Podcast Summary: Building AI Boston

Episode: "Accessible by Design" with Sandy Lacey, Perkins School for the Blind

Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Building AI Boston
Guest: Sandy Lacey, Executive Director, Howe Innovation Center, Perkins School for the Blind

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of accessibility, innovation, and artificial intelligence, focusing on how Boston’s unique ecosystem supports inclusive technology and the disability community. Guest Sandy Lacey, a leader at Perkins School for the Blind’s Howe Innovation Center, shares insights on the history and ongoing mission of Perkins, the business and societal importance of accessible design, and her vision for integrating accessible innovation from the ground up—particularly leveraging AI. The discussion urges listeners, especially those in the Boston tech scene, to rethink their role in accessible product development and to recognize the profound impact of inclusion for both individuals and society at large.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Perkins School for the Blind: Legacy of Innovation

• History and Mission
  • Perkins is approaching its 200th anniversary; it was founded by Samuel Gridley Howe.
  • "He was really a radical thinker for that time. It was not commonplace to think that people with disabilities should be a part of mainstream society, you know, in the 1830s. But Samuel Howe absolutely believed so, and he dedicated his life to advancing that mission." (05:32, Sandy Lacey)
  • Perkins serves students both on campus and in public schools throughout Massachusetts, and supports 1.2 million children and families globally by building educational capacity, not just schools.
• Innovation Embedded in DNA
  • Invented the Perkins Brailler and pioneered deafblindness education.
  • Emphasizes adapting and creating new ways to support children with disabilities.

2. Sandy Lacey’s Journey to Accessibility

• Personal Motivation and Transition
  • Began career in climate/clean energy, then financial services and tech innovation.
  • Felt something "mission-driven" was missing:
    • "I don't know much about disability or blindness, but I know a lot about how to build an innovation ecosystem..." (06:34, Sandy Lacey)
  • Urges others: You don’t need lived disability experience to support accessibility.

3. Why Accessibility Is Often Overlooked

• Cultural Blindspots and Representation
  • Despite Boston’s reputation for innovation, Sandy was surprised how absent "accessibility" was in mainstream tech discourse:
    • "Not in any venture in my product development or program management journey had anybody ever pointed out, you know, hey, is this accessible for people with disabilities?" (08:45, Sandy Lacey)
  • Lack of representation leads to invisibility of accessibility needs.
  • Disability is a broad identity—includes physical, sensory, and mental health.
  • 25% of Americans have a disability; most will experience disability at some point.
• Normalization and Ubiquity of “Disability Tech”
  • Many common products have roots in disability innovation (e.g., glasses, progressive lenses).

4. Accessibility as a Business Imperative

• Lost Opportunities and Market Size
  • "If accessibility is baked into a product from the beginning, it allows that company to tap into the $18 trillion worth of annual disposable income that people with disabilities and their allies have..." (13:10, Sandy Lacey)
  • Most companies treat accessibility as an afterthought, increasing costs and risks (e.g., compliance).
  • Incorporating accessibility leads to better experiences for all customers.
  • Dream: Boston becomes the model city for accessible innovation clusters.

5. Practical Examples: Perkins' Innovation in Action

• Adaptive Furniture and Learning Tools
  • Perkins’ Assistive Device Center makes affordable, custom adaptive furniture from durable cardboard, enabling kids with mobility disabilities to focus on learning.
  • Process is currently manual, but Sandy envisions AI-powered remote measurements for scale:
    • "A camera with AI could actually take a look at the child and take the measurements much faster..." (19:11, Sandy Lacey)
• The Perkins Brailler
  • Iconic mechanical typewriter for braille invented in 1951; still used globally.
    • "It's a mechanical typewriter. It is awesome... We have half a million of that, like around 400,000, maybe 450 globally." (20:43, Sandy Lacey)
  • Looking to modernize braille literacy via AI (e.g., gamification, personalized learning):
    • "If you can gamify and micro customize learning Braille using AI, it's a game changer." (22:50, Sandy Lacey)

6. How to Get Involved: The “Call-In” to the Tech Community

• No Need for Personal Disability Story
  • Anyone can be an ally; use curiosity as the entry point.
  • Touching story from Anna about learning ASL with her mother, highlighting universal relevance.
• Volunteer and Collaborate
  • Perkins welcomes volunteer engineers, software experts, and corporate groups.
    • "If there are any AI software engineers who are looking for an impact driven volunteer opportunity, please reach out for me. I have a variety of actually really cool projects..." (25:10, Sandy Lacey)
  • Contact Sandy directly: innovation@perkins.org

7. Mindset Shifts, Last Thoughts, and Next Steps

• Accessibility as Ongoing Education
  • "It's never too late to try to learn about accessibility, and once you experience it, you can't un-experience it." (26:37, Sandy Lacey)
  • Human-centered design is transformative for everyone.
• Role for AI, Startups, Entrepreneurs
  • The Boston community is well-positioned to champion the integration of AI and accessibility from the start.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You don't have to have a personal lived experience with disability to be an ally or to better understand accessibility..." (05:32, Sandy Lacey)
• "If your cluster is not accessible, is it really the best?" (14:49, Sandy Lacey)
• "Captioning benefits everyone." (16:03, Sandy Lacey)
• "Innovation can be made out of cardboard... That's brilliant." (18:58, Cara)
• "Perkins prepares our kids for the world. And my job at the Howe Innovation center, we're going to prepare the world for our kids." (25:39, Sandy Lacey)
• "It's never too late to try to learn about accessibility and once you experience it, you can't unexperience it." (26:37, Sandy Lacey)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Perkins History & DNA of Innovation: 02:30 – 05:10
• Sandy’s Background & Motivation: 05:32 – 07:44
• Boston’s Ecosystem & Accessibility Blindspots: 08:20 – 11:41
• Redefining Disability & Representation: 11:41 – 13:10
• Business Case for Accessibility: 13:10 – 14:49
• Making Accessibility Ubiquitous in Innovation: 16:02 – 16:29
• Assistive Device Center & Cardboard Innovation: 16:44 – 19:54
• The Perkin’s Brailler – Legacy and Future: 19:54 – 23:36
• Invitation for Volunteers, Software Engineers: 25:10 – 26:13
• Final Thoughts & Calls to Action: 26:37 – 27:27

Final Messages

• Everyone can contribute to accessibility and benefit from it.
  • "You can be part of the good news going on today." (23:36, Anna)
• Tech leaders should embed accessibility from the start, not as an afterthought.
• Contact Perkins for collaborations, to volunteer, or to learn more: innovation@perkins.org

This episode offers a rich, motivating perspective on why accessible design—powered by AI and inclusive teams—should be prioritized by all innovators, and why Boston is uniquely suited to lead the next revolution in this space.