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Here, Aaron Di Blasi argues that voice-first AI is nearing an “interface shift” that could be as consequential for blind and low-vision people as the arrival of modern screen readers: instead of painstakingly navigating screen-based obstacle courses (unlabeled buttons, broken forms, CAPTCHAs, kiosk-first workflows), users could increasingly express intent through natural conversation and get outcomes directly. He defines a true “conversation partner” as fast, full-duplex voice interaction that supports interruption and redirection, plus practical layers like transcription, translation, emotional prosody, and (with camera/broadcast modes) the ability to interpret what’s on a screen or in the environment, turning accessibility from “reading interfaces” into “conversing with systems.”

The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI), an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, annually awards four scholarships in the amount of $3,000 each to full-time college students. Scholarships are awarded to Freshman, Undergraduate, and Graduate students, all of whom must be low vision, maintain a strong GPA and be involved in school/local community activities.