“Building AI Boston” is a dynamic and engaging show dedicated to exploring artificial intelligence (AI) through open, inclusive conversations. Centered in Boston, a hub of innovation and technological advancement, the show is designed to bridge the gap between AI thought leadership and everyday understanding. We seek to demystify AI by connecting with real people and sharing real-world applications, ensuring that everyone—regardless of background—can join the conversations around ethical considerations, innovation and accessibility.
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“Building AI Boston” is a dynamic and engaging show dedicated to exploring artificial intelligence (AI) through open, inclusive conversations. Centered in Boston, a hub of innovation and technological advancement, the show is designed to bridge the gap between AI thought leadership and everyday understanding. We seek to demystify AI by connecting with real people and sharing real-world applications, ensuring that everyone—regardless of background—can join the conversations around ethical considerations, innovation and accessibility.
Accessible by Design with guest Sandy Lacey, Perkins School for the Blind
Building AI Boston
30 minutes
3 weeks ago
Accessible by Design with guest Sandy Lacey, Perkins School for the Blind
At the heart of every revolution is an idea that expands who gets to participate.
In this episode of Building AI Boston, we sit down with Sandy K. Lacey, the founding executive director of the Howe Innovation Center at Perkins School for the Blind, to explore how accessibility, AI, and Boston’s innovation ecosystem are converging to reshape what inclusive technology can look like.
For nearly 200 years, Perkins has been inventing solutions that open doors for people with disabilities — from the iconic Perkins Brailler to global education programs that reach more than a million children and families. Sandy’s work carries that legacy forward by catalyzing collaboration across startups, universities, corporations, and government to accelerate innovation in disability tech.
We dive into:
• Why accessibility is not a niche issue but a universal one — affecting 25% of Americans today and nearly all of us eventually
• How Boston’s unique AI and innovation ecosystem is poised to lead the nation in accessible technology
• The unexpected power of “low-tech” innovation — including furniture made from adaptive cardboard that unlocks learning for kids
• The future of braille literacy, and how AI could personalize and gamify learning for both children and adults
The $18 trillion economic opportunity most companies overlook when they fail to build accessibly
Why inclusive design is simply better design, and how businesses, engineers, and founders can embed accessibility from day one.
Sandy also shares volunteer opportunities, the role AI can play in scaling global accessibility, and why everyone — regardless of lived experience — has a place in this movement.
This is a conversation about innovation, inclusion, and building technology that meets the world where it is. And it’s a reminder of what Boston does best: start revolutions that everyone can join.
Sandy Lacey
Executive Director, Howe Innovation Center
https://howeinnovation.org/team/sandy-lacey/
Perkins School for the Blind
Main site
https://www.perkins.org
Howe Innovation Center
https://howeinnovation.org
Perkins Assistive Technology & Innovation
https://www.perkins.org/our-work/technology/
Disability Innovation Database (global mapping Sandy discussed)
https://disabilityinnovation.perkins.org
Volunteer Opportunities
https://www.perkins.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Global Impact & Programs
https://www.perkins.org/global/
Perkins Brailler
https://www.perkins.org/perkins-brailler/
Building AI Boston
“Building AI Boston” is a dynamic and engaging show dedicated to exploring artificial intelligence (AI) through open, inclusive conversations. Centered in Boston, a hub of innovation and technological advancement, the show is designed to bridge the gap between AI thought leadership and everyday understanding. We seek to demystify AI by connecting with real people and sharing real-world applications, ensuring that everyone—regardless of background—can join the conversations around ethical considerations, innovation and accessibility.
