Accessible for Whom? The AI & Healthcare Technology Gap | Julia Franklin, MS CCC-SLP
Straight Outta Health ITShow Notes
What does it really mean when we call healthcare technology “accessible”? And perhaps the more important question is: Accessible for whom? On this episode of Straight Outta Health IT, Christopher Kunney sits down with Julia Franklin, MS CCC-SLP, Chief Learning Officer at Cephable, for a conversation about accessibility, disability inclusion, AI, and the future of healthcare technology. AI is everywhere. Digital transformation is everywhere. New technologies are being introduced into healthcare and enterprise environments at an incredible pace. But are we designing these technologies for the people who actually need them? Julia brings an important perspective to the conversation: people with disabilities should not have to rely exclusively on “special technology.” They should be able to use the same great emerging technologies everyone else is using — and have those technologies work for them. That raises a bigger challenge for healthcare leaders, technology companies, and organizations: When we say something is accessible, are we actually asking who it is accessible for? Because accessibility isn't one-size-fits-all. A technology that works for someone with an upper mobility disability may not work for someone with low vision. And technology designed with one group in mind can still create barriers for another. In this episode, Christopher and Julia get real about what accessibility needs to look like as healthcare continues to adopt AI and emerging technology. We get real about: 🔹 What AI could mean for the disability community 🔹 Why people shouldn't have to depend on “special tech” to participate in the digital world 🔹 The difference between calling technology accessible and actually making it accessible 🔹 Why accessibility has to include the question: “Accessible for whom?” 🔹 How different disabilities can create very different technology needs 🔹 The accessibility gap across healthcare and enterprise technology 🔹 What healthcare systems should be thinking about when making technology decisions 🔹 Why building technology for everyone requires us to think beyond a single definition of accessibility The future of healthcare technology is not just about how advanced the technology becomes. It's about who gets to use it. If we're building the next generation of healthcare technology, AI, and digital experiences, accessibility can't be an afterthought. It has to be part of the conversation from the beginning. 🎙️ Guest: Julia Franklin, MS CCC-SLP Chief Learning Officer, Cephable 🎙️ Host: Christopher Kunney Podcast: Straight Outta Health IT Subscribe to Straight Outta Health IT for conversations at the intersection of healthcare, technology, leadership, AI, accessibility, innovation, and the future of healthcare. #StraightOuttaHealthIT #SOHIT #HealthcareTechnology #HealthIT #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #AI #HealthcareAI #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #HealthEquity #AssistiveTechnology
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