AI for the Blind: Community, Innovation, and Access | Eko Lens Podcast
- kenishacoon
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
In this episode of The Eko Lens Podcast, host Kenisha Coon sits down with Shawn Keen, a blind entrepreneur and advocate who’s deeply involved in the intersection of assistive technology, artificial intelligence, and community empowerment. Titled AI for the Blind Club, this conversation explores how emerging AI tools are reshaping daily life for people with visual impairments and what the future of accessible tech could look like when guided by lived experience.
From the beginning, Sean shares his personal journey with vision loss and how that experience has informed his advocacy work and curiosity about AI’s potential. The episode dives into the idea that blindness exists on a spectrum, and that assistive technologies — especially those powered by AI — can offer more nuanced support when they’re thoughtfully designed and evaluated. Throughout their talk, Sean and Kenisha emphasize the importance of usability, accessibility, and community feedback in making tech genuinely empowering rather than merely novel.
A central theme of the episode is the promise of AI not just as a set of tools, but as a way to enhance independence and creativity for blind individuals. Sean discusses how he envisions AI being used to complement existing tools like screen readers and navigation aids, and how community spaces like AI for the Blind Club can foster collaborative learning and support. They also touch on the importance of launching dedicated resources — including an upcoming website — that center user needs and lived insights.
What makes this conversation especially resonant is how it bridges technology with human experience — reminding listeners that innovation should always begin with people, not just code. Whether you’re part of the blind and low vision community, a developer working on accessible tech, or simply someone curious about AI’s social impact, this episode offers inspiring perspectives on how community, creativity, and connection can drive meaningful progress.
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