♫♫ ♫♫ >>> THE UPCOMING PROGRAM WAS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED.

>> THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WTJX, ITS BOARD, STAFF OR UNDERWRITERS.

♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ ♫♫ >>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "ABLE TO RAISE," A PROGRAM TO RAISE YOUR AWARENESS ABOUT A VARIETY OF TOPICS.

I´M YOUR HOST, I´M IN THE DISABILITY RIGHTS CENTER FOR THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND TODAY´S GUEST IS A PERSON WHO HAS VISITED THE TERRITORY BACK IN 2013.

HER NAME IS GOMA AND THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK HOW THE BEST WOMAN CONQUERED HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.

WELCOME.

WE´RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU.

HOW ARE YOU?

>> HELLO.

I´M DOING EXCEEDINGLY WELL.

I MISS THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

I VISITED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND HAD AN AMAZING TIME.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

>> I´M DOING WELL, AND I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU, TRULY, TRULY.

YOU TAUGHT US A LOT DURING YOUR VISIT AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I´M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU IS HOW WE AS A SMALL COMMUNITY CAN BUILD ON BETTER AWARENESS WITH RESPECT TO MAKING OUR PROGRAMMING ACCESSIBLE AND PLACES OF WORK ACCESSIBLE AND IT´S A REAL PASSION OF YOURS, BUT BEFORE YOU GO INTO THAT, CAN YOU TELL OUR AUDIENCE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

>> YES.

AND WE START WITH A SPECIAL DESCRIPTION.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAND WITH THE DESCRIPTIONS SO PEOPLE WATCHING THE VIDEO CAN GAIN ACCESS.

>> I AM IN MY LIVING ROOM, WEARING A TEAL DRESS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK HOW DO YOU SPEAK?

I SPEAK WITH A VOICE AND I HAVE A VERY UNIQUE HEARING LOSS AND I AM ABLE TO PICK UP ON SOME OF THE HIGH-FREQUENCY SOUNDS.

THAT SAID, WE NEED A CULTURE WHERE OUR VOICES ARE HEARD REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANYONE CAN SPEAK, AND IT´S UP TO US TO CREATE A CULTURE WHERE OUR VOICES ARE VALID.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

CAN YOU GIVE ME A VISUAL DESCRIPTION?

WHERE ARE YOU?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I AM IN MY OFFICE IN ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS.

I AM WEARING A PAIR OF GLASSES.

I USED TO SEE BETTER.

I´M WEARING A BLACK TANK TOP AND A TANGERINE-COLORED CARDIGAN AND BEHIND ME IS A WALL WITH PICTURES OF MY FAMILY, WORK-RELATED ISSUES, MY TELEPHONE, MY PRINTER AND I HAVE A LAMP BEHIND ME, AND I ALSO HAVE A WATER BOTTLE TO MY RIGHT AND A MICROPHONE THAT SEEMS TO GIVE US TROUBLE FROM TIME TO TIME AND THAT SAY VISUAL CLUE AND I AM A WOMAN OF COLOR AND WEARING SHORTS AND A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE BECAUSE I AM JUST SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

THESE ARE TROUBLESOME TIMES AND WE HAVE TO KEEP MAKING SURE IT WORKS PROPERLY.

>> THAT´S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

YOU´VE BEEN WRITING AND TALKING ABOUT AND TEACHING THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND DISABILITY.

CAN YOU TELL US WHY THESE ARE SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?

PARTLY BECAUSE I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT I AM DEAF/BLIND.

FOR MORE ON THIS CONVERSATION I´M USING A LOT OF TACT AND WE CAN HAVE THIS REMOTE CONVERSATION WITH THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN CALIFORNIA AND ALSO USING A BRAILLE COMPUTER.

[ INDISCERNIBLE ] TECHNOLOGY HAS INCREASED MY ACCESS TO INFORMATION WITH CONVERSATIONS, LECTURES AND SO MUCH INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, AND TECH HAS THE POWER TO INCREASE ACCESS TO PEOPLE AND IT ALSO HAS THE POWER TO PUT OUT MORE BARRIERS AND MORE PEOPLE.

SO I´D LOVE TO EDUCATE SO THAT OUR TECH CAN DO THIS TOGETHER RATHER THAN ISOLATING US AND CREATING MORE BARRIERS.

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE TECH INDUSTRY ON HOLD WITH BEING RECEPTIVE TO THE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT YOU´RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH.

HAVE THEY BEEN RECEPTIVE?

