AI and Disability – Fireside Conversation for Disability History Month

As part of #DisabilityHistoryMonth, Paul Hopkins (Advocacy Lead for All Formats and Dr Mark Fosbrook PLY, (Disability Inclusion Manager, West Midlands Combined Authority), organised and presented a Fireside conversation on AI and Disability.

Over 60 people attended the 1 hour, online event which was hosted and supported by Midlands Ability Networks, as part of their Empowering Productivity work, along with staff from West Midlands Combined Authority who also joined the session. 

Topics of discussion included:  

• The Opportunity to Positively Change Lives.  

• The Risk of Perpetuating Inequalities. 

• Is AI the Problem?  

• “I Don’t Use AI — So What Does It Mean for Me?” 

There are clearly many Examples of positive impact AI is having such as:  

• Real time captioning, audio description, and image interpretation.  

• Tools like Co Pilot, helping people read, write, plan, and navigate information more independently.  

• Assistive apps that recognise objects, text, faces, or scenes. 

However, it was also recognised that AI has a Risk of Perpetuating Inequalities, including:  

• Training data excluding disabled people, the system learning a narrow view of the world.  

• AI can misinterpret speech, movement, or behaviour that doesn’t match “typical” patterns.  

• Automated systems can filter out candidates who don’t fit standard profiles, with Real world failures such as, Recruitment tools rejecting CVs with gaps for disability or illness.  

• Chatbots giving inaccessible or incorrect advice. 

Is AI the Problem? What are the opportunities to make corrections?  

• AI doesn’t invent inequality — it mirrors the world it learns from.  

• If society is biased, AI will be biased unless we actively correct it.  

• Inclusive design removes barriers; careless design creates them. 

• Role of disabled people- Co-creators, not afterthoughts. Testers, advisors, designers, and decision makers. Our lived experience is essential for building fair systems. 

“I Don’t Use AI — So What Does It Mean for Me?”

Even if you don’t use AI, it’s already shaping: 

• Job applications.  

• Healthcare triage.  

• Customer service.  

• Transport.  

• Banking and fraud checks.  

• Smart home devices  

• Public services. 

Conversation conclusion thoughts were:  

• Organisations must ensure AI is accessible by default.  

• Individuals should question systems that feel unfair or unclear.  

• Leaders must understand the impact before deploying AI. 

• Responsibility of Ensuring everyone has a voice.  

• Use of plain language when discussing AI.  

• Provide accessible training and demos.  

• Create safe spaces for people to ask questions without judgement.  

• Clear explanations of what AI does and doesn’t do. All complemented by trusted guidance from disability organisations and peers. 

The impact of the session was represented and summed up by one participant, Louise C, who posted on their Social Media: “Lots of interesting comments were made from the audience and the informative session brought many topical discussions that I’m sure will continue offline”. Their full summary is Here On LinkedIn 

What does all this mean for you? 

There is still a lot of noise and chatter around AI and Existing digital systems. Both are by no means fully accessible. 27% of blind and partially sighted people have no access to the internet and online content. Traditional access formats such as Braille, Large Print and Audio remain vitally important channels of communication to help fill in the gaps within the digital divide.  

At All Formats, the journey starts with a conversation. Talk to us today via the contact details listed to find out how we can help you connect and communicate with a significant minority community of which we are proud to belong.