RE: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

['PAUL MUDDHA' via AccessIndia]

Wow! Great achievement Kiran..
Hope to see you with more achiements in future..


From: accessindia@accessindia.org.in  On Behalf 
Of George Abraham
Sent: Monday, May 8, 2023 1:15 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Subject: RE: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

CAUTION: This email is originated from outside Canara Bank. Do not click any 
links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know that the 
content is safe.
A great read!

From: accessindia@accessindia.org.in<mailto:accessindia@accessindia.org.in> 
[mailto:accessindia@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Srinivasu Chakravarthula
Sent: Sunday, May 7, 2023 7:09 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in<mailto:accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Subject: Re: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

Great read.
I'm happy to see Kiran's growth. These days, I'm enjoying his updates on The 
Guide Dog training. Congratulations, Kiran.
Regards,

Srinivasu Chakravarthula, CPWA
Website<http://www.srinivasu.org> | LinkedIn 
Profile<http://linkedin.com/in/srinivasuc> | Follow me on 
Twitter<http://twitter.com/csrinivasu>
Director of Accessibility, Watermark<http://watermarkinsights.com>


On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 6:21 AM S Solomon Karuppannan 
mailto:teachs...@gmail.com>> wrote:
American Printing House - Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4:14 PM
Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja
Accessibility is at the core of APH’s mission, and we celebrate
individuals who work to create an accessible world for everyone. One
of these individuals is Kiran Kaja, the Principal Product Manager on
the Shopping and Books accessibility team at Amazon, who spoke to us
about his childhood, career journey, and gave advice for those
aspiring to work in accessibility.
Growing Up in India
Kiran has retinitis pigmentosa, a congenital eye condition that caused
his vision to deteriorate over time. Today, he has only light
perception. Kiran was born in Hyderabad, India. “I didn’t start school
until I was seven years old because my parents struggled to find an
appropriate institution that would admit blind students,” Kiran said.
In the meantime, his mother learned braille and taught him how to read
and write. Later, a group of parents of children who are blind founded
a nonprofit organization that convinced a private school to enroll
their children. One parent volunteered to be a resource teacher to
assist the students. “However, we faced numerous challenges; we only
had one Perkins Brailler for all 15 students, and no textbooks were
available in braille or other accessible formats,” Kiran recalled.
“Instead, we had to use a slate and stylus to take notes in class,
with the resource teacher brailling a single copy of important
sections from textbooks that 2-3 children had to share. My father also
recorded some textbooks onto cassette tapes for me to listen to.”
Kiran also never received orientation and mobility training.
College and Beyond
After high school, Kiran earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Pondicherry University in India. “Initially, I
aspired to become a history teacher until I stumbled upon a discovery
during my summer break before starting college: blind individuals
could utilize screen reading software to operate computers. This
revelation piqued my interest in exploring a whole new realm of career
opportunities. While I was unable to switch my major to computer
science, I persevered and instead switched to business administration
while teaching myself how to program software with online resources,”
Kiran said.
After college, Kiran moved to the United Kingdom to work for the Royal
National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to advocate for accessible
technology. Following that position, Kiran took a job at Google in
California, where he helped establish and expand the accessibility
program for Google Search and Assistant and led the accessibility
program for Instagram. “At these organizations, I had the opportunity
to work with and learn from some incredibly talented and innovative
individuals,” Kiran explained. “I realized that focusing on delighting
customers is the key for success for the organization as well as my
personal growth. I learned to be inquisitive, ask the right set of
questions, and that there is always something to learn from every
person I meet with and every project I am involved in.”
Today, Kiran works at Amazon as a Principal Product Manager on the
Shopping and Books accessibility team. He helps teams build
experiences that are accessible to and usable by customers with
disabilities. His role involves understanding the needs of customers
with disabilities and translating them into requirements for technical
teams.
Breaking Down Barriers
Kiran has faced many barriers throughout his career due to internal
tools and applications being inaccessible. When asked how he breaks
down these barriers, he said, “I have found t

RE: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

[George Abraham]

A great read!