HAVE THEY BEEN NOT RECEPTIVE OR WHERE HAVE BEEN SOME POSITIVES AND WHERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES?

>> THE DEAF COMMUNITY -- PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKING HOW CAN WE MAKE THE WORLD BETTER.

HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?

HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS?

BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THE RESTAURANTS AND GO DANCING AND MANY PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THERE ARE LOTS OF AMAZING PEOPLE DEDICATED TO USING TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE IT AND THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE WHO DON´T CARE WHO ARE JUST INTERESTED IN ONE ASPECT OF TECH AND NOT INTERESTED IN HELPING PEOPLE OF COLOR, DISABLED PEOPLE.

THEY ARE CHALLENGING PEOPLE.

>> I GUESS THAT´S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, CORRECT?

>> YES.

WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE THAT IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS?

>> OH, YES.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> WHAT DO WE DO?

>> WHAT DO WE DO?

WE ADVOCATE, NOT UNLIKE WHAT YOU DO AND PART OF WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT IS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND HOPEFULLY THE ABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS TO HOW WE CAN MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR OURSELVES, YOU KNOW AND WHEN WE RETURN, I HOPE THAT AT SOME POINT THAT WE´LL VISIT THERE WILL BE A MORE ACCOMMODATING ONE AND THAT´S AN ISSUE FOR US FOR SURE.

YOU´VE MADE SOME COMMENT ABOUT TECH BEING TO SOME EXTENT HARMFUL TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND I WONDER IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT.

THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT I HAD IN THAT REGARD.

CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE?

>> THE DISABILITY AND IT´S THE ACTION THAT DISABLED PEOPLE ARE INFERIOR TO NON-DISABLED PEOPLE AND THE ASPECTS OF SOCIETY AND IT SHOWS UP IN TECH AND HEALTH CARE AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO IDENTIFY, AND ALSO SEXISM.

[ INDISCERNIBLE ] HER BODY IS INFERIOR.

THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE IS HARMFUL LANGUAGE.

IT ALSO POPS OUT IN THE LANGUAGE AND ONE WANTS TO ARGUE THE CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE IS SIMILAR TO ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE AND IT TURNS UP WITH THEM.

IT IS DEEPLY CONNECTED AND IT´S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT GROUPS WORKING IN THESE FIELDS COLLABORATE AND YOU CAN´T USE RACIAL INJUSTICE AND GENDER EQUALITY.

SO YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE CONNECTION ABOUT THAT TIME.

>> THAT SAID, CONVERSATIONS NOW ABOUT A.I.

OR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ONE OF THE THOUGHTS BEHIND WHAT YOU OBSERVE AND THAT IT´S CREATED SOME SORT OF VIRUS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE LIKE.

>> WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IMPACTING OUR SOCIETY?

>> THE ARTIFICIAL RECOGNITION IS BIASSED AGAINST WOMEN OF COLOR.

IT WAS ESTABLISHED YEARS AGO THAT A FACIAL RECOGNITION TOOL WAS VERY GOOD AT IDENTIFYING WOMEN, BUT PERFORMED POORLY IN IDENTIFYING WOMEN OF COLOR.

THAT´S PROBLEMATIC ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE TOOLS ARE USED WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR AND EXPERIENCING POLICE VIOLENCE.

SO IT IMPACTS SOCIETY SO TECH COMPANIES TO DESIGN TOOLS AND NOT TO BE BIASSED AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT IS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY, AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WORKING AT THESE COMPANIES AND DISABLED PEOPLE, PEOPLE OF COLOR SHOULD BE PART OF THESE TEAMS.

>> ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.

>> I MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE HERE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN 2013 AND WE ARE A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY AND QUITE OFTEN, THERE IS ALSO THE CONCERN THAT HOW ARE WE GOING TO MANAGE WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES AND NOT HAVING PERHAPS THE SAME KIND OF ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AS A PERSON WHO WAS IN THE STATE AND I WOULD IMAGINE IN CALIFORNIA AND THE BAY AREA.

WHAT SUGGESTIONS WOULD YOU GIVE TO US, OUR COMMUNITY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND NON-PROFITS ARE MORE INCLUSIVE THAN ACCEPTABLE?

ACCESSIBILITY STARTS WITH AN ATTITUDE AND THE CALL TO ACTIONS AND POLICIES AND IT STARTS WITH THE ATTITUDE AND THE DESIRE TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND IF YOU DON´T HAVE ACCESS AND IT´S AN EXPENSIVE TOOL AND WE STILL HAVE BARRIERS.

