How technology helps
How technology can support everyday life
Practical technology, developed with people who have vision and hearing loss — designed to support safety, communication, and independence, with the person in control.
The light-up white cane
Safer mobility
The light-up white cane began after a driver nearly hit Jordan on a dark Portland street and said they had not seen him — even though he was carrying his white cane.
The concept adds optional lighting to a familiar white cane so drivers, cyclists, and other pedestrians can more easily see the person using it after dark.
The cane must remain lightweight, dependable, and fully usable when the lighting is turned off or the battery is empty. The person using it controls when the light is visible.
Status: Early development
Concept interface — in development. Not a real product screen.
The transcript app
More accessible communication
We are developing a real-time transcript app specifically with deaf and hard-of-hearing people in mind. The app will turn spoken conversations into clear, readable text and give users control over text size, contrast, display preferences, privacy, and when transcription begins or ends.
The goal is to make conversations easier to follow at work, during appointments, in meetings, at restaurants, and in everyday life.
The app is another communication option controlled by the user. It is not meant to replace sign language, interpreters, professional captioners, hearing technology, written communication, or any other accommodation. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people do not all communicate in the same way.
Status: Concept and community-feedback stage
Built around the user
Technology that adapts to the person
No two people use technology the same way. Instead of asking people to adapt to a tool, the tool should adapt to them. Across both projects, that means designing for:
- Adjustable text size
- High-contrast display options
- Visual alerts
- Haptic (vibration) feedback
- User control over when a feature is active
- Accessibility preferences that stay the way you set them
- Privacy settings explained in plain language
This website is a small, lived example. The accessibility panel on every page lets you change text size, font, light or dark mode, and motion — and the site keeps your choices. We build with those controls because we use them.
See both projects in one place.
Current status, design principles, and what is not available yet — it's all on the Our Projects page.