Season Three of the wearable takeover podcast is powered by the Boeing Company. The wearable takeover podcast is a platform highlighting innovative talent while supporting the global wearable tech ventures ecosystem. support this effort by making a donation at WWW dot wearable tech ventures that org. We would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers, sponsors, coaches, and everyone that contributed to our second annual hackathon called Tech remix. We so appreciate you and we're excited about the future. Are you looking for a community to grow? Being a founder, innovator or leader does not have to be a lonely journey? Join the virtual founders and leaders book and Podcast. Today. Our Club hosts startup founders, entrepreneurs and leaders from all walks of life, who seek growth and community. Once a month, we'll share a feature and podcast for group discussion. We meet via zoom and the platform tech. We look forward to reading with you register today for the virtual club at WWW dot lucky bit.com. That's Luc K I fit that I write and now it's time for the show. Thank you for joining another episode of wearable take over.
Hello, wearable take over Can you believe we are in season three? Yes. And we are recording these particular episodes during during a special time. Not only is it the time of our global wearable tech hackathon known as tech remix. And it's an exciting time because we're in person and virtual. And these podcast episodes are used to give clues to our participants about products that they can develop for the wearable tech ecosystem. But it's also an incredibly special time because it's Disability Pride Month. And I'm super excited to have our guest for today, who was not only an innovator, but she's an advocate, and she's someone that you want to know. So I'm going to introduce you to Erin Perkins, who is an accessibility educator and speaker. And Aaron is based here in the DMV. She's the CEO of MABLEY que, and she also found it successful. Now what is that you ask? You want to stay tuned, but let me tell you a little bit more about Aaron before we get into the meat of the episode. So Erin Perkins is a champion of disability rights, and an aspiring entrepreneur who advocates for greater accessibility, inclusiveness and understanding within the business world. As a deaf blind woman herself. She founded her online business MABLEY Q, as well as, as an experienced speaker educator. Erin's message has been heard by CEOs around the country. Her unique gifts are her life experiences which she compassionately shares with others through keynote speeches, private workshops, or one on one consulting sessions to foster true inclusion at all levels. And this allows people with disabilities equal opportunities to succeed professionally. So wearable take over we are the platform for wearable tech innovation and making sure that all underrepresented and non traditional founders have a spot at the table. Let's give a warm virtual round of applause to Erin Perkins. Yay,
thank you. Can you have can you just like be my MD every time.
We will tag team together. And folks, let me tell you, Erin is dynamic. I actually witnessed her in action in person. We both were dinner hosts and speakers for get cities there, hack dinner hack for impact dinner series. And this was an initiative that launched here in the DMV, for those of you that maybe say it was DMV, DC, Maryland, Virginia area, DMV when I say that, and so we launched we helped to launch a national effort airing where we're saying, hey, if we're going to build tech businesses and enterprises, you need to look at some of these things. So number one, shout out to the team at get cities. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Shout out to the team at porch fest. We love you. We love you. We love your entire team and thank you for giving us the opportunity to impact books but again here that's how we met girl.
Grateful for that platform to do truly awesome. What they are doing is putting the human back into tech. And I think that we'll get to that. So human, the tech, and we need to really bring that to our life.
Absolutely, absolutely. And so we launched this national effort. I believe that dinner series is about to end right now for this particular season. But it was an invite only private dinner series. I mean, it was Lux, it was absolutely bad. But one of the things that Aaron did was she provided some awareness for folks that were in the room as to how they can approach accessibility from not only a tech product perspective, but from the workplace and hiring etc. So, Aaron, why don't you provide? Let's start off there, why don't you provide people with an insight of what it was like to develop your discussion, and again, get cities is backed by pivotal ventures, which is a Melinda Gates company. So this was a big deal. So what was that like developing that? And what did you learn from it?