THE DEAF/BLIND COMMUNITY USING A COMPUTER THAT´S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BUY THESE DEVICES FOR DEAF/BLIND INDIVIDUALS SO THEY CAN HAVE FULL ACCESS AT SCHOOLS AND EMPLOYMENT.

THAT DOESN´T ALWAYS HAPPEN.

IT LZ ACCESS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY AND A DEAF/BLIND PERSON CAN USE OTHER TOOLS.

AND THEY HAVE LETTERS ON THE PALM OF THE PERSON AND THE TOOLS YOU HAVE AND TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN AND DEPENDENT ON THE PERSON WITH IDENTITIES.

SO EVEN IF YOU DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND YOU CAN STILL FIND IT.

>> CAN YOU DESCRIBE FOR OUR AUDIENCE HOW IT IS TO GROWING UP.

HOW IS IT GROWING UP?

>> WHEN YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT -- TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE GROWING UP, PLEASE.

>> I GREW UP IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AND IT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF DISABILITY AND I WAS SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE AND DISABLED STUDENTS AND BEFORE I COULD LEARN TO ASK, IT WAS A SCHEME AND WHEN I WAS 6 YEARS OLD I WAS TAKEN TO A SKI RESORT IN CALIFORNIA AND IT WAS -- [ INDISCERNIBLE ] WE ARE WILLING TO HAVE HIGH EXPECTATION.

I ALSO HAVE OTHER ACTIVITIES AND ALSO TOOK THE TIME TO LEARN, DANCING AND INSTEAD OF THAT WITH THE TEACHERS SAYING GIVE IT A TRY, LET´S FIGURE IT OUT AND LET´S FIND A WAY AND IF YOU DON´T KNOW, YOU SOMETIMES YOU DISABLED PEOPLE AND THEY CAN TELL YOU, DO IT THIS WAY AND THERE´S ORGANIZATION AND WHY DON´T YOU GO ASK THEM.

IF YOU DON´T KNOW HOW TO DO SOMETHING, ASK.

>> WELL, I´M SURE YOU, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, WHO ARE COMING OUT OF A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR OF 2020 AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PROJECTS?

WHAT DO YOU PLAN FOR THIS COMING YEAR?

ANY NEW YEAR´S RESOLUTIONS OR ADVOCACY POINTS THAT YOU´D LIKE TO BRING TO OUR ATTENTION?

>> THIS ENDED AND IT´S IN 2021 IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE JUST AS ROUGH AND DIFFICULT AND LONESOME AS 2020 IF NOT MORE.

IT HELPS PREPARE TO WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE ADVOCATING IN THE TECH COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN ACCESSIBILITY.

IT´S NOT OPTIONAL.

IT´S REQUIRED TO BE ACCESSIBLE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE AND THERE AREN´T IMBALANCES AND RACIST AND SEXIST IN OUR TOOLS AND THEY STAY AT HOME AND THEY RELY ON TECH MORE THAN EVER AND IT NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE.

I CONTINUE WORKING AND IT´S IN 2018, AND THE BOOK IS CALLED THE WOMEN WHO CONQUERED.

PEOPLE SAY YOU OVERCAME YOUR DISABILITY.

I DID NOT.

I AM STILL DISABLED AND AM STILL DEAF/BLIND.

THEY´RE STILL WORKING ON IT AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW IT´S NOT DISABLED PEOPLE THAT´S THE PROBLEM AND IT´S TO TEACH PEOPLE AND I WILL CONTINUE TEACHING PEOPLE AND IT´S IN MY SOCIETY.

>>.

>> FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM, AND RECOGNIZED WHAT THAT MEANS.

CAN YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES?

HOW HAS THAT REARED ITS UGLY HEAD IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AT HARVARD?

>> THE ASSUMPTION THAT DISABLED PEOPLE ARE -- [ UNDISCERNIBLE ] -- TO NON-DISABLED PEOPLE.

IT EXISTS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL SERVICES AND THE DISABLED PEOPLE AT THE BACK OF THE LINE.

THAT IS TERRIFYING AND HARMFUL AND BECAUSE OF THOSE TYPES OF BELIEFS.

THERE IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT MY LIFE DOESN´T MATTER JUST BECAUSE I´M DEAF/BLIND AND OTHERS DON´T MATTER AND THOSE KINDS OF BELIEFS HAVE TO END AND IT NEEDS TO END.

IT´S CLEAR NOW.

DO YOU THINK IT´S STILL CONFUSION?

>> I THINK YOU´RE CLEAR.

