S1: From Vision Australia. This is talking vision. And now here's
S1: your host Sam Colley.
S2: Hello, everyone. It's great to be here with you. And
S2: for the next half hour we talk matters of blindness
S2: and low vision.
S3: He linked it to his Kindle account, and then Alexa
S3: was able to pick up the same book that he
S3: was reading from the same chapter and continue that story
S3: for him and for him, that little moment was a
S3: life changing support to say, you know, there are still
S3: ways that the way that you had lived your life,
S3: we can help you continue to live that with independence
S3: and I suppose, dignity as well. So for me, in
S3: my job at what makes me feel good, going to
S3: work every day knowing that it's the little things that
S3: can actually have a monumental impact on someone's life.
S2: Welcome to the program. This week we're joined by two
S2: very special guests from Amazon, Gina and Kate, who are
S2: here to chat to us about their recent experiences at
S2: a round table conference featuring various discussions around print, disability
S2: and blindness and low vision, as well as some updates
S2: that Alexa is looking to roll out to further improve
S2: the accessibility of the device for people who are blind
S2: or have low vision. We'll also hear from university student
S2: and business manager Sammy McComb, who took part in our
S2: recent Career Path podcast. So make sure to stick around
S2: to hear from Sammy later in the show. I hope
S2: you enjoy this week's episode of Talking Vision. Are you
S2: an Alexa user who is blind or has low vision? Well,
S2: today we've got a few updates for you from Gina
S2: Manifold and Kate Goodin with a special focus on accessibility.
S2: Jenna is the head of strategic partnerships at Alexa International,
S2: and Kate's the country manager for Amazon Alexa in Australia
S2: and New Zealand. And it's my great pleasure to be
S2: joined by them right now. Jenna, Kate, welcome to Talking Vision.
S2: Thank you very much for your time.
S3: Thank you for having us. Thank you.
S4: It's great to be here.
S2: Let's have a bit of a chat about what you've
S2: both been up to recently at the Round Table Conference.
S2: Tell us a bit about what you got up to there.
S3: Yeah. So the Round Table conference is, you know, specifically
S3: about people living with print disability. And so our goal
S3: there was to showcase Alexa, what Alexa is how Alexa works.
S3: And I think talk a little bit about some everyday
S3: tips and tricks that Alexa can help people who have
S3: vision impairment or a print disability feel more empowered and
S3: more independent, and also provide a little bit of a
S3: sneak peek about what's coming, as generative AI is revolutionizing
S3: our world and how that might land with Alexa, and
S3: what that would mean for people living with print disability.
S2: Okay. And Kate, did you have anything to add there?
S4: Yeah, I think it was just a great opportunity for
S4: us to actually talk to the community one on one
S4: here a little bit more about how they're using Alexa,
S4: the things they love, the things that they wish Alexa
S4: could do or could do better. And then to kind
S4: of hear about just the independence or lifestyle gaps that
S4: they have, that they thought that generative AI or more
S4: advanced Alexa might be able to assist with. And similarly,
S4: it was really great to see some of the tools
S4: and the technology that people are using every day in
S4: these conferences and then to navigate around. So it was
S4: just a really great opportunity to see how people are
S4: living and thriving.
S2: Just for some added context for our listeners out there.
S2: I'm really keen to get some info from you both
S2: about what you've been up to lately in your work
S2: at Amazon in particular. So, Gina, I might start with you.
S3: Yeah. So my role in strategic partnerships is making sure
S3: that Alexa here in Australia meets the expectations of our
S3: Australian community. So that means that everyone's favorite radio station
S3: is available on Alexa. Also that people who are living
S3: with some kind of disability find function and utility in
S3: Alexa and working with accessibility partners like Vision Australia with
S3: universities to help make these accessibility products more readily available
S3: and easier to understand.
S2: Okay, what about yourself?
S4: Yeah. So I'm the country manager for Alexa in Australia
S4: and New Zealand. So obviously working super closely with Gina
S4: on these partnerships and then also working across either the
S4: broader Amazon business or with our policy teams who are
S4: working really closely with members of Parliament and sort of
S4: government teams on the broader opportunity to share a little
S4: bit more about how Alexa is is helping various members
S4: of the community. And then I also work with other
S4: international teams and Alexa, and then also the central teams
S4: in the US to drive prioritization of new features and
S4: experiences to Australia so that we can continue to improve
S4: and evolve our product. For everybody that has one at
S4: home and perhaps is listening to the show here today.
