Will AI be helpful or ableist towards disabled people?
What Chat GPT-4o means for disabled people; plus Emma learns hairstyling.
The launch of Chat GPT-4o is already making it easier for blind and visually impaired people to live independent lives, and promises to open up accessibility for people with many other disabilities.
Emma Tracey gathers a panel of experts, featuring technology journalist Paul Carter; the CEO of Be My Eyes Mike Buckley; and Professor Annalu Waller, Director of the Augmentative and Alternate Communication Research Group at the University of Dundee. They discuss what the technology might mean for disabled people β considering not only the advantages, but also the potential downsides.
Also in this episode, Emma takes part in a workshop called Hair&Care, where visually impaired people learn to style their own hair.
Presenter Emma Tracey
Production by Daniel Gordon and Alex Collins
Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill
Edited by Ben Mundy
Transcript
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22nd May 2024
bbc.co.uk/accessall
Access All β episode 106
Presented by Emma Tracey
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EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ There are two bits of this episode: one bit is about artificial intelligence, and the other bit is about me learning to do my hair. Which bit are you involved with? [Laughter]
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, most definitely the AI bit. I mean, if you want an expert on hair Iβm probably not the person.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Youβre a top banana tech journalist on ±«Σγtv Click.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβm going to put that on my LinkedIn profile.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, I thought you could help me out here. Iβm going to use a clever blindy AI app to check my hair. See the way I brought the two strands of the podcast together?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Loving it, loving what you're doing.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Such a professional. [App talking in the background]:
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Folder. Calendar. Tuesday 21st May.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβll get the right app first.
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 12 new notifications.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 12 new notifications.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 12?
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I know, I just ignore all this stuff.
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Take picture.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I canβt remember whether Iβve got the back or front camera on first of all. And thereβs no way of checking on this app, so Iβm just going to take a picture.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, it could be a picture of me.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ It could be a pictureβ¦ Well, letβs see if we can guess by the description [laughter] who the pictureβs of. But I also, then I can ask it questions about the picture so Iβm going to ask how my hair is looking today.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Okay.
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Take picture. Dimmed. Analysing picture. Please wait.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Da, da, da.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Talk amongst yourselves.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs having a think.
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Please try again later.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Oh no.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thatβs Karen by the way, that voice. Not my support person Karen; thatβs the name of the voice that I use, Australian Karen, because she sounds nice.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Karenβs just snubbed you.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Should AI be able to tell me if my hairβs okay? Or should I be relying on it, do you think?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, I think we can tell that you probably shouldnβt be relying on it. Itβs an interesting question, isnβt it, how does my hair look? Because thatβs kind of subjective.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, I just got it blow dried yesterday and then I took a picture, and it said it looked tousled and unkempt.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Laughs] Well, there you go?
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ What we usually do when we do these pre-intros is say, on with the show, so, three, two, oneβ¦
BOTH-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ On with the show!
APP-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ What about me, three question marks, on with the show, three exclamation marks.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Laughs]
MUSIC-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Theme music.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Hello! Iβm Emma Tracey, and youβre listening to Access All, the ±«Σγtvβs weekly podcast dedicated to news stories about disability and mental health. And on this episode: there was another international summit on artificial intelligence this week. It was hosted by the British PM, Rishi Sunak, and the President of South Korea. Now, their focus was on safety, but one question they did not ask is what role AI is going to play in disabled peopleβs lives now and in the future. But you know what? When international, national leaders let you down Access All is here to pick up the slack. And weβre going to talk about that with some experts later on.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And also Iβm going to get my hair done basically. Well, Iβm going to go to a workshop for blind and visually impaired women which teaches them how to do their hair. And I could really use a bit of help in this area. Anyway, you can email us, accessall@bbc.co.uk, and subscribe to us on ±«Σγtv Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Earlier I was attempting to use AI, artificial intelligence, to check my hair situation, with limited success I would say. But artificial intelligence is just getting bigger and bigger in our lives and in the news. Itβs really growing apace. But what do the developments in AI mean for disabled people in our lives? Here to discuss it with me is Paul Carter from ±«Σγtv Click. Hi Paul.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Hello.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Weβve got Mike Buckley, the CEO of Be My Eyes, that app that I was trying to use to check my hair earlier and which a lot of blind people use. Hi Mike.
