Chi Gook Kim on Building a More Accessible World

Chi Gook Kim, associate professor and founder of Berklee’s assistive music technology (AMT) program for blind and visually impaired students, was a recent guest on Talks at Google, a popular YouTube series that features interviews with influential thinkers and creators.

“When you meet or work with someone with a disability, focus on their ability and you will get more done."

—Chi Gook Kim

In the talk, Kim outlines the challenges he's faced as a blind musician—particularly in terms of recording, producing, and composing—and how those experiences shaped the AMT program. He also highlights new advances in accessible music technology, such as Flo Tools, an open source product Kim codeveloped with a former Berklee student that optimizes Pro Tools for visually impaired users.

Asked if there was one takeaway he hopes the show’s million-plus subscribers will have from his talk, Kim said, “When you meet or work with someone with a disability, focus on their ability and you will get more done...Find out what they can do, then try to build a bridge from there.”

Watch the full video: