Inclusive Communications and Technology Day promotes tools for people with disabilities

By Bryce Johnson •

The Disability Inclusion and Advocacy Law Clinic will host Inclusive Communications and Technology Day on Oct. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Knight Auditorium. The day will show how technology, such as captioning and generative artificial intelligence, can be useful for people with disabilities.

The event is co-sponsored by the Shepard Broad College of Law, Belonging Equity Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council and the Office of Innovation and Information Technology.

Matthew W. Dietz, professor in the Shepard Broad College of Law and clinical director of the DIAL Clinic, said the beginning of the event will be demonstrative and share tools that are available for people.

Dietz also said Brissa Quiroz, Microsoft director of Accessibility Education, will share how Microsoft promotes accessibility, through technology like screen readers, voice recognition and the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

The event will conclude with OIIT, where the office will share how accessible learning can be improved in the future.

“We’ll be having discussions about why this is important, why this is the future,” Dietz said.

Eileen Petzold-Bradley, member of the BEDI Advisory Council, said the purpose of Inclusive Communications and Technology Day is to have discussions about a more equitable future via the use of technology.

“One of the goals is to enhance the development of people with learning, communication, cognitive disabilities,” Petzold-Bradley said. “I hope people gain an understanding of the challenges that people face and how we can make it better.”

The event is open for everyone to attend, either in the Knight Auditorium or via Zoom.