So it was really fascinating. At first, I was like, wait, I'm going to do this, like, I've got to put together this workshop. And it was really interesting, because it really opened my mind to that, how can I help businesses understand, and have this desire to create an inclusive boosted like business, from toe to toe, like, from the start, that's the important part, the problem in most businesses don't even incorporate adaptability until they're like, way past the line. And then I feel like they spent too much money, trying to fit everything that they hadn't done in the past. And so what I did was, I did this warm up activity, you know, we all hate the type breaker, but I think we definitely love them. And I post in to describe them visually. And, and we describe that we would eat hold a piece of the yarn, and toss the yarn around. And then what we would do it at the end, it was like a web. And then I find people who had disabilities to do octave doing and the way I wanted them to see it is that people with disabilities are such an integral part of society, that when you glue them, it makes everything somewhat weaker. Yes, we on so important. Having that video, I think really help everybody like go, Oh, my God, this may total thing. Yeah. I think we also need to recognize that people with the bully don't always share that they have a disability.
And yes, well pause, pause right there. So okay, so a disability does not mean is visible, right. And you were saying to dinner series, that was the percentage of people that will have a disability in their lifetime. At some point. It was like a high percentage, like over seven, I feel
like everybody will have a disability at one point in their lifetime. But the number of just tested for the 90 day one in four people have a disability. One and four. Yeah. And then globally, 13% of the people in the world have a disability. Well, we had about 20 people there, that winning drugs, had five people doctors doing that were became completely weak. Yeah, it wasn't strong anymore. So we're very important. And math. You're right. The key thing is, disability is not vegetable. Mine isn't visible until you might see how I interact with people. Or if I speak sometimes people are like, you're down like you're from, I guess that you sound like you're from you're
not everybody had disability and part of the story. And that's totally fine. It doesn't need to be part of the story. It's part of my story because of my life. It's been because if I wasn't born depth, I would not be where I am today. So it's like my disability led me to certain things that ended up doing in my life.
And you really are making an impact and we're so excited that you are going to be hosting office hours for our participants and other startups that want some insight as to how they can develop better products that are totally inclusive. Speaking of life experiences. There's so much history happening here, Aaron. So this is July. I just saw a post the other day from a young woman, a young deaf woman who was signing on Instagram. And she was saying, How how can this be 2023. And when the airlines at the airport when they're calling for pre boarding passengers are those that need assistance? They're speaking on a microphone, but they have no one there to assist those that may be deaf, as she was saying that oftentimes when she goes to the gate, they will have a wheelchair with her name on it. Oh, yeah, ask what assistance that she needs. And so I thought that that was so mind boggling that how, how are we so backwards? That that is still happening? And you said, when we started this podcast episode, that there are companies that do not consider this at the beginning they consider at the end, and I think it's kind of interesting, because threads, threads just got called out. So why don't you talk a little bit about the new launch of threads and how that's impacting the lack of inclusivity.
So I was kind of like pulling two threads on it. I was like, No, I don't need another app. But then I have to admit now that I didn't like whatever that my door I joined. And then instantly the cop right off the bat, there's no alt test available. There's no way yep, no all the no way to what is it? Like there's no way to invoice just tech? Oh, yeah. Like you can't like adjust anything, any new studying the contract for some people really bad. So though it has to deal with a lot of like the visibility, people who have low vision that the struggling is not compatible with screen leader. And though like this, people are saying that when they tried to use a screen reader, it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Oh, no. Yeah, this is coming from a company matter that had founded Facebook, into goodwill, they then found Instagram, they took over, they built all the things into the platform. And then you build our thread. How does How do you forget to incorporate a testability in your life? That's why
we're calling we're calling you out meta we're calling you out. Zuckerberg. You know, we are here at wearable tech ventures as the official global ecosystem where we develop and promote wearable technology with a focus on underrepresented founders. Mehta, you should be partnering with us on this stuff. And we're going to bring in air to say at the table to say okay, she's our consultant, you need to work with us, because this does not need to continue to happen. So, yes, it's exciting in the news, you know, for a number of different reasons, but you missed it, you missed it, you could have had a huge win. So call us call us. Mehta call us for that get get at us get out as boo. Okay, so that experience. So in yes, they need to make sure that they're paying it, you know, you know, I'm not a fan of saying this, but maybe I should say it, I gotta do is to see what
I have that same approach to it, like one of those days where I'm just like, Well, I mean, we could easily do but like, that's not how I work. Yeah. But I want to work with companies that genuinely want to make sure they are being inclusive all around. But I also want them to understand that what the creating really does mean a lot to people with disabilities like, oh, I actually matter to you. And it can be like the simplest thing, like I was going out, I went out with a friend, we were getting ready to play pickleball. And the woman tells us to come over. And she's able to tell us to score by gesturing with him or one to you know, all of that. And we really appreciated that because it's a little thing just like make our life easier. We only have sounded so make our life easier.
