Bob Sagoo: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Harchie Sagoo

In this episode, Chris & Rachel talk with Bob Sagoo a longtime assistive technology professional and parent advocate. Bob shares the story of his son Harchie, his path from low-tech communication supports to high-tech eye gaze and the Grid ecosystem. Bob shares how Harchie’s drive for speed, independence, and participation (including accessible gaming) shaped the way he thought about AAC. Bob also introduces The Harchie Way, a foundation being developed to carry forward Harchie’s legacy by connecting AAC users and the assistive technology industry, promoting education (including healthcare communication access), and pushing for innovation that is truly user-informed.

Key Ideas This Week: Innovation Works Best When AAC Users Help Design It

Harchie was deeply interested in how AAC could evolve beyond static grid sets. Bob shares Harchie’s ideas about AI-enabled AAC supports (like context-aware vocabulary that changes based on location, predictive communication supports, and using a device camera to recognize emotion/health cues and prompt for support). The underlying message is that AAC users should be involved at the concept stage, not just asked to test a finished product.

The Harchie Way: Building a “Conduit” Between Users, Industry, and Systems That Must Be Accessible

Bob outlines early goals for The Harchie Way: creating pathways for AAC users to share priorities directly with developers, promoting education and awareness (especially for healthcare providers supporting people who don’t communicate in conventional ways), and advocating for access in real-life systems (medical tech, banking, and beyond). Bob also shares Harchie’s future-facing vision of helping AAC users attend and present at conferences such mirroring the strong user-centered culture seen at Communication Matters in the UK.

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