In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher sit down with Lauren Lobrano, Head of Accessibility and Global Disability Inclusion at Amazon’s Inclusive Experiences and Technology (IXT) group. Lauren shares her powerful journey from public service and humanitarian work with the American Red Cross and Wounded Warrior Project to leading accessibility efforts at one of the world’s largest companies.

Together, they explore the realities of acquired and non-apparent disabilities, the importance of long-term support systems, and why disability inclusion must be designed into products and workplaces—not bolted on afterward. Lauren introduces Amazon’s “Three Bs” framework—Bolted On, Built-In, and Born Inclusive—and explains how this mindset helps organizations reduce burnout, innovate faster, and scale accessibility globally.

This conversation dives deep into:

• Why most disabilities are acquired during working age
• How inclusive design benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities
• The role of lived experience in driving meaningful innovation
• What it takes to deliver consistent, global employee accessibility at scale
• Why community, collaboration, and courageous leadership matter now more than ever

If you’re a business leader, technologist, investor, or advocate looking to go beyond compliance and create systems that truly work for all, this episode is for you.

Links & Resources:

Lauren Lobrano: LinkedIn

Amazon Inclusive Experiences & Technology: Website

Amazon In This Together: Website

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this in-person episode of Investing in Accessibility, Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher are joined by returning guest Joe Devon—accessibility pioneer, GAAD co-founder, and longtime technologist—for a deep dive into one of the most urgent questions of our time: Is artificial intelligence being built accessibly?

Joe introduces AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker), a new benchmark designed to measure how accessible AI-generated code really is—and to force AI companies to compete on inclusion, just as they do on speed, accuracy, and intelligence.

What AIMAC uncovered is both surprising and revealing.

When Joe tested 36 leading AI models, the results challenged common assumptions across the industry. Google’s Gemini, despite excelling in traditional AI benchmarks and having extensive accessibility tools at its disposal, performed poorly on accessibility. Anthropic—often positioned as a leader in ethical and responsible AI—delivered middle-of-the-road results, raising questions about how ethics translate into inclusive outcomes. In contrast, OpenAI’s ChatGPT models consistently led the pack, a result Joe attributes to intentional focus on accessibility and sustained engagement with the disability community. The takeaway is clear: when accessibility is prioritized, it shows up in the results.

Beyond rankings, the conversation explores why inaccessible AI coding tools—especially command-line AI interfaces—pose a serious risk of locking people with disabilities out of the future of work and innovation. At the same time, Joe, Kelvin, and Chris make the case that accessible AI represents a massive opportunity: for better technology, stronger businesses, and real empowerment for disabled entrepreneurs and creators.

This episode is a call to lean in, demand table-stakes access, and ensure the AI revolution does not repeat the exclusionary mistakes of the past.

If AI is shaping the future, accessibility must shape AI.

Links & Resources:

AIMAC (AI Model Accessibility Checker): Website

Joe Devon: LinkedIn

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.

In this “CES All-Stars” episode, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher team up as they track down the most exciting accessibility innovations on the CES Expo floor. From the company that helped spark this very podcast, to products that could redefine mobility, gaming, shopping, indoor navigation, and even how Deaf individuals experience music—this episode is a rapid-fire tour of the people and companies pushing accessibility into the mainstream conversation. In addition, Kelvin shares his perspectives throughout on what it's like to navigate CES as a Dear/Blind individual.

You’ll hear highlights from:

• Aira (Troy Otillio) expanding access with on-demand ASL interpreting and a hybrid AI + human agent future for the blind / low vision community
• Disabled Life Alliance (Paul Kent) connecting innovators with capital via the Disabled Life Innovation Gateway (“Zillow for disability innovation”)
• Good Maps (Theresa Reno-Weber) high-accuracy indoor navigation & wayfinding without beacons—and why transportation hubs, campuses, and venues are jumping in
• NewHaptics (Alex Russamanno) a multi-line refreshable Braille display built for real, tactile productivity
• Good Trouble (Arman Nobari) serving 600M+ gamers with disabilities by helping studios build games accessible for every player
• Glidance (Amos Miller) an autonomous mobility aid that guides the way—hands-on, ground-connected independence
• Remarkable (Molly Lazarus) a leading accelerator supporting startups in the disability sector
• ReviMo (Alek Malashchenko) a robotic transfer device designed to bring dignity and independence at home
• PathAble AI (Burt Brooks) scaling supports so workers with disabilities don’t fall off the services cliff
• InnoSearch (Parick Long) making shopping and customer service accessible-first with voice and AI
• Tactus (Jeremy Chow) a wearable that translates music into vibration allowing Deaf and hard of hearing individuals to truly enjoy music

Along the way, Kelvin and Chris discover CES is evolving into a true accessibility hub, and prove that sometimes the best way to cover a conference is to hold onto a backpack for your dear Deaf/Blind life.

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.