Yeah, we need to share that we need to share that concept. There's a young gentleman that has a pickleball startup. And so I met him when I spoke at an event in June. And so I think we need to put you in that circle so he knows to consult with you but on the opposite side. How do you how do you like pickleball? Because that'd be everybody. He's investing in pickleball. And they're having these picks
up. That's why it's so easy. It's so easy to pick up. It's not like a difficult sport to learn. Not if it's like badminton, ping pong, and tennis, all in one, racquetball all in one. So it's just fun. Okay, all right.
So folks, when we all get together, Aaron, you're on my team says, you know how to play. So folks, if you see us in the streets, we challenge you to a game of pickleball. But you know what, outside of those challenges, and you have a huge task in front of you with challenging businesses, and so why don't you tell us a little bit about how you're helping folks with successful? What is it? And what does it do? So to decibel,
I found it earlier this year, a membership platform where the reason why I get if what because I do have an ability, maybe caught, but I'm not updating it. Because sign up is not. It's like good information. It's like forever information. But with how fast technology changes, I felt like they were the need to be able to have a way to easily update thing and consume thing. By type piece to know, no, I want to sit for more than like, two minutes watching a video that I'm trying to make like easting, triple Ed like on my on Twitter, I have divided by different areas of your business. So we have social media, we have email marketing, we have event, which could be input to know online, we have your website. So if you're like, Alright, I want to focus on just updating my website, you can go in, I learned all these different pieces that you can learn, you can learn by reading, listening, or watching. Though there are different ways of consuming the content, though, that really might feel feel like they learned by listening, that might, he liked to listen, I can't comprehend that I learned better by a combination of watching and reading. So I'm doing that we have to think about how people want to learn. And then they can take that and just apply it right away. It's so easy to take the tip and start applying them. So we have that piece. And then we have resources and tool. So many new technology pieces are coming out, like all the time every day. How do we like verify, though it's like if somebody in my membership like that, hey, that this new tool? Can you tell me if this is testable or not? I me and my a couple other people can go in, touch it out and day in you know what, this is not good or bad? Oh, this is great. We're definitely gonna recommend that we had that. And we have like, different article that we like to share, like, just sharing, like what people are doing around the world. And then we have other business owners in the community that are going to be able to be like, Hey, I have a problem. How do I solve that? And then I can input get my input for other business owner can be like, You know what, I tried it this way. Like, I think this will work, or no, like don't do it this way. Because I believe we'll always better together. And I don't want to do business alone. Absolutely simple. So it's just like getting that access without feeling overwhelmed. And without being super technical with language. Good honestly, learning about adaptability and web testable content guideline. That stuff is dry. I still Yes, Lauren, I from sleep. I don't want people to be like, Oh my God, I don't want to know about the I'm trying to make it easy. I'm trying to make it fun. I'm trying to make people feel like you know, I do want to do this, because it's really not that hard.
I love it. So Aaron, you you have a wonderful value proposition here. So basically you're saying, Hey, if you're building a business, building a product, you don't have to necessarily hire someone to do all this research. All you have to do is get a membership. And in a couple of minutes, you will have the answer to all of your needs. Plus get your product tested with a partner such as successful, right? Yeah, for sure. I love it. I love it. And so this is important because one of the things that we're doing here at wearable tech ventures as we are developing improve Voting wearable technology, we're making sure that any startup and product that we support has been done with purpose. So no gimmicks. So as we are vetting products, as we are betting startups and leaders for investment, one of the questions we may ask in the future is it has this accessibility has the accessibility been tested? And what platform have you used and so errands, errands business is here is a valuable partner for our ecosystem, because you could get it done fast, you can get real time feedback. And I think when for startups, when you are pitching for investment, to have Aaron sign off, you know, the head that sign off from successful to say, hey, this works, this is better. But I think it's only going to make you that much stronger. So what does the membership look like? Is it a year long month, a month? Or how does that work? And what's
it, designed it so that it can be 300 to the end of July for the year when I weighed down to $25, the quarter, triple ed for July and going up to 500 for one person. But if you want your team if you have more than four people on your team, if 1800 for the whole year. So if you have like 10 people, that's such a great deal because your students and a four year but you should renew it annually, because the goal is to have to testable be certifying witnesses. Yes that you are you have met all their certification to be acceptable, though want to get to that point. But right now, it's a learning it making sure you're implementing and taking it over.