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Hi.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Mikeβs on the line from San Francisco, so heβs gotten up very early for us which we really appreciate. And Iβve got Annalu Waller, OBE from the University of Dundee, and her thing is augmentative and alternate communication, so tech for non-speaking people. Youβre so welcome, Annalu, thank you for coming on.
ANNALU-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thank you for having me.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Letβs start at the very beginning, Paul. What is AI and why should we care about it?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ What it is essentially, as the name suggests, itβs intelligence that can learn. Itβs machine learning, itβs computers and software and models that can take information that already exists out there and can make sense of it, can understand it and can learn from it, and crucially adapt its responses based on the data that it's fed.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And why should we care about AI?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, I think the reason we should care is because itβs already very prevalent in everything that weβre using, and we may not even know about it, but itβs going to get even more.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, whatβs it in that we wouldnβt know?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Things like smart assistants are using AI now. I mean, a lot of the accessibility features in phones are using elements of AI. The abilities of AI are developing way quicker than I think most people even imagined, and so even in the next year, two years youβre going to see it become a pretty kind of dominant force in most aspects of how we live our lives and what we do.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Okay. Well, we talked about smartphones and AI being sort of baked into some of the aspects of those, and one of the bits of AI that I use most days is a very blind or visual impairment-specific app using AI. And Mike is the CEO of that company. Mike, what is Be My Eyes?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thanks for having me. Be My Eyes started out as an app where someone whoβs blind or has low vision through their smartphone can make a phone call to a sighted volunteer anywhere in the world for assistance with a task: finding the can of tomato soup; finding your green sweater and identifying that. And starting last year we partnered with Open AI to also enable visual interpretation through artificial intelligence systems. And we now are doing about a million and a half artificial intelligence interpretation sessions every month. So, basically the blind or low-vision person who utilises our app has a choice to call a human for assistance or to use the artificial intelligence to interpret the world around.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Now, there was a new thing launched in the last week or two by Open AI, which is one of the biggest players in the artificial intelligence world, and itβs called ChatGPT-4o. Paul, whatβs that then?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I think most people will have heard of ChatGPT now. Itβs a chatbot, itβs something that you can feed information into, ask questions, get it to identify stuff. And ChatGPT-4o is the latest iteration. Itβs a stripped down, kind of more streamlined, faster version that anyone can access. And itβs pretty mind-blowing what it can do. Itβs able to identify things without being prompted what it is. You can get it to make summaries of things in a different way. You can even get it to rewrite particular things in different dialects if you want. Itβs kind of crazy the scope and the potential of it.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, Be My Eyes actually has tied up with ChatGPT-4o. How does it work in Be My Eyes, Mike?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ It is real time, so thereβs not a delay to get the information back and forth in terms of your query. And itβs highly, highly conversational, and so the person can literally speak to it back and forth, asking information about their environment and surroundings and get an immediate response as though it were a conversation.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, letβs hear a clip of the promo video for this, which has been all over the internet in the last week or so:
[Clip]
MALE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I even know when a taxi is coming with its orange light on. I think Iβll hail it to get home.
ChatGPT-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yes, I spotted one just now. Itβs heading your way on the left side of the road. Get ready to wave it down. [Taxi pulls up]. Great job hailing that taxi.
[End of clip]
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Oh my god, I donβt know how I feel about her, Paul.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Laughs]
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβm not sure Iβd want that coming out of my phone. Paul, this is a promo video; will it really work like that in reality, do you think?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, thatβs the million dollar question, isnβt it? And weβve seen lots of promo videos; Google did one for Gemini recently, which was showing offΜύ their image recognition capabilities. And if it works as smoothly as the flow in the videos then I think it is something genuinely transformative. But, you know, as with all of these things the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ But I tried to use the current version to check my hair before we started this interview and actually it refused to analyse the picture. And I think itβs something to do with low internet, but it says I have two bars on my internet, but Iβve sent the picture a few times over an hour, 45 minutes or so and it keeps saying βcanβt analyse the picture at this time.β Mike, whatβs your take on that?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, if you have two bars it may be have trouble rendering you a result. Right now we canβt fix low internet.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Laughs]
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ But in time, Emma, AI systems and models will learn on devices locally, and so may require a lot less back and forth to the cloud or to the internet.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ You know what? My producer has just told me that this section isnβt actually all about blind people, that itβs not all about me, and that actually AI is going to be useful or scary or all those other things for different people with different impairments. And Annalu, youβre an expert in the tech for non-speaking people, and youβve been thinking a lot about AI. Are you worried about what will happen for disabled people as AI becomes more and more ubiquitous and weβre all expected to use it in various different aspects? Do you think disabled people will either be left behind or expected to use it if they donβt want to for help with stuff?