S2: Oh, cool. Okay. And Gina, I'd love to come back
S2: to you and get some feedback that you've received over
S2: the time about the sort of features that have really
S2: added value and given independence to people living with blindness
S2: and low vision. What are the things and experiences that
S2: people have really benefited from with Alexa and the smart
S2: speakers like that?
S3: I think in its most simple form, Alexa is this
S3: ambient intelligence that is there when you need it, but
S3: fades into the background when you don't. And the feedback
S3: we often hear, particularly from an accessibility point, is the
S3: ease of use. When you just need your voice, you
S3: can be standing on the other side of the room.
S3: You don't need to be looking at the device. That
S3: has made things a lot easier and more seamless, which
S3: provides independence. But a story that I actually heard from
S3: a Vision Australia client a little while ago. This man
S3: was a very avid Kindle reader, loved to read his books,
S3: and then through an accident became blind quite suddenly. Then,
S3: once he set up his home with Alexa enabled devices,
S3: he linked it to his Kindle account. And then Alexa
S3: was able to pick up the same book that he
S3: was reading from the same chapter and continue that story
S3: for him and for him, that little moment was a
S3: life changing support to say, you know, there are still
S3: ways that the way that you had lived your life,
S3: we can help you continue to live that with independence
S3: and I suppose, dignity as well. So for me, in
S3: my job at what makes me feel good, going to
S3: work every day knowing that it's the little things that
S3: can actually have a monumental impact on someone's life.
S2: Absolutely. And, Kate, what's been your experience? What have you
S2: heard from people in the general public and some stories
S2: and feedback that you've received over the time?
S4: Yeah. So one of the things that we do every
S4: week is we read every single review that we get
S4: for Alexa enabled devices. We read the feedback that people
S4: send through the app. And so I think it's just
S4: a regularity. We've got a couple of people who regularly
S4: leave us feedback about various things. And one of them
S4: is somebody who's quite funny about trying to get a
S4: feature on Alexa and just being able to. It feels
S4: like a great connection with that person. And we've also
S4: had a lot of feedback from people around some of
S4: the the show and tell features that are available in
S4: the US and sort of working to try and get
S4: them here. And that is something that we hope to
S4: open up with Alexa Plus and sort of have somebody
S4: to be able to. I think we had an anecdote
S4: at one point about somebody who was trying to find
S4: a can of beans, and of course all the cans
S4: feel the same when you grab into the pantry. And
S4: so just being able to not rely on, shake and
S4: hope for the best and to sort of be able
S4: to unlock those features that will sort of give, as
S4: Gina said, just another bracket of independence around the home
S4: and not having to perhaps eat what could like something else?
S2: Exactly. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. You think it's.
S3: A can of beans and you end up with tomatoes? Yeah.
S2: Oh, yeah.
S3: And Sam too, I think one of the, you know,
S3: as I said before, people being able to access their
S3: favorite radio station, we have a number of devices that
S3: have been released, some big, some small. Some people love
S3: them in their bedrooms. Some people want them connected throughout
S3: to have studio sound in their lounge room, but not
S3: needing to fiddle with a knob to find your radio station,
S3: not needing to remember the frequency of the radio station.
S3: When we look at the reviews, there's constantly people saying,
S3: I can finally listen to radio stations that I didn't
S3: think I could access. It's opened up radio stations from overseas,
S3: my favorite radio station when I was a child, and
S3: I can simply get it by using my voice. That
S3: seems to be one of the most common pieces of
S3: feedback we get. And a quick plug to say that
S3: Vision Australia Radio is also available on Alexa. So certainly again,
S3: it's just putting an old school radio set back into
S3: the home, which has been very positive for a lot
S3: of people.
S2: Gina will continue on with you, and I'm really interested
S2: to get your insights on the relationship that Amazon and
S2: Vision Australia have been able to build up and what
S2: you've been working on lately, and the benefits of that relationship.