This is This is wonderful. This is a win win for everyone. And again, if we're doing what we're supposed to do. And ultimately, what we're doing here with this revolutionary movement here at wearable tech ventures is making sure that everyone that should have a seat at the table has a seat at the table. So folks, you really need to log on right now to successful and make sure that you are talking to Aaron and getting that membership because it's it's not on them. It's nominal, like you can afford this grant
investment. Yeah, yeah.
We should look
to how to be low investment but very valuable, because I want you to be able to integrate it into your business from the beginning. I love it.
So I'm going to put a challenge out there. Excuse me, to any sponsor that may be listening. Why don't you work with us to fund at least 20 or 25 memberships for startups within the wearable tech ecosystem. Reach out to us. So that we can that would be an awesome, like Grant challenge or you know, something with, you know, for startups. So we're looking for a partner to help us logistic 25 We're looking for a partner to help us fund this membership for 25 startups for the next year. Holla at us at Hello at wearable tech ventures.com. And we'll make sure that that membership and everything goes over to Aaron, I'm loving it. That's the type of stuff we need to be doing.
I love that I love that. I love my blame learning.
Oh, yes, honey, because that's what we do here support our startups and you are an equally valuable, incredibly valuable ecosystem partner. So with that being said in mind, folks that don't have COVID So that was weird. That coffee just happened here. I'm just going to call it out as it is. But talking about experience. Right. So Aaron, you said that you were born deaf? Is that correct? So walk us through your early experience of learning how to communicate what what was that like for you? What are some of the challenges or? Or when did you know that you were deaf? Right? And that's a weird question to ask because this was your normal right? But when did the world in a sense tell you? Are they to know that you were deaf? So walk us through that whole experience. So
I'm really fortunate because my oldest sister and I were both born deaf. Almost just doing not just hearing but we have no history of deafness in our family. Wow. My it took my parents a little bit longer. I think they didn't figure out our deaf until I was like 18 months because I still had some semblance of be able to hear but once they figure it out, they pretty much put both of us in a specialized for revoke that fit into here any we they A loan battling with the whole family and on timeline with my both me and my oldest sister had speech therapy. I had peace therapy all the way until 10th grade. So that was a long duration of peace therapy. I don't feel like I really had any moment of like, Oh, I'm definitely it was not even a thing when I was like a little kid. It wasn't until I got to middle school this gay. When I my parents decided to give me an option. They tell you can take the Deaf school, or you can go to a public school with an interpreter and all that. So I was like, I don't know, like so I did half day hack days at DEF CON have to the public school. Well, I actually ended up getting bullied by a couple other deaf kid. When I was too good, I could talk I could speak and all that. It was awful. So I ended up leaving your DEF CON going and public. The only deaf kid in my entire school and interpreter that when I was oh my gosh, I am deferred by and basically just like retreated in my shell and did not like the deaf community. Oh, probably I went to college. Yeah.
Wait a minute. So what does that look like being bullied by fellow deaf students? What what type of things happened?
They just like picked on me made fun of me. I got accused of stealing stuff. If it was not good, then is awful. And the ironic thing one of my closest friends now, she was also bullied by the same girl in high school. And we both figured it out. We were like, ah, wish we could print that go.
Oh my god.
So I don't feel like the deaf community is as much like this now I feel like there's a lot more Stockton i To what level of deafness you are like, I feel like I finally own my deaf identity. Now deaf blind identity when I was 39 years old, and that was only for you to go.
Okay, this is good. This is good. So there's levels to deafness based off of what you just said. So can you walk us through? What are those levels because I think it's important for everyone that's listening or watching or reading a transcript that they understand this, that there's not just one category of Deaf, there's levels of deafness and then we're going to go into the deaf blind situation.
