Press Release Provided Courtesy of Cox Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2022
Cox Gulf Coast employee assists with the development and launch of the new project.
Pensacola – In honor of Autism Awareness Month and our commitment to inclusion, Cox presents Project Convey, which aims to increase meaningful connection during virtual conversations for individuals on the autism spectrum. Project Convey features the stories of four people that experience a new level of connection with their friends and family.
For individuals on the autism spectrum – one in 44 of us – having a meaningful connection on video chats can be difficult, if not impossible. Autism makes it challenging to read and understand facial expressions and other people’s emotions, which is only amplified when there is a screen between them and the person with which they’re speaking.
The video prototype featured in the Project Convey stories uses speech and facial recognition to analyze facial expressions, words and tone of voice to interpret the meaning and translate that into a single emoji so that individuals on the spectrum can easily understand and respond accordingly. In essence, they are a visual closed caption – captions that convey.
“Everyone deserves genuine human connection, and the increased use of video chat has made it even more of a challenge for individuals on the spectrum to obtain this,” said Dr. Michelle Dean, autism expert and consultant for Project Convey. “As shown in research, emojis are preferred by individuals with autism, so the video prototype gives these individuals a tool they already understand to help them connect.”
The video prototype and research featured in Project Convey are open-source and available in the hope that one day every video chat platform will implement these tools. Autism Pensacola Board Member and Cox vice president of Field Services in the Southeast Region, Sergio Peñaloza, consulted with the group developing the prototype and this new commercial for Project Convey.
“We wanted to show that it’s possible to make video chat inclusive for people on the spectrum by creating technology that enables them to understand the person on the other end,” said Peñaloza. “This allows individuals on the spectrum to have stronger connections with the people they interact with and that’s what we set out to do with Project Convey. My family sees first-hand how a person on the spectrum can benefit from this platform. The fact that you have millions of teens on the spectrum entering adulthood now is one of many reasons that we need to continually advocate for skill building opportunities and more inclusive ways to communicate like this.”
Autism Pensacola offers numerous programs in our area to advocate for those with developmental disabilities and provide resources to local families.
“We see children and young adults all the time who are overwhelmed in situations that involve reading facial expressions or recognizing social cues, and that alone can cause the frustration to escalate exponentially,” said Mary McClellan, executive director of Autism Pensacola. “Project Convey is just one of many tools that can help make a tremendous difference in the effectiveness of their communication abilities. Not only that, but through Cox’s innovative technology, they are bringing a world of confidence, connection, and independence to individuals with autism and the community in which we all live.”
Click here to learn more about Project Convey and about the families that have strengthened their connections.
Cox is committed to building accessible products and services to help people with sight, hearing or mobility needs. Accessible features are built into Cox Contour TV, voice, and Homelife with large print and braille statements available to help all customers meaningfully connect. Learn more about Cox’s focus on accessibility here: https://www.cox.com/residential/learn/accessibility.html
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About Сoх Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. The largest private broadband company in America, we proudly serve nearly seven million homes and businesses across 18 states. We’re dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.
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Cam Johnson
Manager, Public Affairs
Cox Southeast Region
O 850.857.4571
C 850.865.6719
3405 McLemore Drive
Pensacola, FL 32514
