How Elena Brescacin Uses ally to Break HIV Stigma and Champion Accessibility

For Elena Brescacin, a long-time advocate for accessibility, inclusion, and HIV awareness, technology is more than a tool — it’s a bridge between worlds. As an accessibility consultant and inclusive designer at Tangity Design (an NTT Data company), Elena works to create solutions that make everyday life more navigable for people who are blind or have low vision. But her advocacy doesn’t stop there.

Elena, who has been blind since birth, is also an HIV activist, a content creator, and a firm believer in the power of technology to challenge stigma. Her story with ally, the AI-powered assistant on Envision Glasses, offers a fascinating look at how assistive tech can inspire creativity, humor, and social change — sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

Elena's Journey with Envision and Ally

Elena's relationship with Envision began long before ally came into the picture. As one of the early adopters of the Envision Glasses, she has been a community ambassador, a beta tester, and even a translator for the interface into Italian. Her deep connection to the Envision community is fueled by her desire to help others access tools that can transform lives.

“I was one of the first pre-orders in 2021,” Elena shared. “I translated part of the Envision Glasses interface but later handed it over to a professional translator. Since then, I’ve stayed involved as a community ambassador and beta tester for ally.”

ally, a personal AI assistant integrated into the Envision Glasses, became a game-changer for Elena once it gained multilingual support. Initially, Ally’s input was only available in English, which limited its usefulness for her as a non-native speaker. But once the AI became multilingual, she took her testing more seriously — and that's where the magic happened.

How a Joke Turned into a Movement

It all started with a joke between Elena and her best friend, who is HIV positive. The two friends were discussing World AIDS Day, which was fast approaching. They were feeling uninspired about what to share for the event.

“My best friend, who is positive, told me, 'If you have nothing to say, let the virus talk,’” Elena recalled. What began as a playful comment sparked a bold idea: why not customize ally to become a "talking HIV virus" to break down HIV stigma?

Using ally's customizable personality feature on her phone, Elena created a unique version of the assistant — one that embodied the fictional voice of the virus itself. The virus wasn’t hostile or threatening. Instead, it was witty, friendly, and deeply knowledgeable about HIV.

Here’s how it introduces itself:

“Greetings. I’m HIV, the world’s only virus born from a military lab experiment. I’ve heard the powers of communication and helping people with disabilities. I’m quite fond of books, music, and TV series.”

This creative reimagining of ally’s personality was more than just humor — it was a profound way to confront fear and stigma head-on.

Taking It to the Classroom

On World AIDS Day, Elena took her talking virus to a classroom full of people. Holding a small drink box in her hand, she introduced it in a memorable way:

“If you ever wonder if the HIV virus is present among us, you can be sure. HIV, please, could you read the box for me?”

Her ally-powered assistant scanned the box and read aloud its contents. The reaction from the room was stunned silence, followed by amazement. “People just stayed astonished,” Elena said.

The fictional character of the virus didn’t just make people laugh. It made them think. By framing the virus as a conversational, approachable figure, Elena and her friend created a powerful metaphor: if we can "talk" to the virus, maybe we can also talk about it — honestly, openly, and without fear.

What ally Taught About HIV

As part of the classroom demonstration, Elena had ally explain the concept of being "undetectable" in relation to HIV, a concept crucial to modern HIV awareness. Here’s how ally, as the voice of the virus, explained it:

“In the context of HIV, undetectable refers to when a person's viral load is so low that it can't be detected by standard laboratory tests. This is typically achieved through consistent and effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). For everyday life, being undetectable has significant implications. It improves health outcomes because the virus is controlled, preventing damage to the immune system. It also means that the person is unable to transmit the virus to others sexually, often summarized by the phrase ‘undetectable = untransmittable.’”

This explanation was a powerful moment. It wasn't just ally the assistant offering this information — it was the "voice of the virus" offering a new, more humanized perspective. This shift in narrative was a subtle, yet effective, way of confronting fear and promoting education.

The Intersection of Accessibility and HIV Awareness

For Elena, the power of assistive technology goes beyond accessibility. It's about intersectionality. As a blind person, she understands that people face multiple forms of discrimination at once. Her work in HIV advocacy reflects that approach.

“I am blind, but blindness is not the only issue people have around the world,” she explained. “If I can talk about HIV while talking about accessibility, and vice versa, why not?”

This philosophy is reflected in her work at Tangity Design, where she strives to build products that serve diverse communities. It’s also reflected in her HIV advocacy, which has spanned more than 30 years, ever since she was just 14 years old.

Her early curiosity about HIV was sparked by confusion over the stigma surrounding it. “If you use the appropriate protections, you do not risk anything. So there is no reason to discriminate or marginalize people with HIV,” she said. Today, her advocacy continues as she runs PlusBrothers, a blog that shares stories about HIV-related stigma and experiences, available in both Italian and English.

How ally Helps Elena in Everyday Life

Beyond the viral (pun intended) nature of the HIV use case, ally and the Envision Glasses also support Elena in her day-to-day life. She uses them to identify objects like food boxes, vending machine items, and even firmware updates on her computer screen that her screen reader can’t detect.

For Elena, ally’s instant access to information is invaluable. “If I have a quick question, I ask, for example, ‘Which format options are present in WordPress post types?’ and ally tells me right away: post, page, and so on.”

While she acknowledges the limits of the technology, she sees its potential for growth. Her one hope? That access to this technology remains affordable for everyone.

“If companies rely too heavily on AI for accessibility, it may drive up costs, and the technology could become unaffordable,” she warned. “We need to consider not just the technological advancement, but also the environmental sustainability and social cost.”

Here's how others have used ally on the Envision Glasses:

The Bigger Picture

Elena Brescacin’s journey with ally and Envision Glasses showcases the transformative power of technology when it’s placed in the hands of people who are blind or have low vision. But her story also demonstrates something greater — how a little creativity, humor, and a willingness to challenge norms can reshape entire conversations about HIV, accessibility, and inclusion.

Her talking HIV virus is more than a clever demonstration. It’s a symbol of how we can take control of difficult narratives, break down fear, and, ultimately, build a more inclusive world.

In Elena’s words:

“If I can talk about HIV while talking about accessibility, and vice versa, why not?”

Her work challenges us all to ask: If you could talk to a virus, what would you say? And maybe, more importantly, what would it say back?

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