ANNALU-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I think what we see within disability is a snapshot of the dangers for everybody. And what I see as a concern is that the way AI works is that it aggregates lots and lots of data, so it finds the common denominator. And in reality we live in a very diverse world, so unless we pay attention to making sure that our models are aware of diversity, we wonβt be able to find the individual human in that data prediction. So, thatβs one issue.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Can I also just point out that the datasets we have for some disability groups are very small. So, if you canβt talk, youβre not going to get any dataset.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Mike, whatβs your take on that?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Annaluβs right, there are populations of people with disabilities where those datasets are very small, right. But we have to get them, we have to find them. And there is some hope for something called synthetic data. I wonβt bore you with what that is, Emma, but itβs basically computer-generated trained information that can help you solve for kind of data deserts where there might not be a lot of data in something. I think the second thing is thereβs an imperative for all of us, right, to lean on the large companies that are putting these models together to make sure that their datasets are necessarily inclusive.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, AI will probably be ableist because of the way it takes up the data and the data that it brings up, and the bias is against disabled people. What do you think of that, Paul?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I think itβs a very good point, and itβs a slightly worrying point. Because the classic warning about AI has always been itβs only as good as the data itβs trained on, thatβs what everyone says. And of course if you are feeding it information from an ableist society it is by its nature going to be ableist in output. The data that you train it on has to be vetted and come from good sources.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Mike, what do you think?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ You canβt just assume, and Annalu is much more eloquent about this than I am, that everybody has the ability to interact with a computer by speech, right. Not everybody can do that. As a society and when looking at all the companies releasing and iterating on these large language models, which are these aggregations of data and words and images, we need to make sure that thoughtful, non-ableist disability datasets are incorporated into those models.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And Paul, do you think thereβs too much reliance then on these big companies, like Open AI, to self-police and to put together the right set of data in the right order?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, I think thereβs a big reliance on them to self-police generally. It seems a bit weird calling companies, like Google βolder players on the blockβ compared to Open AI, but when you look at Google and Apple and people like that, companies like that, they are trying to intrinsically build accessibility and this kind of stuff into their products and their devices a bit earlier. So, I think maybe weβve got a little bit more hope with them. But itβs such a new industry, itβs such a new field that it is imperative on all of us I think to be asking those questions and to be putting that pressure on, as Mike was saying, because at the moment it is a bit of a self-policing environment and thereβs no easy answer to that.
ANNALU-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Maybe I can also add in there that I think the bigger companies have done and are doing great things about bringing accessibility into the mainstream.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ All this AI and mainstream apps bringing stuff in for disabled people is that sort of a do-goodery thing or are they actually seeing an untapped market, do you think?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs both. Itβs wonderful to tell companies to do the right thing, and sometimes that argument works. Itβs better if I can say, βdo the right thing, oh and by the way, thereβs a return on your investment as well.β
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah.
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Right? You can serve your consumer better, smarter, faster, cheaper. If we can do both of those thatβs when the businesses really take off.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Paul, do you want to come in there?
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thatβs why weβve seen the change that we have seen in the past five, 10, 15 years in terms of accessibility becoming more mainstream because, exactly that reason, that companies have switched onto the fact that thereβs a market there. None of them have done this entirely out of the goodness of their heart, as much as weβd like to believe that.
ANNALU-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thereβs another reason as well, everybody will be disabled some time in their lifetime. Number two, whatever we do to make life easier for disabled people has a knock-on effect for everyone. So, if we produce better designed systems, easier to use, more accessible, someone who canβt see because of the sunlight will be using the same technology that you use, Emma, because you canβt see.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yes, we talk about both of those things a lot on Access All, the fact that most people, everybody will be disabled at some point, either temporarily or due to ageing. And also that what works for disabled people is probably going to make life easier for a lot of people in the long run. Mike, I think youβve got some news for us about the future of Be My Eyes?
