What a brilliant week. 4 huge events, 3 talks and dozens of new connections and exciting opportunities.
I started the week at Imperial College London for the launch of ZedNet… a coming together of technologists, researchers and end users to make meaningful change for people with Dementia.
A deeply insightful event. Learnt heaps and connected with interesting people doing interesting things. It’s influencing projects we already had in motion and I’m getting involved in new things where a little nerdy help can go a long way. Huge shout out to Amy Low CPACC FRSA for the invite. Such a good suggestion!
Tuesday was my first talking event of the week. Guest lecturing for the Technological University Dublin’s masters course on assistive technology. I gave a deep dive on emerging tech… how I’m using AI, 3D printing and VR to remove day to day barriers from my life.
It was a joyful blast. Surrounded by passionate people focused on building better lives for people around them. Some of the best questions I’ve been asked in a long time. A chance to go deep on how cutting edge tech can tackle barriers we’ve never been able to resolve before. The enthusiasm in the room is Infectious. Huge thanks for Juliann Bergin & her wonderful team for the invite.
Wednesday was my second talk. Back in the city for an in person event at Goldsmiths, University of London. Invited to contribute to their leaders in tech programme and talk to students about my bizarre life… what I do, how I do it & the path that led me here.
Perhaps the most personal event of the week. A small group of people much like me. We talked about the stages of my career, moving from a focus on knowledge to a focus on skills… then from skills to community. Pulling apart the impact of AI vibe coding and the role of engineers and product creators now and in the near future. Massive thanks to Jennifer George for the invite & creating such a friendly atmosphere for me to share some of more personal aspects of my life.
Finally, yesterday. My third and final talk of the week and biggest stage of all…. Presenting the planary session to end the day at the The National Autistic Society Professionals conference. A talk about the technology in my life… from mainstream stuff like chairs(!), through to my custom AI tools. I shared the lenses I use to identify barriers in my life, told stories about the tech I use and explained the process I use to choose it.
It was fun. Building on the week of events ahead of it, I came in very bouncy and a little bit derpy. I love being able to tell stories and show people cool things. The audience questions where varied and the production crew where professional & supportive. It’s wonderful to see the NAS take on a neuro-inclusive lens and I’m proud to be part of it. Grateful to Janet Matthews & her lovely team for inviting me and supporting me with the paperwork.
What a week. Up early this morning & buzzing. So much to do. :)
