusive world.
Whether you're a long-time Nagish user, are just discovering us, or are simply passionate about accessibility, this episode is for you.
Brian Thomas on How Your Disability Can Make You a Better Leader & Entrepreneur
As the co-founder of Clutter, Brian Thomas took a simple idea and turned it into an industry-leading storage company, securing a whopping $300M in funding along the way. Now, Brian's channeling his wisdom into supporting up-and-coming founders as a Venture Partner at Resolute and an angel investor. Oh yeah, and he’s done all of this despite facing profound hearing loss. This week, Brian and I sat down for a heart-to-heart about the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, the world of venture capital, and the personal hurdles we all face along the way. As a founder myself, I was moved by Brian's candor about his hearing loss and how it's shaped his leadership style. He pushes back against toxic 'hustle culture' and offers a more human-centered vision of entrepreneurial success. Brian's story is about embracing our whole selves - challenges and all - to fuel innovation and build genuine connections.
Navigating the Workplace with Hearing Loss: Strategies from Pfizer's Christine Aurigemma
Introducing Christine Aurigemma, a leader in the world of disability inclusion and a powerful advocate for workplace equity. With a career spanning roles as a lab scientist, project manager, and now Senior Manager of Global Talent Solutions at Pfizer, Christine brings a unique and invaluable perspective to creating a more equitable and accessible workplace. Her journey, marked by both challenges and triumphs, offers vital insights for professionals navigating hearing loss in their careers.
In this episode of The Buzz, Christine shares her inspiring journey of living with hearing loss since the age of three and the obstacles she has overcome in her education and professional life. From her early struggles in mainstream education to her innovative approach of gaining experience through unpaid lab work, and now spearheading neurodiversity initiatives at Pfizer, her story is one of resilience, self-advocacy, and unwavering determination. Christine's experiences not only highlight the challenges faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in the workplace but also provide a roadmap for creating more inclusive and supportive work environments.
Here are some key topics:
[07:56] The Power of Self-Advocacy in the Workplace
[23:54] Persistence and Creativity: Key Tools for Career Advancement
[30:27] Educating Colleagues: An Ongoing Necessity
[41:25] The Shift Towards Proactive Disability Inclusion
[10:13] Navigating AI-Based Accessibility Solutions
Driving Accessibility Forward: Insights from Meryl Evans on Innovation & Inclusivity
Meryl Evans is a true leader in the world of accessibility and inclusive marketing. As a speaker, consultant, and CEO of meryl.net, she's been a fierce advocate for disability inclusion, challenging the notion that this is a “nice to have” rather than a “need to have”. With her unique perspective as a Deaf individual and her wealth of experience working with companies to improve their accessibility practices, Meryl brings a powerful and authentic voice to the conversation around inclusive design and marketing.
In this episode of The Buzz podcast by Nagish, I dove deep with Meryl, exploring her personal journey with hearing loss and her tireless work to make the business world more inclusive. Our interview provides a holistic look at accessibility, covering everything from the importance of involving people with disabilities in product development to the potential of emerging technologies to create a more inclusive future. Through her insights and examples, Meryl paints a compelling picture of what true accessibility looks like – and why it matters for businesses of all sizes. She challenges listeners to think beyond the bare minimum and embrace inclusion as a core value that permeates every aspect of their work.