Equity
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Innovation
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Disability Justice
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Belonging
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Co-Design
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AI for All
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Equity 〰️ Innovation 〰️ Disability Justice 〰️ Belonging 〰️ Co-Design 〰️ AI for All 〰️
We strive to Increase Ai literacy in the disability community
“No greater disability than a person believing they can’t.”
OUR THREE REASONS
Individual enpowerment
EQUAL FOOTING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
AI tools are becoming as fundamental as reading, writing, and math. Without AI literacy, disabled individuals risk falling further behind in education, jobs, and civic participation.
ASSISTIVE TECH MASTERY
Many cutting-edge accessibility tools (speech-to-text, AI captioning, predictive text, image description, adaptive learning systems) run on AI. Knowing how they work helps people use them more effectively and even customize or advocate for better ones.
SELF-ADVOCACY
AI literacy enables understanding of how algorithms make decisions about healthcare, benefits, hiring, and education. This awareness lets individuals challenge bias, demand transparency, and protect their rights.
ECONOMIC INCLUSION
JOB READINESS
The fastest-growing industries are AI-driven. If disabled people are excluded from learning AI, they risk being locked out of entire sectors.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
AI lowers barriers for starting businesses, freelancing, and content creation. With AI literacy, disabled individuals can create tailored solutions for niche accessibility problems that mainstream companies often overlook.
BREAKING STEREOTYPES
We believe in increasing visible participation of disabled individuals in tech fields challenges assumptions about capability, creating ripple effects in hiring and workplace design.
SOCIETAL PROGRESS
BETTER AI FOR EVERYONE
AI tools are becoming as fundamental as reading, writing, and math. Without AI literacy, disabled individuals risk falling further behind in education, jobs, and civic participation.
ETHICAL INNOVATION
Including disabled voices in AI development pushes the field toward universal design, benefiting everyone (think of how curb cuts and captions help more than just their intended audience).
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Societies with high AI literacy across all demographics are better positioned to adapt to technological change, avoid widening inequality, and maintain democratic resilience.
who we are
AIxDisability is a pilot initiative committed to building inclusive, accessible futures by equipping disabled communities with the knowledge and tools to critically engage with AI. Through education, advocacy, and design, we aim to foster a world where disabled people are not only protected from bias in AI systems, but actively shaping them.
The reality today
Many students lack equal access to the internet or adaptive technology, exacerbating educational inequity – the U.S. Digital Equity Act allocated $2.75B to fix this
UN CRPD & Section 508 reinforce accessibility as a human right in tech governance
Less than 5% of students with a disability have access to AI literacy
European Accessibility Act (2025) mandates all AI and tech services be accessible across the EU
The global AI in education market is projected to grow from $5.88B (2024) to $32.27B by 2030 (CAGR 31.2%)
Bridges accessibility gaps – AI tools like ChatGPT help simplify complex academic topics and jargon, making learning more understandable for students with neurodiversity, learning differences, or mental health conditions.
Reduces cognitive load – Summarization features save energy and improve focus for learners who struggle with reading large, dense academic texts due to ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or depression.
Supports task organization – AI can help structure essays and projects, easing anxiety for students who find planning and writing overwhelming.
Improves communication skills – Refining written work with AI boosts confidence in academic and professional writing by enhancing clarity and precision.
Increases resource access – AI assists in finding relevant learning materials more efficiently, reducing fatigue from manual searching.
Prepares for future careers – Many students view AI literacy as essential for staying competitive in a technology-driven job market.
AI and its impact on disabled students
In a recent study…
77% of surveyed students with disabilities reported using Generative AI tools to support their learning.
34.7% of these respondents reported neurodiversity, including ADHD; 29% had specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia or dyspraxia; and 21.8% had social/communication impairments such as autism.
22% reported infrequently using or refusing to use Generative AI.
91% do not spend money on Generative AI subscriptions.
The most common Generative AI tools used were:
66% chatbots
15% rewriting tools
8% translation software
Top five uses for Generative AI: summarizing reading material, overcoming mental blocks, brainstorming ideas, rewriting phrases, and structuring ideas for assignments.
Main barriers to writing for disabled students included:
29% proofreading (spelling, grammar)
21% reading
20% making their intended meaning clear
