Let’s meet the #AlumniInnovationGrants participants for 2026!

Aikeo Koomanivong is a vision-impaired professional determined to make a difference.

As director of the Disability Service Center in Laos, he leads a team that has been working to support people with disabilities since its establishment in 2012.

In 2022 Aikeo completed the Australia Awards Short Course on Disability-Inclusive Development and is now using his skills to enable blind people to build real careers in sound engineering and music production

Aikeo says “This project is based on my belief that accessibility, creativity, and technology can open real jobs for blind people. With materials in Lao language, hands-on training, and mentoring, the project aims to empower blind youth to become professional sound engineers and address key problems of limited accessible materials, lack of equipment and mentorship, and few employment opportunities.

The ‘Accessible Sound Lab: Mixing and Mastering Skills for Blind People’ project will build technical skills, provide real work experience, and promote public awareness of the abilities of blind people in sound production.