{"id":8402,"date":"2024-09-24T12:06:50","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8402"},"modified":"2024-09-24T12:06:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:06:52","slug":"the-future-of-accessible-tech-at-vista-centers-ignite-accessibility-entrepreneurs-pitch-competition-with-kevin-chao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8402","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Accessible Tech at Vista Center\u2019s Ignite Accessibility Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition with Kevin Chao"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_8443\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-8402-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<p>In this episode of Blind Abilities, Kevin Chao discusses the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vistacenter.org\/events\/\">Vista Center<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vistacenter.org\/ignite-accessibility\/\">Ignite Accessibility Entrepreneur Pitch Competition<\/a>, an exclusive event showcasing groundbreaking accessible technologies. Entrepreneurs presented innovations such as&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/98jlih6ab.cc.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?f=0012UzdccxUfCMzuZFhzgZD0nLMkLQUhe_bTNa_k3ajMV0X0spGPI_qAI59tUrBx1UOfbxI35YXcIGS4L3NRFWReHRgxYE74h1ht7h2RoUn-6jbqUbwqArDYg0PV68EK7qZupWeFJMldmR6fp7DwP4L7A==&amp;c=UealXdO_RL_fJGAzThDDLQk5lPRsMR_Q7XCGlJ21Y7vv8uxNXpkSRA==&amp;ch=F_FCnBGGkTCas4R9-dqREeAHKd-fLYBRzhECkPNEGJVDRbqZpbGA5w==\">Get Lotus<\/a>, a ring-operated switch control system,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/98jlih6ab.cc.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?f=0012UzdccxUfCMzuZFhzgZD0nLMkLQUhe_bTNa_k3ajMV0X0spGPI_qAI59tUrBx1UOoWzH-2i75aX0Fd6ICni9FGSE0KMiuP6eDY4EMgfs68JlUMR6NHDQsrE29SE_phrwoLtnNkLv4lTS-L-3cYJA2sM4VJAJwEBi&amp;c=UealXdO_RL_fJGAzThDDLQk5lPRsMR_Q7XCGlJ21Y7vv8uxNXpkSRA==&amp;ch=F_FCnBGGkTCas4R9-dqREeAHKd-fLYBRzhECkPNEGJVDRbqZpbGA5w==\">Lighthouse Tech<\/a>,&nbsp;an&nbsp;&nbsp;obstacle-detecting smart glasses,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/oorion\/id1567957213\">Oorion<\/a>&nbsp;is an object, text detection app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other highlights include<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/98jlih6ab.cc.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?f=0012UzdccxUfCMzuZFhzgZD0nLMkLQUhe_bTNa_k3ajMV0X0spGPI_qAI59tUrBx1UO1cgHj3CTqSY0_cNWnARueIvirEVeACrX7UvaRi4msQB89zomJCU4efNOxU1bNn4UP15O6k1WaWcpHgiXESz8dA==&amp;c=UealXdO_RL_fJGAzThDDLQk5lPRsMR_Q7XCGlJ21Y7vv8uxNXpkSRA==&amp;ch=F_FCnBGGkTCas4R9-dqREeAHKd-fLYBRzhECkPNEGJVDRbqZpbGA5w==\">Equivalent<\/a>&#8216;s SmartSVG,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/speakaboo\/id6480101099\">Speakaboo<\/a>&nbsp;for AI-driven image descriptions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/agiga.ai\/\">Agiga&#8217;s<\/a> AI-powered smart glasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These pioneering solutions highlight the future of assistive technology, driving inclusivity and independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contact:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>you can follow us on Twitter&nbsp;@<a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/blindabilities\">Blind Abilities<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the web at&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.blindabilities.com\/\">www.blindabilities.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Send us an&nbsp;email at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:info@blindabilities.com\">info@blindabilities.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Get the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/blind-abilities\/id1085849859?l=es&amp;mt=8\">Free Blind Abilities App&nbsp;on the App Store<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.blindabilities.android.blind&amp;hl=en_US\">Google Play Store<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093. We would love to hear from you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/607027582712671\/\">Blind Abilities Community<\/a>&nbsp;on Facebook, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BlindAbilities\/\">Blind Abilities Page<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/jobinsightsgroup\">Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired group.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_8445\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-8402-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/secure\/blindabilities\/KevinChao2024.mp3 In this episode of Blind Abilities, Kevin Chao discusses the&nbsp;Vista Center&nbsp;Ignite Accessibility Entrepreneur Pitch Competition, an exclusive event showcasing groundbreaking accessible technologies. Entrepreneurs presented innovations such as&nbsp; Get Lotus, a ring-operated switch control system,&nbsp; Lighthouse Tech,&nbsp;an&nbsp;&nbsp;obstacle-detecting smart glasses, Oorion&nbsp;is an object, text detection app. Other highlights include Equivalent&#8216;s SmartSVG, Speakaboo&nbsp;for AI-driven image