Interview with Toby Wong

QUESTION 01 Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how your disability might impact your experience, as someone who attends live in-person and virtual events?

I’m a late-deafened adult who spent most of my life and my executive career in the hearing world. I went deaf overnight, over 10 years ago, and underwent double cochlear implant (CI) surgery. Yes, actual skull drilling surgery to put an implant on both sides of my skull with electrodes threading through my damaged inner ear.

CIs are not like hearing aids that make bad sound louder like a speaker. CI’s replaced my damaged hearing with a new system that my brain needed to learn and to adapt for me to use. Like how a runner with an amputation has to relearn and train their brain and body to use their prosthetic running blades. I spent almost two years in auditory-verbal therapy to relearn sound, to train my brain to understand the CI signals, to learn how to hear again and to learn hearing strategies in different settings. While I can get some sound, it is not enough, or always fully effective. I’m still deaf. My marketing strategy and business skill sets are sharp as ever. I just can’t hear fully.

In all professional live in-person meetings and events, I need real-time, human-generated captions (aka CART – captions provided by captioner who is listening and transcribing in real-time) for the greatest accuracy and post-event corrected transcripts. AI-generated captions from apps; video chat platforms and even FaceTime are not accurate. It happened in a meeting where AI captions transcribed “cannot” but the person said “can”. Big difference in meaning and takeaway! Ideally, I prefer open captions on a screen near the person’s face so I can lipread and to take notes. Captions can stream real-time onto a device like tablet or phone, but I’m unable to take notes. I often need speakers to pause to allow for the extra time for processing delays from reading what been said, to process it, to understand it, and then to respond if necessary.

For virtual meetings, I prefer Zoom as a platform with real-time CART captions by a human captioner. Zoom allows two views – both captions underneath the speaker and a full transcript view on the right side of the screen.

Post-meeting or post-event corrected transcripts are essential to ensure that what was said was accurately transcribed, especially for high-stakes meetings and when speakers spoke quickly without pausing.

Note that these are my specific accommodations to have effective and equal communications as a deaf person equal to those who hear. Each individual with a hearing disability should be allowed to articulate what they need. ASL interpreters should be offered and provided for individuals with hearing disabilities who request ASL as their necessary accommodations in all settings (in-person meetings, virtual meetings, live events and virtual events).

QUESTION 02 Thinking back on some of your experiences attending in-person or virtual events, what are some of the worst things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts can do to ruin your experience as an attendee?

For in-person events:

• Not providing central contact person/information for all necessary accommodations for attendees with disabilities in the meeting invitations and then during the event itself to troubleshoot
• Offering no captions, or inaccurate AI-generated captions over CART caption (real-time captions transcribed by CART Captioner)
• Not providing open captions on-stage on-screen for everyone (then need to provide 2nd screen to attendees with disability to read)
• Not providing post-event corrected transcripts and in alternative formats as needed (ie. Large print, braille, etc.)
• Not providing proper stage lighting on ASL interpreters
• Presenters speaking too quickly, no pausing (between slides; sections; asking for questions)
• Not providing preferred front-row seating to attendees with disabilities, their captioners and/or ASL interpreters
• Not doing run-through onsite to ensure all accommodations and supporting technology are working before presentation

For virtual events:

• Not using Zoom as the video and/or webinar platform so captions can be embedded (on main screen and added full transcript view); ASL interpreters in sign language view
• Not providing real-time CART captions and post-event transcripts (ideally corrected and in alternative formats as needed)
• Providing inaccurate AI- or computer-generated captions
• Not providing ASL interpreters as requested
• Not testing CART captioners, ASL interpreters, technology and speakers in advance of event start
• Not assigning a point person via chat for all accommodations and any necessary problems/troubleshooting

QUESTION 03 Can you share some of the great things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts sometimes do that make a positive impact on your ability to fully enjoy your in-person or virtual event experiences?

For in-person meetings:

• Open captions
• Real-time CART captioners and ASL interpreters
• Post-event transcripts (ideally corrected and in alternative formats)
• Assigning a point person to help me with my accommodations before event and on-site

For virtual meetings:

• Using Zoom with captions turned on for both ongoing captions and transcript view
• Real-time CART captioners and ASL interpreters tested ahead of time with the speaker)
• Post-event transcripts (ideally corrected and in alternative formats)

For in-person events:

• Providing central contact person/information for all necessary accommodations for attendees with disabilities in the meeting invitations and then during the event itself to troubleshoot
• Preferred front-row seating to attendees with disabilities, CART Captioners and ASL Interpreters
• Doing pre-event run-through before event with speaker, captioner, ASL interpreter and technology so all is working
• Offering CART captions (real-time captions transcribed by CART Captioner) on open screen
• Speaking at good cadence with appropriate pausing (between slides; sections; asking for questions)
• Providing post-event corrected transcripts and in alternative formats

For virtual events:

• Using Zoom as the video and/or webinar platform (embed captions into view; two views including full transcript + ASL interpreter view as needed)
• Real-time CART captions and post-event corrected transcripts (alternative formats)
• No breakdowns due to pre-event testing with CART captioners, ASL interpreters technology and speakers
• Assigned point person via chat for all accommodations and any necessary problems/troubleshooting

And then for all events and meetings (in-person and/or virtual):

• Provide the names of the presenters, copies of any speeches and a list of any keywords at least the day before the Event to both the ASL interpreter and the CART captioner. This will separately familiarize the ASL interpreter and the CART captioner with unique words, terms and names. The Captioner can preload these into the captioning software ahead of time to ensure more accurate real-time captions.

QUESTION 04 If you had one piece of advice to give speakers, trainers, and other communication experts, so their content became more inclusive of people who have disabilities, what would it be?

Again, provide CART captions (real-time, human-generated caption) on open screen; provide post-event corrected transcripts. Make sure to caption all videos and social media. Assign a central contact person who can help manage and follow-through with all accommodation needs.

Note that captions help everyone. They benefit many individuals with disabilities, not just those with hearing loss. Gen Z use captions all the time! 80% of viewers watch social media videos without sound, use captions and don’t have hearing loss.

QUESTION 05 Thank you for sharing some of your insights with us today. As we wrap up our conversation, is there anything that you’d like to add, such as another thought, another piece of advice, another perspective, etc.?

Everyone is temporarily abled. One day, every person will live with a disability. It’s not “if” but “when”. The business and human case for disability inclusion and accessibility speaks for itself:

• 15% of world population has a disability (and growing)
• 22% of Canadians has a disability
• 1 in 4 Americans has a disability (26%)
• 1 in 3 US households has a member with a disability