I THINK IT STILL HAS NOT YET BEEN AT LEAST PERCOLATED MUCH IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK YOUR DESCRIPTION IS CERTAINLY QUITE CLEAR AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

>> WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BARRIERS YOU FOUND IN EDUCATION AND I´M NOT GOING TO LIMIT MYSELF AND IT CAN BE FOUGHT WITH A LOT OF BARRIERS AND HOW IS IT FOR YOU GROWING UP IN YOUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT?

[ INDISCERNIBLE ] >> DURING MY FIFTH SEMESTER AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, IT WAS DESIGNED TO TEACH FIFTH-YEAR LAW STUDENTS HOW THEY CAN GET FROM THE BEST OF THE COMMUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG LAW STUDENTS AND TEACH US AND CONSIDER HOW MUCH THEY HAVE THEM, AND I STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM AND AT A TABLE AND THERE WAS A KEYBOARD ON THE OTHER TABLE AND THERE ARE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE ROOM.

I EXPLAINED I´M DEAF/BLIND.

IF YOU TAP ON THE KEYBOARD I´LL BE ABLE TO READ WHAT´S BEING SAID AND RESPOND IN THAT WAY.

HE DIDN´T TALK TO ME.

HE TALKED TO INTERPRETER AND HE TOLD HER, WOW, SHE´S VERY BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING.

I HAD A GUIDE DOG ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO ME AND HE COMMENTED HER DOG MUST BE SO SMART THAT HE GOES TO CLASS WITH HER.

>> OH, BOY.

>> I WAS TRYING TO TELL HIM THAT I COULDN´T HEAR HIM, BUT I CAN READ WHAT WAS BEING SAID IN BRAILLE AND IF YOU CAN TYPE ON THE KEYBOARD WE WOULD HELP HIM UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF.

I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE, AND HE WOULDN´T TALK TO ME.

HE JUST TALKED TO THE INTERPRETER AND HE TOLD THE INTERPRETER, TELL HER SHE´S VERY INSPIRING AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO MEET HER, AND HE WALKED AWAY.

>> HOW INSULTING.

>> HE WAS NOT INSPIRED.

WAIT.

WAIT.

HE DIDN´T OFFER ME A JOB.

HE DIDN´T TALK TO ME DIRECTLY.

HE TREATED ME SO DISRESPECTFULLY, AND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENS ALL OF THE TIME WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE AND PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO SAY AND PEOPLE SKIP OVER US, IGNORE US, SEND US TO THE BACK OF THE LINE AND DENY US HEALTH CARE AND REFUSE TO HIRE US FOR JOBS.

IT NEEDS TO STOP.

>> UNDERSTOOD.

>> ARE YOU PRACTICING LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA OR TELL US WHAT YOUR PRACTICE CONSISTS OF.

>> TRAINING -- IN THE VIRGIN THERE´S A GOOD BIT OF TRAINING.

A LOT OF OUTREACH AND SOMETIMES THE LAW AS YOU KNOW HAS ITS LIMITATIONS AND SO THE LION SHARE OF WHAT OUR OFFICE SAYS IT´S EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE AGAIN IN THE COMING YEARS?

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, 2021, THERE´S NO GUARANTEE THAT IT´S GOING TO BE SMOOTH.

WHAT DO YOU FORESEE FOR YOURSELF?

SO I GRADUATED FROM LAW SCHOOL IN 2013.

>> I PASSED THE CALIFORNIA BAR WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

>> I DO LITIGATION AND FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND CONSULTING.

THERE IS TIME FOR LITIGATION AND WE EDUCATE SOMEONE AND THEY STILL REFUSE TO LISTEN.

WE USE OTHER TOOLS WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, LAWSUITS, AND FOR THOSE THAT DON´T KNOW WHAT INCLUSION MEANS AND IF YOU EDUCATE THEM THEY´LL CHANGE, AND THAT´S PRACTICING AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE INCLUSION AND THAT´S WHEN THE ADA AND OTHERS COME INTO PLAY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BY THE ADA I MEAN THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.

>> WE HAVE A FEW SECONDS, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE US WITH?

WHAT ARE YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS?

>> IF YOU FEEL INSPIRED BY THIS PRESENTATION.

>> INSPIRATION IS A BEAUTIFUL WORD, AND IT LEADS TO ACTION.

IT IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND WORKING TO REMOVE THAT BARRIER SO THE COMMUNITY CAN BE MORE INCLUSIVE.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU, AUDIENCE FOR JOINING "ABLE TO RAISE."

HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

♫♫ ♫♫