descriptions, Agiga&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[17,467],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-technology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-2bw","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8467,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8467","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":0},"title":"The Lotus Ring Shines Bright at the Ignite Accessibility Event Presented By the Vista Center","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"November 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities episode, CEO Dhaval Patel introduces the innovative\u00a0Lotus Ring,\u00a0featured at the\u00a0Vista Center\u2019s\u00a0Ignite Accessibility Entrepreneur Pitch Competition. The\u00a0Lotus Ring, an accessible infrared-operated home control system, enables users to point and manage appliances, lights, and switches without internet or apps. With magnetic attachable switch covers, it simplifies\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9452,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9452","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":1},"title":"Riding the Future: Inside Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox\u00a0Autonomous\u00a0Rides with Kevin Chao","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 8, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"Podcast Summary: In this episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff welcomes Kevin Chao, an early adopter who has taken more than 60 rides in autonomous vehicles across San Francisco and Austin. Kevin shares his firsthand experiences riding in Tesla RoboTaxis, Waymo vehicles, and Amazon\u2019s new Zoox autonomous vehicle\u2014built from the ground\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7760,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=7760","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":2},"title":"the Kevin Chao Experience: A Blindness Perspective of Sight Tech Global 2022 &#8211; Tactile Graphics, Digital Tactile Display, Autonomy, ARA from Strap, Pixar Audio Description and more.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"December 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Vista\u00a0Center\u00a0for the Blind and Visually Impaired.\u00a0held the 3rd Annual Sight Tech Global 2022, Virtual and in-person event.\u00a0\u00a0Kevin Chao attended virtually for the first 2 days and Being just 20 minutes away, Kevin attended the first in-person event put on by\u00a0\u00a0the Vista Center and documented his experience. You can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9086,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9086","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":3},"title":"Smart Glasses designed by the blind for the blind. Previewing the EchoVision Glasses by Agiga AI. Welcome back Kevin Chao, Chief Visionary and Evangelist.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: AI wearables have been an emerging industry for the blind and visually impaired. While there are a number of options, not all are designed using the input of the blind. With direct feedback from blind users, EchoVision Glasses have been shaped by well-respected leaders in America\u2019s blindness organizations\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5886,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=5886","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":4},"title":"Global Accessibility Awareness Day with Larry Goldberg, Head of Accessibility at Verizon Media Group \u2013 Bringing Awareness to Accessibility","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Show Summary: Larry Goldberg, Head of Accessibility at Verizon Media, joins Brian Fischler and Jeff Thompson in the studio to talk about bringing awareness to accessibility as May 21, 2020 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Larry talks about developers building in accessibility from the start, Born Accessible is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7688,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=7688","url_meta":{"origin":8402,"position":5},"title":"\ufffcTech Abilities &#8211; Education and Learning, Twitter Accessibility Team is Laid Off, Traveling Blind, BARD Update, and Resources for Learning and Knowledge with Blindness in Mind","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"November 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: A Big salute to the entire Accessibility Experience Team formally at Twitter. As part of the takeover at Twitter and all the layoffs, the entire Accessibility Experience Team at Twitter has been laid off. Accessibility Experience Team Manager, Gerard Koen, released a twitter thread acknowledging the members of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tech Abilities&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tech Abilities","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=524"},"img":{"alt_text":"The TechAbilities Logo-Dark Sunglasses with TA and BA bold letters in each lens.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TechAbilitiesLogo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8402"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8405,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8402\/revisions\/8405"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}