 

From: accessindia@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia@accessindia.org.in] On 
Behalf Of Srinivasu Chakravarthula
Sent: Sunday, May 7, 2023 7:09 PM
To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in
Subject: Re: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

 

Great read. 

I'm happy to see Kiran's growth. These days, I'm enjoying his updates on The 
Guide Dog training. Congratulations, Kiran. 


Regards,

Srinivasu Chakravarthula, CPWA

Website <http://www.srinivasu.org>  | LinkedIn Profile 
<http://linkedin.com/in/srinivasuc>  | Follow me on Twitter 
<http://twitter.com/csrinivasu> 

Director of Accessibility, Watermark <http://watermarkinsights.com> 

 

 

On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 6:21 AM S Solomon Karuppannan  
wrote:

American Printing House - Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4:14 PM
Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja
Accessibility is at the core of APH’s mission, and we celebrate
individuals who work to create an accessible world for everyone. One
of these individuals is Kiran Kaja, the Principal Product Manager on
the Shopping and Books accessibility team at Amazon, who spoke to us
about his childhood, career journey, and gave advice for those
aspiring to work in accessibility.
Growing Up in India
Kiran has retinitis pigmentosa, a congenital eye condition that caused
his vision to deteriorate over time. Today, he has only light
perception. Kiran was born in Hyderabad, India. “I didn’t start school
until I was seven years old because my parents struggled to find an
appropriate institution that would admit blind students,” Kiran said.
In the meantime, his mother learned braille and taught him how to read
and write. Later, a group of parents of children who are blind founded
a nonprofit organization that convinced a private school to enroll
their children. One parent volunteered to be a resource teacher to
assist the students. “However, we faced numerous challenges; we only
had one Perkins Brailler for all 15 students, and no textbooks were
available in braille or other accessible formats,” Kiran recalled.
“Instead, we had to use a slate and stylus to take notes in class,
with the resource teacher brailling a single copy of important
sections from textbooks that 2-3 children had to share. My father also
recorded some textbooks onto cassette tapes for me to listen to.”
Kiran also never received orientation and mobility training.
College and Beyond
After high school, Kiran earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Pondicherry University in India. “Initially, I
aspired to become a history teacher until I stumbled upon a discovery
during my summer break before starting college: blind individuals
could utilize screen reading software to operate computers. This
revelation piqued my interest in exploring a whole new realm of career
opportunities. While I was unable to switch my major to computer
science, I persevered and instead switched to business administration
while teaching myself how to program software with online resources,”
Kiran said.
After college, Kiran moved to the United Kingdom to work for the Royal
National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to advocate for accessible
technology. Following that position, Kiran took a job at Google in
California, where he helped establish and expand the accessibility
program for Google Search and Assistant and led the accessibility
program for Instagram. “At these organizations, I had the opportunity
to work with and learn from some incredibly talented and innovative
individuals,” Kiran explained. “I realized that focusing on delighting
customers is the key for success for the organization as well as my
personal growth. I learned to be inquisitive, ask the right set of
questions, and that there is always something to learn from every
person I meet with and every project I am involved in.”
Today, Kiran works at Amazon as a Principal Product Manager on the
Shopping and Books accessibility team. He helps teams build
experiences that are accessible to and usable by customers with
disabilities. His role involves understanding the needs of customers
with disabilities and translating them into requirements for technical
teams.
Breaking Down Barriers
Kiran has faced many barriers throughout his career due to internal
tools and applications being inaccessible. When asked how he breaks
down these barriers, he said, “I have found that providing
constructive feedback to the relevant teams can often lead to
improvements or effective workarounds. However, I have also
encountered situations where my disability, specifically blindness, is
not fully understood by my colleagues. In such cases, I take the
initiative to start a conversation and address any concerns or
questions. I believe that raising awareness about disabilities is an
important step towards creating an inclusive work environment. While
limitations such as difficulty in interpreting body language and
visual cues can be challen