So I'm Matt, I'm Ayana flew from Portsmouth, like five years ago, and we actually had a lot of pillow because she is like a black woman and I'm on Deaf woman and told a lot of parallel but the only the major different input being black invisible, being deaf enough. So when we completely recognized that I thought I definitely had an advantage because I could like hide my disability. So being that the I don't want to say the different level but like, you know, the ADEPT people that cannot hear at all and we're hearing they can't be there they do American tangling or be around the world. They have the country sign ASL and not a global sign. Just so you know. Oh, wait a minute. Wait
a minute. Pause right there. Pause right there. So I think that's important for folks because especially as they are developing because we work with startups around the world. So American Sign Language, otherwise known as ASL is not a standard except within the USA but then also I know I was at an event with McDonald's and they sponsored our youth for oh, what was it you know, the the HBCU basketball fest that comes here now see CIW excuse me, McDonald's sponsored are used for CI double A two years ago. And we were hearing about the new sign language that was created. It was like an owl. I don't want to say Hip Hop sign language but basically urban category was in black and style is Black ASL.
knew I had never heard about it.
Okay, yeah. So that way you like the slang and everything in there, right? Yeah. So to me
In the thing that we have done nothing finally we did basically a mapping Thailand is actually different time across the country. So like my older sister lived in California and chose told me a time I'm like, what? Let me know. But don't it definitely, though there are like dialects or acting across the world with in the United States with diamond with that, but then the other country that have their own timeline or throwing a trail, yeah, then British timing, you know, every country has their own timing. But weirdly enough, we're actually able to communicate with each other pretty well.
Okay. Okay. This is good to know. So far, startups, if you have a product that you may be launching in one country, and especially as you prepare to launch it in another country, this is why you need to have that membership was successful. Aaron Hardy will vet this for you to make sure that you are successful. And I just learned something new today, as you've referred to it as dialects, I never really knew that, that there were different sign language standards around the world. So that's very interesting. So let's say this, what if someone were aiming to learn sign language today? Like, where should they go? How would you direct them and you know, I love sign language when I was younger, my uncle, he's deceased now. But he taught me a couple of words in the alphabet and sign language. And he also taught me how to play chess. And even though I was a little girl, I still carry those things with me today. Those are some of the most important lessons I've ever had. So I'm encouraging those that are listening to learn something I know a lot of times people may be promoting like the Duolingo apps or whatnot. But Aaron, where can they go to start learning?
So you always want to learn from a Deaf person do not learn tangling with from a hearing person. That is why you will get trash. Oh, wow. Not by me by me. But then a lot of people out there, they track them because you're learning American titling, which is not just about learning time, it's also about learning deaf culture. And that's the thing it really goes hand in hand. And understanding though the thing with dialing would if you are assigning it has to come from a deaf person. Hmm. Right. I feel inputting can't to give you a dining adapt person had to give you a type name. So it's a little thing like that, like the nuances within it, though I really empathize. Always learn from that person. Or if you want to learn dialing with, I have a whole list of different people you can learn from. I love it.
Another reason why you need to contact Aaron because there's different levels as you as you said earlier in the deaf community. And so there are some that have some ear, some folks have some hearing. And there are folks that have absolutely no hearing and something between and of course, the devices, hearing aids, folks, I have all my air pods but hearing aids, so wearable tech device.
Yeah, we have here my name we have cochlear I have both I have a hearing aid and cochlear implant. I'm not a fan of my cochlear implant. I, I needed Jama. But it helped me here because but the thing is, I'm still deaf, but I take them off. I can't hear. So I asked him we'll go out in public without anything on because I know what the wolf fucking loud
music Give me some quiet, please.
Oh my god, it's so loud. No, I'm done.
I love it. I love it. Okay, so when did you start using assistive technology from? I mean, because I know like we're a little older. So you know, computers came? You know, we had Oregon Trail. Yeah, as far as like as really being mandated to use that was like in high school, right? Like, maybe even college like, it's crazy to think about it. So when did you use your first assistive technology? Like from a computer perspective?
