In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny is joined by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, founder of the revolutionary Be My Eyes app. The conversation dives into how Be My Eyes is transforming the lives of visually impaired individuals by connecting them with volunteers around the world for visual assistance. Hans shares his journey of developing the platform, the importance of the community it has cultivated and the significant role technology, particularly AI, plays in increasing accessibility. He also discusses the potential of AI in education, healthcare, and language preservation, while expressing his concerns about AI's societal impact. The episode is filled with inspiring stories of change and a shared passion for harnessing technology to create a more inclusive world.

(1:40) The global impact of Be My Eyes
(10:26) Challenges and Failures
(15:40) The role of AI in accessibility
(22:12) The power of humour in communication
(27:45) Future Aspirations

About the guest:
Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes app, a free mobile app that allows people with a visual impairment to get in contact with sighted volunteers via a live video call, so they have access to help 24/7. The app was released in 2015 and gained 10,000 users within the first 24 hours. It's now got over 600,000 users and over 7 million volunteers in over 185 languages, making the Be My Eyes app, the largest online community for blind and low vision people.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

In this episode of The Health Change Makers, Jenny is joined by Abbas Karimi, a renowned Paralympic swimmer and World Para Swimming Championships Gold medallist. Having been born without arms, Abbas's resilience, drive and determination have led him to become a formidable competitor in the swimming world. Abbas shares his incredible life journey from his early struggles to his current pursuit of a Paralympic medal. He discusses how he has harnessed adversity to fuel his success and how his faith and positivity have become his guiding forces. The conversation also delves into his post-swimming goals, his approach to handling life's unpredictability, and how he inspires others to embrace their unique challenges.

(1:04) Introduction
(5:16) Representation and Responsibility
(9:29) Overcoming Failure and Staying Motivated
(14:48) How does Abbas relax?
(20:12) Looking to the future

About the guest:
Abbas Karimi was born in Afghanistan with no arms and he left Afghanistan when he was 16 years old and travelled through Iran and into Turkey, where he lived in a refugee camp. It was here that Abbas was picked out as a promising swimmer. From there, Abbas became an elite athlete and won a number of medals during his elite swimming career, including a silver medal at the world championships in Mexico and also travelling to Tokyo as part of the Paralympic team.

OVID Health

OVID Health is an award-winning, independent agency with expertise in healthcare public affairs, patient advocacy, and communications. Their team builds bridges between the worlds of industry, healthcare, and the public sector to help clients achieve change in the health and life sciences sectors.

Find out more about OVID Health
Follow OVID Health on LinkedIn

Welcome to the Health Change Maker podcast from OVID Health.

Each week, Jenny Ousbey, founder and CEO of OVID, a global healthcare communications consultancy, will be interviewing fascinating people from around the world who are driving change in the political, healthcare, advocacy, tech and sporting arenas.