Re: [AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

[Srinivasu Chakravarthula]

Great read.
I'm happy to see Kiran's growth. These days, I'm enjoying his updates on
The Guide Dog training. Congratulations, Kiran.
Regards,

Srinivasu Chakravarthula, CPWA
Website  | LinkedIn Profile
 | Follow me on Twitter

Director of Accessibility, Watermark 


On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 6:21 AM S Solomon Karuppannan 
wrote:

> American Printing House - Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4:14 PM
> Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja
> Accessibility is at the core of APH’s mission, and we celebrate
> individuals who work to create an accessible world for everyone. One
> of these individuals is Kiran Kaja, the Principal Product Manager on
> the Shopping and Books accessibility team at Amazon, who spoke to us
> about his childhood, career journey, and gave advice for those
> aspiring to work in accessibility.
> Growing Up in India
> Kiran has retinitis pigmentosa, a congenital eye condition that caused
> his vision to deteriorate over time. Today, he has only light
> perception. Kiran was born in Hyderabad, India. “I didn’t start school
> until I was seven years old because my parents struggled to find an
> appropriate institution that would admit blind students,” Kiran said.
> In the meantime, his mother learned braille and taught him how to read
> and write. Later, a group of parents of children who are blind founded
> a nonprofit organization that convinced a private school to enroll
> their children. One parent volunteered to be a resource teacher to
> assist the students. “However, we faced numerous challenges; we only
> had one Perkins Brailler for all 15 students, and no textbooks were
> available in braille or other accessible formats,” Kiran recalled.
> “Instead, we had to use a slate and stylus to take notes in class,
> with the resource teacher brailling a single copy of important
> sections from textbooks that 2-3 children had to share. My father also
> recorded some textbooks onto cassette tapes for me to listen to.”
> Kiran also never received orientation and mobility training.
> College and Beyond
> After high school, Kiran earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
> Administration from Pondicherry University in India. “Initially, I
> aspired to become a history teacher until I stumbled upon a discovery
> during my summer break before starting college: blind individuals
> could utilize screen reading software to operate computers. This
> revelation piqued my interest in exploring a whole new realm of career
> opportunities. While I was unable to switch my major to computer
> science, I persevered and instead switched to business administration
> while teaching myself how to program software with online resources,”
> Kiran said.
> After college, Kiran moved to the United Kingdom to work for the Royal
> National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to advocate for accessible
> technology. Following that position, Kiran took a job at Google in
> California, where he helped establish and expand the accessibility
> program for Google Search and Assistant and led the accessibility
> program for Instagram. “At these organizations, I had the opportunity
> to work with and learn from some incredibly talented and innovative
> individuals,” Kiran explained. “I realized that focusing on delighting
> customers is the key for success for the organization as well as my
> personal growth. I learned to be inquisitive, ask the right set of
> questions, and that there is always something to learn from every
> person I meet with and every project I am involved in.”
> Today, Kiran works at Amazon as a Principal Product Manager on the
> Shopping and Books accessibility team. He helps teams build
> experiences that are accessible to and usable by customers with
> disabilities. His role involves understanding the needs of customers
> with disabilities and translating them into requirements for technical
> teams.
> Breaking Down Barriers
> Kiran has faced many barriers throughout his career due to internal
> tools and applications being inaccessible. When asked how he breaks
> down these barriers, he said, “I have found that providing
> constructive feedback to the relevant teams can often lead to
> improvements or effective workarounds. However, I have also
> encountered situations where my disability, specifically blindness, is
> not fully understood by my colleagues. In such cases, I take the
> initiative to start a conversation and address any concerns or
> questions. I believe that raising awareness about disabilities is an
> important step towards creating an inclusive work environment. While
> limitations such as difficulty in interpreting body language and
> visual cues can be challenging, I make sure to prepare thoroughly and
> focus on effective communication, especially ahead of important
> meetings.”
> Lessons Learned
> Kiran highlighted why it’s important for businesses to consider

