The Evolution of Accessible Technology with Josh Miele

In this episode of Blind Level Tech, hosts Evan Starnes and Kelvin Crosby sit down with Josh Miele, a renowned adaptive technology researcher and designer. Josh shares insights into his extensive journey in accessible technology, from early experimentation with radio components and programming to designing groundbreaking accessibility tools. Josh details his early contributions, including the development of Outspoken, one of the first Macintosh screen readers, and T-Map, a tool for creating tactile street maps. He also discusses his work at Amazon, including contributions to the Echo Show’s Show and Tell feature, and his open-source accessibility advocacy. Josh also introduces his upcoming memoir, Connecting Dots: A Blind Life, set to release on March 4, 2025, and discusses his new nonprofit initiative, the Center for Accessibility and Open Source. Chapter Markers 00:15 – Welcome to Blind Level Tech 00:33 – Host and co-host introductions 02:54 – Introducing guest Josh Miele 05:07 – Josh’s early fascination with technology 07:28 – Navigating early computing as a blind person 09:52 – The evolution of accessibility in tech 12:09 – Developing Outspoken: The first Macintosh screen reader 14:34 – Breaking barriers with assistive tech 16:58 – The creation of T-Map: Tactile maps for blind users 19:24 – Spatial vs. visual mapping 21:46 – The importance of blind designers in tech development 24:10 – Josh’s transition to Amazon and work on Show and Tell 26:37 – The need for blind professionals in tech innovation 31:04 – Designing accessibility from a blind perspective 33:27 – Creating UDescribe: Open-source community-driven audio description 40:30 – The future of accessibility and open-source tech 42:31 – Josh’s upcoming memoir Connecting Dots: A Blind Life 44:52 – The Sandwich of the Week segment 47:13 – Where to find Josh’s work and closing remarks Key Takeaways 🔹 Early Tech Exploration – Josh’s interest in technology started with taking apart radios and experimenting with components. 🔹 Pioneering Accessible Tech – Josh played a crucial role in developing Outspoken, a Macintosh screen reader before VoiceOver existed. 🔹 Innovative Mapping Solutions – T-Map helps blind users navigate by generating tactile street maps. 🔹 Amazon’s Accessibility – Josh contributed to Show and Tell on the Echo Show, improving product identification for blind users. 🔹 Community-Driven Audio Description – UDescribe allows volunteers to add audio descriptions to YouTube videos. 🔹 New Memoir Release – Connecting Dots: A Blind Life details Josh’s journey and advocacy for accessibility. Social Media & Contact Information 📌 Josh Miele’s Website: mealylab.com 📌 Follow Josh on: BlueSky (BerkeleyBlink) | LinkedIn | Instagram 📌 Pre-Order Connecting Dots: A Blind Life (Available in print, Kindle, Audible, NLS, and Bookshare) 📌 Contact Blind Level Tech: ✉️ Email: [email protected] 📞 Voicemail: (720) 712-8856 ★ Support this podcast ★