Hmm. I mean, okay, my parents were ahead of the time. Oh, it when they built the house in 1990. They made sure there were like, built in life on wall that if the doorbell rang, it would flash. Oh, they built that into the house really nicely. They were way ahead of technology. And this was like something that really befuddled me, but I bought my house in 2019 Thank God right before the pandemic, and wildfire Afternoon. Do you want to stay? I was like, there are things that want to happen on we can't make it happen. I'm like, What do you mean? You can't make it happen? My parents had the technology in 1990 What do you mean you don't have this technology stonewalling? tacked on thing don't like the light above me. If the doorbell ring or light turned on and off of despite what I've and then I will probably 19 When I first like my little flip thing. pager thing. Okay. Oh, your pager? Yeah, yeah, that I remember a pager. Yeah, that too. But this one had like a full keyboard on it. By type. So I was 19 when I got that. Um, I feel like Apple Watch is truly truly one of my biggest wearable tech for okay. Yeah. Because it alerts me to like everything. I know, when the alarm goes off, I like you know, like digit, like one of my mouth. Like, if I didn't have it, I feel off. Oh, wow.
Wow, that's interesting. And so there's an app that actually there's a device and an app that was created by one of our other wearable startups, called wear works. And they actually created the theme song that we're using for this month for the rest of the year. But they're a haptic company. And their claim to fame was when they developed this device that helped a blind man run the Boston Marathon on assistant and so since then, they've developed another lane of that physical product hardware into total software. So anyone can download that app today you know to be assistant so of course I'm gonna bring it over to Aaron and say all right, Aaron, test it out, based off of where Works has a has downloaded. And they've done extensive testing as well. But just for you folks that are in our ecosystem. These are things I'm going to be saying like we're going to have to have you know, Aaron test this. Okay, so we talked about the being deaf now let's talk about being deaf blind. You know, that experience and when were you declared at what age approximately where you declared blind? Oh,
when I was 20. My parents had gone to the latest study. And no, I will pay for you to get laser surgery. I had contract I have one contract most of my high school life. And I have like really thick laughter i The kids like I literally cannot do the alarm clock. When I woke up it was all boy like I was blind at the back. Wow. Right? If qualified said no one else don't they? Oh, sure. Let me do that. And the doctor was like you weren't watching my test. Okay, just get me dead roll. Then make a new dumping wall. We need you to go see another spatula. I go back to it. At that time. My mom was with my older sister that she just had my whole fourth baby, my first nephew of the family and my youngest sister in the office with me we do all these testimonies like the dinner joking around. The doctor comes in and he's like, Yeah, you have a show syndrome that to the name of the ministry and I have you will be blinded.
Oh my gosh. What
were left the office completely done. Like what is going on? devastated. I'm like about to graduate college in a year. Like I do graphic design major. What am I going to do? What year in my life? And like honestly, when I found out like I did want to kill myself, but I was like, oh my god, I live my life blind. Like I really don't have hearing like you're just gonna fill the pipe for me. I've dealt with detail with the latest surgery because the way the doctor explained why it's like a camera. You can fit the lens you can't fit the body and the body of my art my eye is the body that is not able to be fit. So we put up door but I made it to not line my 23 years later. I'm really dating myself and like my employee three Yeah, I turned 43 In two weeks and I'm only thing I'm pretty wrong with me. I'm boring 342 going on 43 And I'm not blind yet. I have about 52 The video, but the pandemic would when I finally affected that I would deck barn because it made me realize that in the spectrum I think that was like something that was really important for me to learn because I did dumb has always been there that it affects them. But they never said that about any other disability will it affect them blindness in the spectrum, you are still wanting the things, no matter how much you can hear or how much you can do or all of that you sometimes end up being blind.
That is so interesting. I just and I just learned something that we you said that about the spectrum. That's so interesting. A good nugget right there. So help us understand. What does it mean to be legally blind? And how does that differ from from your current state?
So legally blind, a fulfill video, right? Like the only thing I know is 20 degrees or less than? Okay, so that's probably like, a more dough for that in front of you that you can do. I have about 50 degree. I'd be good if that date right there.