MIKE-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Weβre going to be launching a desktop version of the Be My AI app that specifically will work with Windows and on Microsoft products. Imagine that our Be My AI system can describe whatβs on a computer screen for someone whoβs blind or has low vision. Or if you have images, family photos, things like that, pictures stored locally on your computer Be My AI on the desktop will be able to analyse those.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thatβs very good indeed. Paul, we didnβt even get time to talk about wearables. Thereβs so much we didnβt get time to talk about.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So much.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thereβs so much happening, isnβt there? Give me a sort of blue sky futurey thing, for yourself even, youβre disabled.
PAUL-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I think for me, I mean, what Iβm probably most excited about is a little bit of a vision of what Mike was offering there really, is this multimodal world. And by multimodal I mean images, texts, video, all of that that AI can look at and use as an input. And what I kind of imagine this utopia with AI looking like for disabled people is that we have one place to go where we can personalise our own accessibility needs, our own support via AI all under one roof. Thatβs kind of really the future I see where disabled people can tailor these products to their own personal needs.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thank you so much Paul Carter from ±«Σγtv Click. Thanks to Mike Buckley from Be My Eyes. And thank you so much to Annalu Waller, from the University of Dundee.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Up until relatively recently I didnβt pay much attention to how I looked at work. I made podcasts, I made audio. But then it wasnβt audio; I was in a studio with cameras, and we were doing social videos, and my face was all over the internet. Well, I mean, actually Iβm not that popular, but my face was in some parts of the internet. And I had to start thinking about how I look to other people. So, I started with my outfits and I worked quite hard on those. And then I learned how to do my make-up. But my hair was a bit of a stumbling block; itβs kind of long and curly and a bit frizzy, and I was finding it really hard to figure out how best to do it in the morning. And then I found a workshop called Hair&Care which teaches blind and visually impaired women like me how to style our hair and how to feel more confident about it when we go out and about. I went along with my recorder and I spoke to Aqua:
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ They say that a womanβs hair is her crowning glory, and I feel when I look back to the days when I used to do a lot to my hair I do feel a little bit saddened, you know, I do. We donβt realise how we look, but yet other people are looking at us, and it makes me feel a little bit better about myself if I can try and do things with my hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And I chatted to Tom, whoβs a stylist who is helping out at the workshop, and heβs losing his sight:
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ My condition is a degenerative condition, so I just have to be a lot more descriptive with my students and things like that when Iβm talking about hair. Iβm probably scared enough to say that it may come to an end.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I also got a chance to work with a stylist on how to do my hair and how to look after my curls every day. Hereβs how I got on at the Hair&Care workshop:
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Hello team. [Background voices].
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ We have arrived in this massive space that used to be a bus depot, so itβs kind of maybe surprising that itβs going to be a hair workshop going on in here. Itβs a big, big room with a big table in the middle, all set up with hair heads, so heads where you learn how to do hair. You know, you had them as a kid. Iβd imagine, has it got a face? Iβm with Tash, my producer, have they got faces?ΜύΜύ
TASH-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yes, theyβre mannequin heads with wigs on.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβll introduce you to our volunteers. Weβve got wonderful Corinne who some of you have met before.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβm going to get my hair done today as well. Letβs get going.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Welcome, welcome, welcome everyone. Iβm Anna, founder of Hair&Care. Really happy to welcome you all today. We were at London Fashion Week recently and weβ¦Iβm going to get emotional [voice breaks]; sheβs an emotional one this one, sorry. Just such a big, big moment for us and such a great achievement so yeah, we were just feeling really, really proud because itβs the first time that a show has ever been made accessible for the blind and low vision community, so it was a really, really special moment. [Applause] okay, all right, have fun.
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Background voices] everybody knows donβt touch my corner because I know whatβs there.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Oh, Iβve just sat down in my workshop spot and thereβs quite a lot of stuff here. From the right-hand side weβve got brushes, one with long and short bristles; thereβs another one with different sorts of bristles [laughs]. And then on the left-hand side Iβve got some hair products. Whatβs great about these hair products is that theyβre all in different sorts of bottles, because I canβt be bothered labelling stuff, and being able to know what they are just by picking them up is really the only way forward for me and the only way Iβll be consistent.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Right, Emma my love, okay Iβm going to get to you. Iβm here, Iβm with you. Iβm going to get you to push your chair back a little bit. Both of your hands twisting the hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ At the same time?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, just to see.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs like patting your head and rubbing your tummy.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah [laughs].