[AI] Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja

[S Solomon Karuppannan]

American Printing House - Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 4:14 PM
Celebrating Accessibility: An Interview with Kiran Kaja
Accessibility is at the core of APH’s mission, and we celebrate
individuals who work to create an accessible world for everyone. One
of these individuals is Kiran Kaja, the Principal Product Manager on
the Shopping and Books accessibility team at Amazon, who spoke to us
about his childhood, career journey, and gave advice for those
aspiring to work in accessibility.
Growing Up in India
Kiran has retinitis pigmentosa, a congenital eye condition that caused
his vision to deteriorate over time. Today, he has only light
perception. Kiran was born in Hyderabad, India. “I didn’t start school
until I was seven years old because my parents struggled to find an
appropriate institution that would admit blind students,” Kiran said.
In the meantime, his mother learned braille and taught him how to read
and write. Later, a group of parents of children who are blind founded
a nonprofit organization that convinced a private school to enroll
their children. One parent volunteered to be a resource teacher to
assist the students. “However, we faced numerous challenges; we only
had one Perkins Brailler for all 15 students, and no textbooks were
available in braille or other accessible formats,” Kiran recalled.
“Instead, we had to use a slate and stylus to take notes in class,
with the resource teacher brailling a single copy of important
sections from textbooks that 2-3 children had to share. My father also
recorded some textbooks onto cassette tapes for me to listen to.”
Kiran also never received orientation and mobility training.
College and Beyond
After high school, Kiran earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Pondicherry University in India. “Initially, I
aspired to become a history teacher until I stumbled upon a discovery
during my summer break before starting college: blind individuals
could utilize screen reading software to operate computers. This
revelation piqued my interest in exploring a whole new realm of career
opportunities. While I was unable to switch my major to computer
science, I persevered and instead switched to business administration
while teaching myself how to program software with online resources,”
Kiran said.
After college, Kiran moved to the United Kingdom to work for the Royal
National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to advocate for accessible
technology. Following that position, Kiran took a job at Google in
California, where he helped establish and expand the accessibility
program for Google Search and Assistant and led the accessibility
program for Instagram. “At these organizations, I had the opportunity
to work with and learn from some incredibly talented and innovative
individuals,” Kiran explained. “I realized that focusing on delighting
customers is the key for success for the organization as well as my
personal growth. I learned to be inquisitive, ask the right set of
questions, and that there is always something to learn from every
person I meet with and every project I am involved in.”
Today, Kiran works at Amazon as a Principal Product Manager on the
Shopping and Books accessibility team. He helps teams build
experiences that are accessible to and usable by customers with
disabilities. His role involves understanding the needs of customers
with disabilities and translating them into requirements for technical
teams.
Breaking Down Barriers
Kiran has faced many barriers throughout his career due to internal
tools and applications being inaccessible. When asked how he breaks
down these barriers, he said, “I have found that providing
constructive feedback to the relevant teams can often lead to
improvements or effective workarounds. However, I have also
encountered situations where my disability, specifically blindness, is
not fully understood by my colleagues. In such cases, I take the
initiative to start a conversation and address any concerns or
questions. I believe that raising awareness about disabilities is an
important step towards creating an inclusive work environment. While
limitations such as difficulty in interpreting body language and
visual cues can be challenging, I make sure to prepare thoroughly and
focus on effective communication, especially ahead of important
meetings.”
Lessons Learned
Kiran highlighted why it’s important for businesses to consider
accessibility when creating a product or service: “Over 15% of the
world’s population have some form of a disability, and this number is
constantly growing. Making products and services accessible is not
only the right thing to do but also a wise business decision.”
However, he also warns that one needs patience and perseverance to be
a part of his career field. “The pace of progress may seem slow at
times, which can be discouraging. However, I have come to realize that
if you remain committed to enhancing the user experience for
individuals with disabilities, success will follow.”
Caree