Okay. Okay. That's good to know. Thank you for that. I'm thinking as you're talking about this, I'm thinking about back in the day, the Ray Charles movie that Jamie Foxx was in and you know, he was a kid and you could see how things were changing. That's just, it's just a it's just an interesting perspective and an in an experience that is incredibly emotional. How can we as a community be more empathetic to folks that may be deaf blind, or a combo of the two
this one is something I really struggle with because like right now I'm trying to figure out how I can get myself over to gain to learn pro tactile, with a poem a timeline with with to using your hand. And then also you've done a lot of touching, which I'm not quite comfortable with. But like one of the interesting thing is like my sister said that one thing they teach you like when you have somebody with you they say good morning by like putting your hand on the put in check and like moving it in and outward. And then to take the night you would move it from the outside in order to go so it's like more hands on feeling they Good morning, good night. And then you know the person with you will also use like hand motion to tell you if you can only see this much like for me when I'm with people I have to like stand like a certain distance with so that I can do like everything like I can't I need to have the interpreter but for me sometimes it's hard because I'm looking at the interpreter but I can't quite see the person standing right next to them. So it's all that's why I have to like back up and then people are like but I can't hear you and I'm like I know it's problematic if I asked you to repeat something, repeat it if I like you know just a simple things like can you wipe down what you were saying? I can't understand you don't lean in my ear and whisper I'm not gonna understand you it's just like a real thing that can help me make feel comfortable like for me it's also a new fate. I have to adjust a lot when I enter a new day and you get acquainted by I actually have the big annoying with
with bathrooms
Yeah, so a lot of restaurants I knew I thought like to make the hallway to the bathroom dot Yes. Dungeon in there. And now my I can barely see hopefully I go into like bathroom
that's a really good note. You don't make the bathrooms or the hallway so dark. Thank you for that. That's that's eye opening right there. Like, what are you doing with the design of a physical space? And why is it so dark? Because you're right there, especially here in Baltimore. There's a lot of amazing hotels and restaurants and bars, but a lot Have them do have dark hallways, they really do.
Yeah, like, even if you just put like lighting down towards the floor, that's like helpful hand lighting, highlighting what door you're into in that kind of thing, make it more clear. I always have to, like, ask where the bathroom is, and invite this way. And I'm like, hi, I'll figure it out. They'll follow them why you lose my vision, the more I'm like, Okay, I hope I can find it.
That's, that's really helpful. So signage, and and what should that signage look like? What would you recommend from a signage perspective?
I think it's I, you know, it's interesting, because I think a lot of people are trying to design tiny to be subtle and more like that and go with the environment. But I think that you do need to put more timing up. And, or even tempo, if if you are attending now, in vatva, the waiter or the waitress should be like, hey, just so you know, the bathroom in this way. So that you can turn it off, like helping making sure people are aware of their surrounding weather going, just like little thing that just make the experience better. By pointing out where the bathroom door so that you're not awkwardly trying to find it. And then making sure that you know what way to go? Like the one place I went to? I did not understand it. The bathroom. Only on the second floor. Oh, yeah, that's bad. Why? Like, you should have done bathrooms on both floors. Like now. Yeah, and
especially if they say, Oh, we only have steps. I'm like, this shouldn't be ABA compliant, because you really need to have a way for people to get up and down. And even though, you know, one of the things I noticed is the weight of doors. And this was after I had had surgery, and it was impacting my abdomen. And I was like, why are these doors so heavy? Right. And so a lot of people, I think they just forget that they don't really understand that. Even that simple. Thing is a barrier is a barrier barrier to entry.