S3: Yeah, definitely. So the Vision Australia partnership has been in
S3: play for many years, and it comes through in a
S3: number of different ways. So as I said, the Vision
S3: Australia radio station the broadcast is available on Alexa, just
S3: say Alexa, play Vision Australia Radio and you should get
S3: whichever frequency suits you. And then also Vision Australia has
S3: a um, through Commonwealth funding and Alexa at home program.
S3: So that includes the provision of some Alexa enabled devices
S3: and some training for qualified clients, which means that your
S3: home can be set up to become a smart home.
S3: But you're also given some guidance on how to make
S3: the most out of that to increase your independence. So
S3: that's something that is really great. And then as part
S3: of that vision, Australia has built what we call in
S3: Alexa a custom skill, which is simply like an app
S3: on a phone and that provides information about Vision Australia's services.
S3: You can hear the newsletter and also find out more
S3: information about the likes of Happy Pants and the Felix
S3: Library too. So there's a number of different ways the
S3: wider community can connect with Vision Australia through being entertained
S3: and informed, through Vision Australia Radio's content, or actually being
S3: organised and finding utility in the home through that Alexa
S3: at Home program.
S2: Okay. And Kate, I'll come to you now and have
S2: a bit of a chat about some exciting innovations that
S2: are on the horizon that you're really excited to see
S2: where they pan out. And Gina will come to you
S2: after and get your thoughts. But, um, Kate, I'll just
S2: start with you and, um, get your insights.
S4: Yeah. So some of your listeners might be aware of
S4: big announcement that we made a couple of months ago
S4: in the US. So we have been working incredibly hard
S4: to take our already very complex Alexa experience. It's got
S4: the Alexa experience is more than 30 AI and machine
S4: learning models, and then a layer of localization over the top,
S4: which is how Alexa is and sort of understands Australians.
S4: And to make that generative AI and LLM powered, it
S4: has been an incredible worldwide effort to get it to
S4: this point. And we did demos and it started to
S4: roll out to customers in the US over the last
S4: couple of weeks. So Alexa Plus is really what we
S4: had hoped Alexa could be all this time, so it's conversational.
S4: You don't need to worry about Alexa speak. There will
S4: be no more Alexa, turn on the lights. You might
S4: walk into a room and Alexa knows you've left the bedroom.
S4: And Alexa will proactively say, would you like me to
S4: turn off the lights in the bedroom? Alexa will remember
S4: things that are important. For example, that one person in
S4: your family is vegetarian and one is dairy free, and
S4: one who might be celiac. And so if you ask
S4: for a recipe for dinner tonight, that sort of meets
S4: those needs, then Alexa will know to create something that
S4: is going to meet all of those different family members needs.
S4: We don't have a timeline, unfortunately, yet for Australia, it's
S4: one of those things that could come very quickly, or
S4: it might take a little while, but you can be very,
S4: very sure that particularly with our partners like Virgin Australia,
S4: will be definitely giving you a heads up and we
S4: may be able to get Alexa Plus into the studio
S4: and sort of do a bit of a.
S3: Bit of.
S4: A.
S3: Demo.
S2: Yeah, that'd be pretty cool. Yeah, yeah. No. Okay. And, Gina,
S2: I'll come to you. Now, the same question, but also
S2: interested in if there's sort of some features there or
S2: innovations coming for, you know, listeners who are blind or
S2: have low vision to look forward to.
S3: Yeah. Look, I think there's two that are going to be,
S3: I think, super useful for everybody, but particularly useful for
S3: people with blindness or low vision. One is the object identification.
S3: So as Kate was talking about before, but rather than
S3: it relying or that's a can of vegetables, you should
S3: actually be able to hold up the can. And Alexa
S3: might be able to say spin it around and I
S3: can read you the nutrition label. And so it becomes
S3: much more interactive. Or you would be able to hold
S3: up a picture that your grandchildren had drawn. And Alexa
S3: will describe what the drawing looks like. There's two stick figures.