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Weβve had to come away in the middle of you doing my hair, Anna, and teaching me how to do my hair because it was really, really noisy, the hairdryers were starting up. I really do want to find out a bit more about you. Why did you start these workshops?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I wanted to do something where I could give back, and I guess also use my skills as a hairstylist having had over 15 yearsβ experience.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And whatβs your particular interest in the VI community, in visually impaired people?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ My father was blind. He had a degenerative disease called retinitis pigmentosa. But he was really passionate about self-care; he was always dressed in a suit, shirt and tie, always freshly shaven, would even cut his own hair amazingly.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ When he was blind?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, heβd taught himself how to do it.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ How did he do that?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Heβd use clippers and an envelope to get the straight edges at the back and sides.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And in terms of practicalities and doing your hair is there stuff blind people like me canβt do? How far can we go with this?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs limitless, but itβs limited because of whatβs on the market. Thereβs still a really long way to go and so I think, well one of the other goals for Hair&Care is to help improve accessibility. And we want us to be the voice that brands come to.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ You want to be the voice. You are quite a good figurehead for Hair&Care, arenβt you? Youβre very involved, you do everything, youβre not a figurehead, but youβre quite a good face for Hair&Care because youβve got quite a glamorous day job, havenβt you?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Laughs] they say itβs glamorous, Emma, itβs not really.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Who do you work with and what do you do for them?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I work with lots of different artists. My very first introduction into music videos was on set for Born to Die, so an incredible song that came out in 2012.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thatβs Lana Del Rayβs album.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah. It was just such an incredible moment.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Okay, Anna, letβs go back and finish doing my hair, shall we?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, amazing.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Letβs do it. We do all the way up there?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ You want to do all the hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ All the hair?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah all the hair. So, you want to leaveβ¦
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I was leaning the wrong way.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Exactly.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Like, you know, it just makes me happy to know that it looks good to people who can see it. Yeah, looks are important to me, I canβt help it, sorry [laughter].
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs important to all of us and thatβs the point, right. Thatβs it, thatβs it, thatβs it, it doesnβt need to be so tight around your finger. Thatβs it, fantastic.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ My hair feels so good. It feels so curly, it feels consistent all the way through and it makes me feel like Iβve had my hair done, which I have partly but Iβve done most of it myself and Iβll be able to do it myself next time, and Iβll still feel like Iβve had my hair done. Brilliant, Iβm delighted.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Aqua, Iβve just pulled you away from the noisy workshop where you were doing your own hair, but also the hair of this here, which is a mannequin head?
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yes, Iβve called her Daytona.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Daytona, the mannequin head.
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And sheβs got a face?
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Yeah, sheβs got a face.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Youβve been coming to these workshops for a while. Are you totally blind? Have you got some sight?
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβve got some sight. Iβm of native Afro Caribbean origin, so Iβve been used to going to the hairdresser to do weaves, braids, for having my hair relaxed. As Iβve got older and with medication my hairβs changing, so now Iβm doing more hands-on work with myself with my hair. And then coming to the workshops has shown me different products, different ways of caring for my hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And how did medication change your hair?
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Loud whisper] Donβt tell anyone: two bald patches.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And how did it feel when the hair fell out?
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ They say that a womanβs hair is her crowning glory, and when I look back to the days when I used to do a lot to my hair I do feel a little bit saddened, I do. Like you said earlier on about the way we look, we donβt realise how we look, but yet other people are looking at us. And it makes me feel a little bit better about myself that I can try and do things with my hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Tom Hassler, youβre on of the volunteers here. Why did you decide to volunteer at these workshops?
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, I first heard about the Hair&Care workshops through Anna, having been a hairdresser and doing things like this before I had my vision loss. It was an incredible opportunity to come up and join the workshops as well.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Youβre a hairdresser right now and youβre losing your sight?
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I am. Itβs taken a while for me to get used to. Iβm lucky enough to still be able to work at the moment. My condition is a degenerative condition.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, what are your hopes for the future? What do you want to happen?
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Itβs to still be a part of doing things like this, and being involved in making things a lot more accessible.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ And what could be made more accessible? What are the barriers just now?