cliffs. And then imagine you having to pull open. If if I didn't have any question, how it how have you got to be pulling? Yeah,
absolutely. So let me ask you one other thing related to restaurants, right, because during the pandemic, a lot of restaurants once they reopened, got rid of their paper menus unless someone asked for it. And even then a lot of waiters and waitresses didn't want to give a paper menu, I'll never forget a time I witnessed a senior citizen woman really get frustrated because she kept asking for a paper menu. And they kept saying, oh, use your phone. And she's like, No, I want to paper menu. And they literally had her wait for 30 minutes for the menu alone. I watched this. So in your opinion, um, you know, is the QR code menu effective? What are some things that maybe you would advocate for in changing menu, our code
actually can be considered as tactile? It depends on whether it leads to an accessible PDF or website. And I'm going to say 90% of what restaurant or one of the highest company and get yelled at, for not being ADA compliant. And if usually, because the website when our menu is not acceptable, wow. And that's the that's problematic. It because I understand they do the PDF to be acceptable. But the PDF is not acceptable because they haven't like gone through that and actually, there's certain things that you need to do to make sure that it can be read by the screen reader. So I think having both arctan in really good having a paper action for 10 people who just read better because you know we've all been on the our phone and menu. You gotta like What do remain and go around that the worst thing, though, that's the thing restaurants need to think about what it's like for them to go like everybody in that who was put at restaurant need to go and look at what that has been to strike on your phone, because I don't think any of them really do that.
You know what that's so interesting. One of the things that I teach a consultant on outside of this is on design thinking and I do this with one of our advisors And it helps businesses and individuals prompt that thinking of what is it like for the user, oftentimes people design things. Without the user in mind, they think, Oh, this is great. I'm just going to run with it. No. And so that's one of our core pillars here at wearable tech ventures in our ecosystem. So we're doing good work, folks. And we have good people here with us like Aaron. And it's so exciting to work with you, Aaron, to not only, you know, discuss your platform successful, which is awesome. And, well, I'll get to maybe Q in a second and make sure people get your awesome newsletter because it's amazing folks, but to make history and in driving change, and so I'm honored to work with you in that capacity to drive change. And I'm hoping we can see an increase in the number of people that number of people and businesses that are becoming more empathetic, and integrating your suggestions earlier versus later. And so startups, this is something I hope you listen to this episode, watch this episode over and over and over and over again, because who are you designing for. And even though you may have a specific target market, there could be a secondary and a tertiary market. Of course, we don't ask you to pitch all that in your pitch deck. But we want to make sure that you are addressing people that are going to use your product and make sure that they have a wonderful experience. And so Aaron is going to have office hours during the hackathon. So we'll have that on the schedule. So you could check that out. But tell us a little bit about maybe Q and what your newsletter is, I think is so awesome. Because I want folks to subscribe to your newsletter as well.
So maybe like you basically I can pick at your company, your group, whatever you do, I can also do an accessibility audit, like it can focus on one thing, they like, Look, I just want to focus on my filter media, we can do that, or you planter. Or if you want to really audit your whole business, we can also do that as well. But a different way that we can really build out your audit that custom. And then of course, have me do was shocked. And then finally auto join to testable, I think detectable, it's like the EU effective way to really just make sure that your business is detectable. And finally, follow me on social media on Instagram at MABLEY underscore Q. And I think that's a new thing to glide. Get a fleet of two media card from me, which is actually really awesome. And it will help you audit your own social media.
I love it, folks. Listen, you need to at least take one action. With Erin within the next week, at least one I'm challenging you to at least take one. And Erin is a part of your team. Right? And for for her small fee. It's an investment but as small investment that's worth it to make sure that you thrive in your business. So Erin, I'm so honored that you spent time with us today that you will continue to spend time with us this month and especially you're celebrating your birthday. I'm big on birthdays, I'm so excited about your birthday that's coming up. So I'm I know right birthday queen. So. So if you could share one, one other tip a quote or something with our community before we sign off? Why don't you go ahead and share that with us.
One of my favorite well in that you don't have to be being disabled is the one thing you're not born with. You can be disabled at anytime, anyplace, at any age. So if you don't mind fight for disability justice, to often be your fight. So we will all meet the table one day.
We need each other. We need each other folks. So make sure you are following Aaron at MABLEY Q make sure you sign up for her newsletter. And then I also want to challenge you. Even if you may not be a startup founder, I encourage you to invest in another startup founder especially as we go into the end of the year. People have some funds, go ahead and buy that subscription. And of course share please leave us comments on this show. Because we were named at the beginning of the year as one of the wearable tech podcasts to watch. We were named as one of the top podcasts in our industry. So we say we're small and mighty but we're packed with a lot of power. And up in our little plants here. So make sure you share, make sure you leave comments. It is so important because we are really laying out the blueprint for what tech should be. So thank you so much, folks, and we'll see you at Tech remix.
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