S3: This one's in pink, and there's a little dog and
S3: some flowers and a sun in the corner. So I
S3: think that's going to be really interesting. And then the
S3: other is intelligent Documentation. So that could be if you've
S3: got a new dishwasher and you can get a digital
S3: copy of the dishwashers manual, you'd be able to store
S3: that in Alexa's library and then ask, Alexa, how do
S3: I get it onto the steaming cycle? And Alexa will
S3: be able to look through that manual and come back
S3: and provide that information for you, and then remember it
S3: as well. And so it's not just things like dishwasher
S3: manuals that could be a pamphlet about diabetes from your doctor.
S3: It could be a newsletter from your child's school. All
S3: of these things you'll be able to provide to Alexa
S3: to be kept in the library. And then that helps.
S3: As Kate said, for Alexa to become more proactive in
S3: helping you manage your day and keeping you informed.
S2: Perfect. Well, I've been speaking today with Gino and Kate
S2: from Amazon with a bit of a tech update of
S2: sorts regarding some different features and innovations that they're looking
S2: to roll out on Alexa The devices, including some new
S2: ways in which it can assist the blind and low
S2: vision community in their everyday life. Gina. Kate, thank you
S2: so much for your time today. It was great to
S2: catch up with you.
S3: Thank you so much. We really appreciate you taking the
S3: time to talk with us.
S4: Great to be here.
S2: I'm Sam Corley and you're listening to Talking Vision on
S2: Vision Australia Radio. Associated Stations of Reading Radio and the
S2: Community Radio Network. I hope you enjoyed that conversation there
S2: with Gina and Kate from Amazon. If you missed any
S2: part of that chat with Gina and Kate or you'd
S2: love to hear from them again. Talking vision is available
S2: on the Vision Australia Radio website. Simply head to RVA radio.
S2: That's RVA radio all one word.org. You can also find
S2: the program on the podcast app of your choice or
S2: through the Vision Australia library. Coming up now, it's my
S2: great pleasure to welcome to Talking Vision, one of the
S2: guests from our recent Career Path podcast. Her name is
S2: Sammy McComb. She's a university student and business manager with
S2: lived experience of low vision living in Geelong. Today you'll
S2: get some tips from her about how she's managed to
S2: juggle the various aspects of her life while living with
S2: a vision condition. But that's enough from me. Let's hear
S2: from Sammy right now. Welcome, Sammy.
S5: Thanks for having me, guys. I'm so excited to be here.
S5: Can't wait.
S2: And I'm can't wait to have a chat now. Firstly, Sammy,
S2: let's just get to the heart of things. How do
S2: you navigate the pressures of university while managing a business
S2: and coping with low vision.
S5: Gosh, bit of a loaded question. I don't know. Super loaded. Yeah. Yeah,
S5: I guess you kind of just have to take it
S5: day by day. And the way I look at it
S5: is I didn't choose my cards. You know, these cards,
S5: just the cards I've been dealt. I didn't choose to
S5: run a business or manage a business with my mum.
S5: My dad passed away end of last year, so that's
S5: also pretty new. But he was the owner of the business,
S5: so I was kind of just handed that role in
S5: a way. So that wasn't a choice. And obviously being
S5: vision impaired wasn't a choice either. So I kind of
S5: just have to manage it in a way is the
S5: way I look at it, and it helps that I
S5: love it too.
S2: So there you go. And Sammy, what were the biggest
S2: challenges you faced stepping into this role at such a
S2: young age, especially while studying and managing low vision?
S5: Definitely the hardest challenge was the grief I was facing.
S5: My father's death was very, very sudden, so we didn't
S5: get any warning. And he was a very, very healthy
S5: man and had everything going for him and the business
S5: was going well. And he was. He'd just made some
S5: big changes in the business as well. So there was
S5: a big expansion going on. And then we obviously lost him.
S5: So we lost the head figure. So and I've lost
S5: my father and everything that comes with that. So the
S5: hardest part for me was definitely the grief. And then
S5: everything else kind of came after that. So rolling with
S5: the punches.
S2: Mhm. And how did your studies in marketing and business
S2: help or perhaps not help when managing a company, particularly
S2: when considering accessibility needs for yourself and the business.
