Verbit is one of three companies selected to join the Access Israel delegation representing Israeli technology and innovation next week in Vienna at the Zero Project Conference.
The three-day conference, which takes place February 19-21, gathers 500 innovators and leaders from around the world to bring exposure to the most innovative and effective policies, practices and technologies improving the lives of individuals with disabilities.
“We’re proud to participate in the Zero Project conference and be part of the delegation representing Israeli technology and accessibility initiatives overseas,” said Eran Fishov, Head of Customer Success at Verbit. “We’re excited for the opportunity to pitch the Verbit product and showcase how our technology is serving students who need it.”
Zero Project’s overall mission is to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) and to work for a world without barriers. A main focus of the conference itself is the intersection of disability efforts and education, exploring the solutions and methodologies being implemented to assist students with disabilities.
Fishov will provide a :60 pitch of Verbit’s technology onstage at the conference and demo how the technology makes materials more accessible to all students live from an exhibition booth. Verbit’s technology will be presented to policymakers, entrepreneurs, opinion leaders and influencers from many sectors of society which will be in attendance.
Verbit was also selected as one of the technologies to take part in Zero Project’s experiential activity onsite. The experiential aspect will involve temporarily removing the senses of attendees via blindfolds and other methods to simulate how an individual with a disability may experience and benefit from the technologies showcased firsthand.
“We’re excited to demonstrate the power of our AI technology to a live audience and provide a clear understanding of how this essential tool powers captions and transcriptions of courses and materials,” Fishov said. “Our technology fuels the learning needs of students with a variety of needs, whether it be those with disability, those learning in a language that’s not native to them or those who are visual learners. We’re aiming to provide equitable opportunities to all students, both in and out of the classroom.”
Fishov will demonstrate how Verbit’s automatic-speech-recognition (ASR) technology functions and explain how the technology is edited live by Verbit transcriptionists to meet the high level of accuracy that its users, including professors and students at Harvard University, Stanford University and London Business School, among others, depend on.
Prior to the conference, Verbit will join Access Israel to help drive adoption of Israeli innovation in communities in Austria that can greatly benefit from it. The delegation will visit Microsoft Austria to discuss Artificial Technology initiatives, Bank Austria to explore accessible banking, and meet with leaders like Guy Liran, Innovation and Technology Officer, Austrian Embassy in Tel Aviv. Fishov and the delegation will also meet with Franz Huainigg of ORF, Austria’s National Public Service Broadcaster, for a presentation on how the media institution approaches accessibility and inclusion.
Access Israel’s “Training for Inclusive Teaching” also received a 2020 Zero Project Award. Fishov said he is excited to learn more about the work of STEP-HEAR, which will also be joining Verbit as part of the delegation representing Israel.