Disabled people key to AI accessibility, new poll finds 

Two-fifths (40 per cent) of disabled adults surveyed believe that designing, developing and testing AI products with disabled people is key to making them more accessible, according to a new poll conducted by Business Disability Forum with Opinium.

The poll of 1,032 disabled UK adults asked respondents for their views on how to improve AI accessibility for disabled people. Other top answers given included creating more user-friendly interfaces (38 per cent), greater availability of information about how AI can support disabled people (37 per cent), and more support to help disabled people get started with AI (36 per cent).

Views were also sought on how AI could help disabled people now and in the future. Findings show that over a third of disabled adults surveyed believe that AI tools can help disabled people by improving communications (38 per cent) and improving online experiences (34 per cent).

Other commonly cited benefits include improved access to healthcare information and communication (33 per cent), better access to education (32 per cent) improved accessibility of digital content (32 per cent), support for independent living (31 per cent), improved customer experience (25 per cent) and better access to employment and experience in the workplace (24 per cent).

At the same time, however, 1 in 5 disabled adults surveyed (20 per cent) said they did not think AI products could help disabled people or did not know if they would (18 per cent).

These views broadly align with those of the UK population as a whole, based on a wider poll conducted by Opinium of 2,000 UK adults who were asked the same questions. Over a third (34 per cent) of all UK adults surveyed said designing and developing AI products with disabled people would make AI more accessible.

Lara Davis, Communications Director at Business Disability Forum, said:

“There is the potential for AI products and tools to make a radical and positive difference to disabled people’s lives, but there is also the risk that disabled people could be left behind. With AI developing at pace and 1 in 4 people experiencing disability at some point in their lives, this is not an issue that we can afford to overlook.

“Businesses, AI developers and employers must actively consult with their disabled consumers and employees to make sure they are involved in the design, development and testing of AI products to assess their suitability. Disabled people also need better access to information and advice about AI, more generally.”

Lucy Ruck leads Business Disability Forum’s Tech Taskforce. She said:

“AI has the capacity to transform lives, but only if we get inclusion right from the start. Making sure that disabled people are active participants in shaping this technology isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s how we build AI that genuinely serves everyone.”

BDF recommendations on AI accessibility

Business Disability Forum has made the following recommendations to help businesses, AI developers and employers create and use AI in ways that benefit everyone.

For businesses and AI developers

• Fully involve and consult disabled people in the development of AI tools and products from the outset and throughout the AI lifecycle. Inclusive design helps remove barriers, providing greater choice for disabled consumers and helps disabled people to live more independently. Inclusively designed products and services don’t just benefit disabled people, they benefit everyone.
• Provide information about the accessibility features of different AI tools and products. This will help disabled consumers make informed decisions about different products and services based on their own accessibility needs. Information needs to be available in formats that take into consideration differing communication needs and knowledge of AI.
• Consider the compatibility of AI tools and products with other technology, particularly assistive technology. Many disabled people rely on assistive tech in their everyday lives. Check how AI will work with this tech. AI may replace some assistive tech but consider individual needs and preferences.
• Use ethical judgement and human oversight to prevent AI from creating additional barriers for disabled people. This relates to the development and use of AI tools and products. It also relates to the creation and use of AI generated content. Use inclusive content to train AI, so that stereotypes and bias are not replicated.

For employers and HR leaders

• Prioritise intentional inclusion in AI strategy. Accessibility and disability inclusion should be core considerations that are non-negotiable in AI use. The strategy should define what disability inclusion in AI use looks like and establish processes for checking that this is being delivered from the design stage through to deployment and beyond.
• Fully Involve and consult with disabled workers throughout, from defining AI need through to procurement, user-testing and reviewing. Always consider the compatibility of AI tools and products with other technology, particularly assistive technology. Many disabled people rely on assistive technology to carry out tasks in the workplace.
• Ensure human oversight of AI. Use ethical judgement and human oversight to prevent AI from creating additional barriers for disabled people. Make sure AI is seen as an improvement tool to support and inform human decision-makers rather than to replace human involvement.
• Provide accessible training and learning opportunities around AI for staff. This is to help disabled staff to understand the accessibility features of AI products and tools and for all staff to understand the importance of making sure AI tools are accessible.

Read our guidance on how business and employers can use AI inclusively.

Read Lara Davis’ blog on the findings of the new poll.