About 16% of the global population (1.3 billion people) currently experience significant disability, including nearly 240 million children. In 2023, 101 million people, or 27% of the European Union (EU) population over the age of 16, had some form of disability. The share of women with disabilities was higher than that of men in all EU member states.
Innovation and technology can be powerful tools for inclusion. Through enhancing access to information, education or the job market, technology has great potential to transform lives and create a more inclusive and accessible world for all.
However, this potential is still unmet for many. In 2022, WHO and UNICEF noted that more than 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, or apps that support communication and cognition. Yet, nearly one billion are denied access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Tackling the power of technology and innovation can help us to realise the rights of persons with disabilities. Heba Hagrass, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, underscored the importance of accessible innovation:
“One of the urgent matters is how artificial intelligence will change our world. The world for everybody. When computers came in and then the Internet, people did not notice that having computers and the Internet instead of creating a haven for everybody has built lots of obstacles and unbeatable barriers for many disabilities. It took us at least from 10 to 15 years to combat this. The problem is to convince people who are providing such programs to make them accessible.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world and our lives, including those of persons with disabilities. We have to make sure no one is left behind in that process.
What are the opportunities?
In his report about AI and the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, explains that AI-enabled systems offer new opportunities for disability inclusion. They can address specific individual needs and expand possibilities for persons with disabilities to live independently. By improving assistive technologies, AI can enhance personal mobility, for instance, by helping to identify accessible routes. AI makes communication possible through eye-tracking and voice-recognition software, enabling persons with disabilities to access information and education. Digital assistants, speech-to-text software, automatically generated video captions and image descriptions, sign language avatars, prosthetic limbs and even mental health support are only a few examples of how AI can help advance disability rights. But, there are also significant risks. Some AI tools make day-to-day life easier, while others can perpetuate bias and create new barriers.
What are the risks?
Gerard Quinn’s report highlights that AI technologies used by authorities can change the relationship between the State and persons with disabilities. Suppose these systems become decisive in processes such as employment or access to services. In that case, biased algorithms can discriminate against already vulnerable groups of persons with disabilities. Artificial intelligence tools can exclude candidates during hiring because they may struggle to understand different ways of speaking or misinterpret body language. AI systems recognise only pre-programmed patterns of behaviour, which means that these technologies have limited capacity to engage with human diversity. For instance, they can draw incorrect inferences about people with autism who may express themselves differently. In addition, chatbots may be inaccessible to someone using a screen reader.
Algorithms are based on a statistical average. This means that persons with disabilities, who don’t fit the average – may be discriminated against in multiple areas, such as recruitment, education, banking or security services. For instance, algorithms may misinterpret the facial disfigurement of a candidate during the recruitment process.
Moreover, these discriminatory decisions may be hard to detect as they are not transparent, and AI tools are typically developed without using persons with disabilities as test subjects. As persons with disabilities are rarely involved in developing artificial intelligence, AI systems may contribute to creating more divisions rather than promoting inclusivity.
AI and intersectional risks
As mentioned by the Belgian Equality Body UNIA, AI systems can make decisions involving intersectional discrimination based on a combination of different protected characteristics such as gender, race, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability. The interaction of varying discrimination criteria can make someone more vulnerable than others in the same context. Moreover, AI tools are not transparent about which characteristics are most important in decision-making.
AI regulations should leave no one behind
The former UN Special Rapporteur, Quinn, noted that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) puts on states legal obligations not to discriminate based on disability by any person, organisation, or private enterprise. Hence, states are responsible for regulating the private sector in terms of the development and use of AI.
The United Nations is actively working on regulating AI to ensure its development and use align with human rights and equity. In 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres established the High-Level Advisory Body on AI, to make recommendations for the international governance of AI.
Also, in September 2024, during the Summit of the Future, world leaders adopted a Pact for the Future that includes a Global Digital Compact. It aims to create a safe digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights, including those of persons with disabilities.
At the European level, the European Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) entered into force on 1 August 2024 and the majority of its rules will start being applied on 2 August 2026. It is the world’s first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence that monitors responsible artificial intelligence development and deployment of AI-based technologies in the EU. It is particularly important for persons with disabilities and others marginalised groups, as the AI Act seeks to prevent harm such as discrimination, unfair treatment, or loss of privacy. The EU, as a signatory to the UNCRPD, has the legal obligation to protect persons with disabilities from discrimination and to ensure equal access to information and communication technologies.
An inclusive AI future
Inaccessible AI systems can lock persons with disabilities out of social participation. They can reinforce existing barriers and create new ones. Therefore, it is crucial to mitigate the risks of AI’s negative impact on the rights of persons with disabilities.
States must ensure that measures to combat discrimination and protect human rights are integrated into their national regulations governing the development and implementation of AI. Furthermore, the private sector should incorporate transparency standards in their AI operations, assess the impact of AI systems on persons with disabilities and rectify discriminatory practices.
We can make AI developments more inclusive by involving persons with disabilities in creating AI systems. Developers need to consider the need for an intersectional approach, as persons with disabilities can also be part of other marginalised groups. Algorithms need to be designed in a way that can reflect the diversity of the human experience.
Further reading:
https://unric.org/en/unric-library-backgrounder-artificial-intelligence/
AI: Transformative power and governance challenges
Can artificial intelligence (AI) influence elections?
How Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Impacts Women and Girls
UN launches the first AI tool for rapid natural capital accounting