This post was authored by Mary Fernandez, Cisco global lead for disability and neuro-inclusion.
Often when we talk about promoting inclusion of disabled and neurodivergent people in society we exclusively focus on work and education.
In recognition of International Day for Persons with Disabilities, which is celebrated annually on December 3, I want to offer food for thought as we lean into technological advances.
You see, online dating, AI, accessibility and disability are all closely linked, and if done right will lead to innovative applications which may seem unimaginable.
Think about how the world treats and includes-or doesn't-people with disabilities.
Even if you are not disabled today, there will almost certainly come a day when you are.
Short-term or life-long, disability is going to be part of the fabric of your life at some point.
How we harness the power of AI to design a more equitable world for people with disabilities becomes a question of who is building AI and how they are building it.
In most aspects of society, disabled people have been relegated to the sidelines, and seldom expected to be in or promoted to decision-making roles.
The narratives we commonly hear about disability and the disabled experience are often informed by non-disabled people who hold deep bias and fear around this topic.
Inclusion of disabled and other marginalized perspectives, rather than being a hindrance, results in outperforming the competition.
Instead, focusing on proactive learning, engagement with the disability community, promotion of disabled and neurodivergent individuals into decision-making positions, and appreciation for and of the time of disabled people, paired with storytelling is truly what can break the biases built into our neural networks.
Disabled and neurodivergent people live in a world that is not designed for us.
Some of your most beloved technological advancements were developed by disabled people when we had to find a solution to further participate in day-to-day life.
Revolutionary technological advances are meant to break rather than build barriers, build connection rather than disconnection, and increase enjoyment, fun and productivity rather than take them away.
Knowing that disability will impact us all at some point in life, thoughtfulness about designing a more accessible world logically follows as a step to creating those kinds of meaningful advances.
Building inclusive AI isn't about inhibiting speed.
Through the tireless work of disabled advocates, the United Nations recognized how deeply disability is intertwined with humanity when it first proclaimed December 3, as International Day of Persons with Disabilities more than 30 years ago.
Know that the same home assistant helped someone turn on their oven because we did not build touch screens with motor disabilities in mind.
Now is the time for everyone involved in AI to commit to building it for, with, and by persons with disabilities-then maybe someday it will power full inclusion.
This Cyber News was published on feedpress.me. Publication date: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:13:04 +0000