S5: Yep. So I'm currently studying a bachelor of or double
S5: Bachelor of Business and Economics and marketing is one of
S5: my majors, so obviously I wasn't planning to be doing
S5: so much marketing and business management at such a young age,
S5: but I definitely think that a lot of the skills
S5: I've learnt in uni have been very helpful in the
S5: last sort of six months, but more than anything, I'd
S5: honestly just say that having lived experience as someone with
S5: a disability and a vision impairment has been the biggest
S5: part of it. Like for example, with marketing, just the
S5: basic things like having good contrast and big text that
S5: a lot of regular people probably wouldn't think about, I
S5: kind of just incorporate those things into my daily life, naturally,
S5: and so they kind of follow through with the marketing
S5: side of things. And then just, um, having a disability,
S5: being able to relate to people is a big help
S5: in managing a business. I think, too, because you're working
S5: in a team environment, so you need to be able
S5: to be good around people, and empathy is a big
S5: part of that. I think as well with patients, because
S5: it's a healthcare clinic. So yeah, just being able to
S5: relate to people and have that sense of empathy is
S5: a big part of running a business in general, I
S5: would say.
S2: You've spoken a little bit about accessibility there and the
S2: assistive technologies and, you know, little features that have made
S2: your life that little bit easier. But outside of that,
S2: there's also been a lot of changes, a lot of upheaval.
S2: Certainly lots of ups and downs, to say the least.
S2: Over the past year or so, with everything that's gone on.
S2: So what support systems did you rely on during this transition,
S2: both for your studies and for managing low vision in
S2: the business?
S5: Um, I was very lucky to actually a bit of
S5: a shout out to Vision Australia here, but I received
S5: the Vision Australia Further Education bursary. That was a couple
S5: of years ago and that was fantastic because I was
S5: set up for uni with a computer and a nice
S5: phone with a big screen, so that was fantastic and
S5: some good headphones as well. So that really set me
S5: up very well for uni, and I also use a
S5: lot of that for work now too. So that was fantastic.
S5: And just having the technology in general as well. And yeah,
S5: besides that, just setting myself up with a really good
S5: support system of people around me. We're very lucky at
S5: work to have fantastic staff, so that's really handy and
S5: I've got really great connections at uni. Education support officers
S5: and people like that. So I've got pretty much everyone
S5: I need at my fingertips really. And a supportive family
S5: and partner too. So yeah.
S2: And following on from that topic around support systems. We'll
S2: unfortunately have to dive back into a pretty heavy topic. And,
S2: you know, that's coping with grief while making critical business
S2: decisions and managing university workloads. It's just amazing. And we
S2: really take our hat off to you and how you've
S2: managed with all of that. So how has the last
S2: year shaped the way you approach leadership and decision making
S2: while balancing that?
S5: Gosh, massively. My dad was a great leader. He definitely
S5: led by example, so he wasn't so much business minded. Ironically,
S5: he wasn't great with money like in terms of making
S5: business decisions. He was very generous with his patience and
S5: that sort of thing. But I also think that that
S5: did make him a great leader. So seeing him pass
S5: and I've definitely taken on a lot of that, a
S5: lot of those traits. And I think that's very important
S5: to keep that within the business, because it was a
S5: thriving business before he passed. So it's important that we
S5: keep it that way. And by doing everything he did,
S5: I hope to do that. So yeah. And then I
S5: think the other important thing I've learned with leadership is
S5: that a good leader will listen above anything else. Leading
S5: is not about being at the top of the rankings.
S5: I suppose it's not a hierarchical thing. It's being able
S5: to work really well in a team. And I'm really
S5: lucky that I've got an amazing team at Belmont Physio
S5: that I work with.
S2: Yeah. And also on top of that, how have you
S2: perhaps changed in the way that you've balanced your work
S2: and your uni life? I mean that's another challenge juggling
S2: those two things. Has anything changed there in the last
S2: 12 months.
S5: So I'm studying fully online. So all my correspondence with
S5: the University of Tasmania, and I've actually decided to defer
S5: for the first semester of the year this year. So
S5: I kind of, um, set my laptop up and I
S5: was all ready to go, and then I just sort
S5: of couldn't do it. The grief kind of just hit
S5: me all at once, and I just knew I needed
S5: to take a bit of time for myself. So I'm
S5: very ready to go back in a couple of months.
