Presented by Tenacity for
The Bourbon Friday Show with Assistive Technology Creator Key2Enable
On this past episode of the Bourbon Friday Show we had the opportunity to talk with William de Oliveira and Tifany Espindola from Key2Enable about their assistive technology product the Key-X.
Key2Enable is Customizable Assistive Technology
Key-X technology provides a new contextual interface for the disabled.
The technology consists of a platform in which the controls and content can be deployed to work seamlessly, allowing institutions, teachers and health professionals a way to enrich interactions with their disabled users. The product has been refined and optimized through collaboration with pedagogists, occupational therapists and speech therapists.
The technology and the company has been supported by the newly established Singularity University chapter here in St. Louis. Key2Enable, a member of Singularity U’s global portfolio, takes pride in helping advance Singularity’s mission of using exponential technology to tackle large scale societal issues.
Key2Enable aims to help those whom the market often forgets to serve with its products for people with disabilities. “We try to work with the people that were left out of most things,” William said.
While there are several products aimed at making the use of computers easier for those who have disabilities, many of them are extremely niche to one disability or another, and often exclude individuals who deal with paralysis, tremors, amputations, or other types of incoordination.
The Key-X controller has large and strategically placed buttons to overcome the issues with a traditional keyboard. The platform’s flexibility allows users to play complex games, access, browse and communicate on the internet.
Put more simply by the innovators at Key2Enable: “if you have the right tool, anything is possible.”
Bourbon Innovation
As always, the Bourbon Friday team does their best to choose a fitting drink for the occasion.
The bottle this week was Evan Williams 12 Year, made by Heaven Hill distillery. Although this product is made in the U.S.A. (as is all bourbon), this bottle can only be purchased overseas or in the Heaven Hill gift shop—a fitting choice for our out-of-town guests this week.
Don’t forget to watch The Bourbon Friday Show on EQ’s Facebook page every Friday at 4:30pm CT.