TOM-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So, some of the barriers are things like shampoo bottles and conditioner bottles; in the shower how do I know which oneβs which? A little tip that myself and my sister use is we have a single elastic band around the shampoo, and then two elastic bands around the conditioner.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Lovely.
TAYLOR-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ [Background voices] now weβll finish it off. Use this technique to then just brush through the section of hair.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Taylor, Iβve pulled you out of the workshop. What have you learned today?
TAYLOR-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ So much. I feel like before this workshop I didnβt think about having a relationship with my hair, and I just thought it was a visual thing that I kind of had to battle with rather than work with. So, yeah, using the senses that visually impaired people have that are heightened and, like, using them to our advantage. Thatβs how I came to have up-dos a lot because the bun, which is my signature hair as a musician, was like, oh this is great, I can learn this one style and once itβs up itβs up.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Whatβs the relationship between you and your hair and your hair and how you feel?
TAYLOR-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ As a visually impaired person who canβt check themselves in the mirror and canβt look around and see how other people look, having a confidence in your image is really important.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thank you.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Taylor, Iβm going to take you back through because weβre going to do the end. [Through mic] we saw some amazing looks. Everyoneβs got loads of volume and body. Up to here, Iβve never seen so much hair [laughs].
AQUA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Iβve really enjoyed today. I know everyone so far said theyβve enjoyed today. A bit like Taylor, today I had a reintroduction to my own hair. I said, hello, how are you?
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I think we should do a little round of applause [applause]. How did you find it? How was your workshop?
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I learned a great thing, which is that I donβt need to wash my hair as much as I do; how to define the curls literally by twisting up. But Iβve really enjoyed the experience. Itβs almost like a support group. Itβs a great thing.
ANNA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Thank you [applause]. Well done everyone. That is the end of the Hair&Care project workshop.
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ I really wish that I was going on a big night out or doing something very, very exciting with this lovely curly hair. But I do hope that the people on the 55 bus appreciate my defined curly locks [laughter].
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Well, I wasnβt very pleased because all the way through that number 55 bus journey back to the office absolutely no random strangers came up and told me that my hair looked great. Raging. Anyway, since the workshop,Μύ Iβve become a bit more confident with my hair. I donβt think Iβm perfect at it, but I know what products to use and how much product and physically what to do with it to get the curls more defined, so it has made a big difference and I do feel a lot better about my hair.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ If you want to find out more about the Hair&Care project, itβs the βandβ sign between Hair&Care, go to their website. And they also have a survey there that you can fill out about how they can help more blind and visually impaired people in the future. Theyβre looking at doing some online videos and YouTube tutorials etc, so that might be worth taking a look at.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ The ±«Σγtv World Service has a really lovely podcast called Dear Daughter. Itβs presented by Namulanta Kombo, and it basically consists of people writing letters to their daughters. This weekβs episode is about being autistic, and it features British comedian Ria Lina, and it talks about her experience of autism. And this clip youβre about to hear is about masking and filtering, and thatβs all about hiding some of your autistic traits when surrounded by neurotypical people.
[Clip]
RIA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Females with autism are known as chameleons because of our ability to walk into a room, socially assess it, and then put on a filter that suits the room. So, you could be at a party and you can see one girl whoβs working the room, and sheβs the life of the party and sheβs laughing, sheβs having a great time; that could well be your autistic because sheβs walked in and gone, βWeβre in a party, I must beβ¦you know, this is how one acts at a partyβ. Then after sheβs gone she will go to a quiet dark place and crash because sheβs used up all the energy that she has. So, those are things that you do learn and you get better. What you get better at is A, you can add skills to the filter over time. Iβve certainly learned to add eye contact to the filter, Iβve learned to add smiling, saying thank you, saying goodbye.
[End of clip]
EMMA-ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Listen to the rest of that episode and hear every episode of Dear Daughter on ±«Σγtv Sounds. Thatβs it, another episode of Access All has come to an end. Thanks this week go to all my AI ninjas and also to everybody involved in the Hair&Care workshop, which really was a lot of fun. Please get in touch with us, I love to hear from you. You can contact us on WhatsApp, just put Access at the start of your message. Weβre on 0330 123 9480. And you can email accessall@bbc.co.uk. Subscribe to us on ±«Σγtv Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts from, and please do tell your friends about us. See you next week. Bye bye!
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