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The Accessibility Advantage

The Accessibility Advantage

By: The Blind Blogger Maxwell Ivey
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 Advocating for more accessibility for and inclusion of people with disabilities through communication & collaboration instead of compliance & shame.Maxwell Ivey Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Interflo Founder Michael Leung Shares About His ground-Breaking Hearing Devices

    Interflo Founder Michael Leung Shares About His ground-Breaking Hearing Devices
    Nov 13 2025
    Hello again, I hope you and the people you care about are doing well. This time on The Accessibility Advantage I'm bringing you a conversation with Michael Leung who is the founder of Inner Flo He shared about having a detached retina early in life and almost losing vision on one side. He talked about how his rehab exposed him to many older people which started him thinking about the challenges they live with. He recently found out that his vision has decreased and how working on this project is part of his long-term plan. He mentioned how a business background and having family members in the manufacturing arena helped him get started once his brain storming resulted in his first product. He discussed the benefits of his product which include low entry price, ease of use, lack of need for replacement batteries, and the fact that they are bone conduction. This means they go outside the ear instead of inside. It also means people don’t have the same problems with hygiene or adjusting them to fit their individual ear structure. We also talked about how the bone conduction design could help the visually impaired improve the auditory cues in their environment. Which could mae them safer when traveling. I was happy to hear him say that these headphones are not going to help everyone. He shared that there are probably about 15 percent of people who try them who will not be helped by them. He spent the rest of our time talking about the differences between the two models. And we finished by agreeing that his device is not a toy or a medical grade device. And it won’t help people who are deaf or have a true hearing disability. Due to legal concerns, I am not personally endorsing or recommending this product. Simply sharing it with you as a potential alternative. If you or a family member is in need of help with hearing loss, then I advise you to do your research and make the best decision that fits your hearing condition. On With The Show Support My Supporters The fine folks at Blubbry have been a long-time supporter of me and both my podcasts. They also do what they can to encourage and support others who have a disability or whose shows work to improve the lives of the differently abled. If you are considering starting a podcast, or you are wanting to switch hosting providers; then you should definitely give them a look. About Michael Michael Leung, founder of The Flo Group in Calgary is transforming the hearing experience with a revolutionary, affordable alternative to traditional hearing aids. He explains our open-ear bone conduction technology, paired with a built-in amplifier, helps people hear clearly—without the stigma or high cost. It also benefits the blind community by improving spatial awareness and safety. My journey here wasn’t easy. I lost my mother to cancer at 12, and her death shattered my world. She was my best friend, and her passing left a deep void. Without her, I struggled—falling in with the wrong crowd, battling anger, addiction, and depression through my 20s and 30s. Despite the setbacks, I pushed forward—working in hospitality, launching an investment firm, and eventually rebuilding after losing nearly everything. My turning point came when someone I loved reminded me that success is about purpose, not profit. That led to the birth of The Flo Group. Now, I’m focused on helping people—especially seniors, those with disabilities, and low-income families—access hearing solutions that truly improve quality of life. We’re breaking barriers, offering choice, and giving hope to underserved communities. This is only the beginning—but it’s the path I was always meant to take. Connect With Michael Website: www.theinnerflo.com Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-leung-462547298 Instagram: www.instagram.com/theflogroup TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@theflogroup Youtube: www.youtube.
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    32 mins
  • Disability A Market Too Big To Ignore

    Disability A Market Too Big To Ignore
    Oct 4 2025
    Hello again, I hope you have had a good week so far. I'm writing to share the latest episode of The Accessibility Advantage. In this episode I discuss the issue of just how powerful the disability community may be as a market for the sale of goods and services. I share many of the same thoughts that I share whenever I give talks on the subject of improving accessibility. First, I talk about just how large the community may be. Including people who don't currently identify as having a disability. Then, I address the value of our loyalty as consuemrs of products, services, and content. Third, I explain how vocal we can be in advocating for brands willing to make the effort to become more inclusive. I feel that showing people why they should care about accessibility in a way that goes beyond compliance is a first step. I didn't speak to search engine benefits or reaching the AI bots through accessibility this time. And I didn't cover the many ways improving accessibility will lead to improved user experiences for everyone including those who don't have a disability. On With The Show I' hope that as you learn just how much your business can benefit from improving accessibility that you will want to hire me to help you become more inclusive. Part of working with me can include content creation about your investment such as a future appearance on my podcast to talk about your business. Please send me an email, or book a short chat if you are interested. Thanks for your time. I hope you will join me on the next episode. Take care out there, Max
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    9 mins
  • Overlays vs Automation: What’s the Difference, featuring Mike Paciello

    Overlays vs Automation: What’s the Difference, featuring Mike Paciello
    Sep 26 2025
    Hello again! I hope you've all had a great week. I recently had a conversation that I think is going to improve the discussion we have around digital accessibility. This episode is sponsored by AudioEye and I'm so excited to have had the chance to speak with Mike Paciello, AudioEye's Chief Accessibility Officer. First, we covered a small part of Mike's more than 40 year career in the field of accessibility. I think we could have filled an hour with experiences from the multiple companies he's worked with and the initiatives he has been a part of. Next, we got into one of the most important issues: overlays vs. automation. Mike did a great job of explaining the differences between the two and clearly explained how overlays interfere with existing users' adaptive technology. Then we talked about AudioEye — how the platform is vastly different from an overlay. He explained AudioEye's three-pronged approach to accessibility. He first explained how AudioEye's automation catches 32 WCAG violations, which can automatically be fixed by the platform. He then explained that AudioEye offers Expert Audits where experts and individuals with disabilities dive deeper into content to find and fix accessibility issues. I'm familiar with these Expert Audits as I have participated in a few of them myself. I shared some of that experience during our conversation. Around the 16-minute Mark, Mike said something I loved about the relationship between accessibility and usability and vice versa. I'm a big believer in emphasizing how improving accessibility leads to improved user experiences. Mike discussed how through continued automation, education, and collaboration that we will get to a point where accessibility is treated just like any other aspect of localization. I was so impressed with this ready answer. I look forward to hearing what you learn from our conversation! Show Notes While this episode was not recorded live, it has not been edited. Just like episodes from the golden age of Tv it has several hiccups in it. Streamyard still doesn't offer an easy way to know when I am live, so you can hear Mike telling me we are recording. Sadly, I was so nervous about speaking with Mike that I forgot to sing my intro. And I never did get back to doing our audio descriptions. On With The Show On Youtube:
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    29 mins
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