Why Inclusion Matters More Than Ever

More than a quarter of adults in the United States live with a disability, spanning every age group, income level, race and geographic region. As essential services — from healthcare and education to employment and government resources — continue moving online, digital accessibility is no longer a convenience. It is a necessity.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how people interact with technology. Like many technological revolutions before it, AI presents both tremendous opportunities and significant risks. If developed inclusively, AI could become one of the most impactful accessibility tools in modern history. If people with disabilities are excluded from its design, testing and deployment, however, it could reinforce existing barriers and create new forms of exclusion.

The good news? We are already seeing AI unlock new possibilities for independence, communication and participation in everyday life.

The "Curb-Cut Effect" of AI

Accessibility innovations often benefit far more people than their original intended audience. Urban planners call this the "curb-cut effect."

Sidewalk curb cuts were designed for wheelchair users, but today they also help parents with strollers, travelers with rolling luggage, delivery workers and countless others. In the digital world, captions provide another example. Created primarily for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, captions have become a mainstream feature used by people watching videos in noisy environments, learning new languages or consuming content with the sound turned off.

The same pattern is emerging with AI.

Technologies such as automatic speech recognition, real-time transcription, image recognition and natural language processing were developed in part to address accessibility challenges. Today, they are becoming core features in the products and services millions of people use every day.

For the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities, these tools can reduce barriers to communication, healthcare, transportation, education and employment. They can also enhance independence and create new opportunities for participation in community life.

AI Making the Invisible Visible: Microsoft's Seeing AI

One powerful example of AI-driven accessibility is Microsoft's Seeing AI app.

Designed for people who are blind or have low vision, the app uses a smartphone's camera and AI-powered image recognition to interpret the world in real time. Users can point their phone at text to have it read aloud, identify products through barcode recognition, recognize faces and receive descriptions of people, objects and environments.

The impact is both practical and profound. Tasks that many people take for granted — reading a restaurant menu, identifying a product at the grocery store or understanding a scene in front of them — become more accessible and independent experiences.

Rather than simply providing information, Seeing AI demonstrates how AI can empower individuals with greater confidence and autonomy in their daily lives.

Navigating the World Independently with GoodMaps

While GPS technology has transformed outdoor navigation, indoor navigation remains a challenge for many people, especially those with visual impairments.

GoodMaps is tackling that challenge with an AI-powered indoor navigation platform that uses computer vision and machine learning to create highly accurate positioning and wayfinding experiences. The technology enables users to navigate complex environments such as airports, hospitals, campuses, convention centers and office buildings without relying on physical assistance.

For individuals who are blind or have low vision, finding a specific meeting room, gate or destination inside a large building can often be frustrating and time-consuming. By combining AI with digital mapping technology, GoodMaps helps users move through these environments more independently and confidently.

The result extends beyond convenience. It represents greater freedom, dignity and access to spaces that many people navigate every day.

Making Digital Content More Accessible with 3Play Media

As video continues to dominate digital communication, ensuring that content is accessible to everyone has become increasingly important.

3Play Media provides video accessibility and localization solutions that combine AI technology with human expertise. The company offers captioning, audio description, subtitling and dubbing services in more than 50 languages, helping organizations make their content more accessible to broader audiences.

AI plays a critical role in accelerating transcription and production workflows, while human review helps ensure accuracy and quality. This combination allows organizations to scale accessibility efforts while meeting compliance requirements and maintaining a positive user experience.

The benefits extend beyond disability communities. Captions improve engagement, subtitles support multilingual audiences and audio descriptions make visual content understandable in situations where viewers cannot see a screen. Much like the curb-cut effect, accessibility features often become valuable tools for everyone.

Building an Inclusive AI Future

The examples of these CTA members — GoodMaps, Microsoft Seeing AI and 3Play Media — illustrate a larger truth: accessibility is not a niche consideration. It is a catalyst for innovation.

AI has the potential to remove barriers that have persisted for decades, creating more inclusive experiences across industries and communities. From helping someone navigate an unfamiliar airport to making online video content understandable and accessible, these technologies are demonstrating what is possible when accessibility is prioritized.

But realizing AI's full promise requires ongoing participation from people with disabilities throughout the design, development, testing and deployment process. Inclusive innovation doesn't happen by accident. It happens when diverse perspectives are built into the technology from the start.

As AI continues to reshape our digital world, accessibility must remain at the center of the conversation. Because when technology is designed to work for everyone, everyone benefits.

This article is part of our Digital Times® series, the stories behind the technologies shaping our world.