S5: But I have I have put that one on hold
S5: for the moment just so that I can focus on
S5: the business and myself as well, really. So yeah, I
S5: think that balance is very important and has become more
S5: and more important in the last 12 months.
S2: Oh for sure. Yeah. No, that um, balancing wellness and
S2: keeping mindful and having that sense of balance in, you know,
S2: professional and personal life, that's super important. So I think
S2: a lot of people can totally relate with that for sure.
S2: I guess following on from that, Sami, what lessons have
S2: you learned about resilience and adaptability through the experience, both
S2: as a student and a business owner with low vision?
S5: Probably, yeah. Another lesson I've learnt from the last 12
S5: months and all the responsibilities that have come during that
S5: time and all the opportunities I've been handed. I would
S5: say just the main lesson I've learned is that I
S5: am very resilient, because if you had told me two
S5: years ago, even 12 months ago, that my dad was
S5: going to pass away and mum and I were going
S5: to be handed this business and all these responsibilities all
S5: at once. I honestly don't think I would have coped
S5: nearly as well as I have to be at the
S5: point I am today. So that's a huge one. Just
S5: finding that resilience within myself, and I feel like that's
S5: a very common thing among people who are vision impaired
S5: and have disabilities, that we don't realise how strong we
S5: actually are. And even having a disability in itself is
S5: very much a responsibility in itself, and that builds resilience.
S5: I'm sure a lot of us have good anecdotes to
S5: prove that, myself included. So I think, yeah, the biggest
S5: one is just that you're a lot stronger than you think.
S2: And Sami, do you see yourself continuing with the business,
S2: finishing your studies or even pursuing something entirely different. What
S2: does the future hold? Or it's a bit of a
S2: Doris Day qué sera sera, whatever will be will be
S2: sort of situation.
S5: Yeah, it's such a hard one.
S2: It's a super hard one.
S5: Yeah. And everything's been so crazy lately that it's. It's
S5: hard to say for sure. But one thing I do
S5: know is that I definitely want to go back and
S5: finish my double degree and get that under my belt.
S5: So I'm two out of four years through, so I'm halfway. Yeah.
S5: So I hope to get that done in the next
S5: couple of years and smash that out of the way.
S5: And then after that, it's. Yeah, I'm not sure whether
S5: I'll use that to continue on with the business or
S5: use that to find myself a completely different job or
S5: even start a business myself. So yeah, I definitely think
S5: I'll start a business in the longer term, but how
S5: soon that comes? Only time will tell. Yeah.
S2: Well, let's keep tabs on the Sammy McComb story. I
S2: think that's going to be something super worth following. And
S2: we're very excited to see how it all pans out now. Finally, Sammy,
S2: what advice would you give to others facing unexpected responsibilities
S2: or challenges, especially when balancing personal growth, education, and low vision?
S5: Just yeah, going back to what I said before about
S5: you've got this, you can do it. You don't know
S5: what you're capable of until you're actually in that position.
S5: And it's definitely a lot more than you expect it
S5: to be. So definitely that. And the other thing I
S5: would say is, and this is something my partner and
S5: I have always lived by, is don't view your dreams
S5: as dreams. You've got to view them as goals. That's
S5: something I've always lived by, because if it's a dream,
S5: you're not going to achieve it. You've got to have
S5: it as a goal and then it's set.
S2: I love that. No. That's fantastic. Sammy, thank you so
S2: much for having a chat with us today. We really
S2: appreciate how candid and open you've been, and we do
S2: appreciate you having a chat with us today. So thank
S2: you again.
S5: Oh thank you guys. Thank you so much for having
S5: me in the studio.
S2: And that's all the time we have for today. You've
S2: been listening to Talking Vision. Talking vision is a Vision
S2: Australia radio production. Thanks to all involved with putting the
S2: show together every week. And remember, we love hearing from you.
S2: So please get in touch anytime on our email at
S2: Talking Vision at Australia. That's talking vision all. One word
S2: at Vision Australia dot. But until next week it's Sam
S2: Corley saying bye for now.
S1: You can contact Vision Australia by phoning us anytime during
S1: business hours on one 384 746. That's one 384 74
S1: six or by visiting Vision Australia. That's Vision Australia.