Inclusion through intelligent Technology

Hey guys, It’s been a while since I last shared interesting insights, Well we have something more enticing that I am passionate about. If this is your first visit, please read through my category on Accessibility.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being embedded into our digital world and it has open up opportunities to maximize AI and made the digital world more accessible for people with disabilities.

There are a lot of areas where people with disability need a-lot of support, today I want to focus on 3 of them.

Employment

The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than double that of people without, this is due to to a number of factors from the lack of right infrastructure to regulation that allow people with disabilities to be included in our “world”.

The appropriate use of AI will help people develop more advanced skills in the workplace and evolve the culture around inclusive hiring. Let us not just hire to fill a diversity quota but give opportunities to everyone who has earned it by merit. Let’s also make our workplaces accessibility-friendly.

Daily Life

People with disabilities live successful lives by adapting existing circumstances to suit their unique needs. There are great opportunities in building modern solutions for people with disabilities by making software and devices smarter and more contextually relevant. This can be achieved through the advancements that have been made in the world of AI.

This kind of technology is not always affordable and is sometimes difficult to apply to an individual’s unique scenario. Every person’s situation is different.

From a Workplace perspective here are a couple of way you can create an accessibility-friendly space.

Adjusting the physical workplace

Making physical changes is often off-putting for many employers who may see this as expensive. Physical adjustments are now easier and more affordable than ever before to implement, and you may be surprised by how a simple solution can make a significant difference.

Awareness and education

To nurture a disability friendly culture and make lasting changes in the workplace you need to start from the ground up. Awareness, education and support should make up the foundation of your new work culture. While this may sound daunting to begin with, there’s plenty of information and support out there to help employers

Creating a flexible work environment

From recruitment to everyday operations, it’s also important to adjust current work practices to reflect the needs of your diverse workforce. Flexibility is key to making sure every disability is considered and addressed. These changes will depend on the types of disabilities in your workforce and the type of business you run. 

Make Use of Assistive Technology

Assistive technology enables disabled people to be an active part of the workplace and has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Most modern jobs require computers and use of technology. If your company invests in the right assistive technology, apps and online tools, disabled employees will be able to carry out their job responsibilities without impediments.

I will touch on some of these technologies in the next post

Communication and Connection

Communication is fundamental to providing equal access to information and opportunities. Lack of options excludes some from employment society and the world we live in.

we should think of how we modernize the options available for people regardless of how they listen, speak, or write. make this technology accessible to all.

Accessible technology has the potential to drive innovation with more intuitive and personal experiences. Advancements in artificial intelligence are enabling us to amplify human ingenuity like never before, making assistive technologies smarter, more useful, and available to everyone.

AI is already being used today to deliver meaningful and contextually relevant experiences.

Allow me to share some examples of how technology can be made accessible.