AI as a Tool for Inclusion: Advancing the Global Digital Compact for Persons with Disabilities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it is shaping our present. From education to employment, AI is transforming how societies function. For persons with disabilities, the real measure of progress is not simply technological sophistication, it is whether they are empowered as leaders, innovators and co-creators of this digital age so that Accessibility is a foundation of AI applications.

Accessibility must be the foundation of AI, not an afterthought.

This year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025 reminds us that technology can dismantle barriers and expand opportunities. The Global Digital Compact (GDC), a United Nations initiative, provides a framework to ensure digital technologies are accessible, equitable, and aligned with human rights. Article 13(b) of the Compact emphasizes accessible user interfaces—a principle AI can bring to life in ways unimaginable just a decade ago.

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Canada’s Bold Step: CAN/ASC 6.2

Canada has emerged as a global leader with its upcoming standard, CAN/ASC 6.2: Accessible and Equitable AI Systems. This pioneering framework recognizes that AI must be both accessible and equitable.

At its core are four transformative rights:

• Equal benefit from AI: Persons with disabilities must enjoy the same advantages as everyone else.
• Protection from harm: AI systems must not expose them to disproportionate risks.
• Preservation of rights and freedoms: Technology should never erode fundamental human rights.
• Retention of dignity and agency: Individuals must always have control over how AI interacts with them.

By embedding these rights into standards, Canada sets an example that resonates globally.

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Beyond Theory: Persons with Disabilities in AI Development

Too often, involving persons with disabilities in AI development is discussed as a theoretical aspiration. Yet, some technology companies are already demonstrating what inclusion looks like in practice. Firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, IBM, and SAP have actively recruited engineers and developers with disabilities, embedding lived experience into product design. These companies are often ahead of governments and standards bodies in ensuring accessibility is not only considered but prioritized.

Canada’s leadership shows how impactful formal frameworks can be, but the private sector’s proactive recruitment proves that inclusion is achievable today. Celebrating these examples is critical: they show that persons with disabilities are not passive beneficiaries but active innovators shaping AI systems.

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AI Innovations Driving Accessibility

The potential of AI to advance accessibility is extraordinary. Innovations include:

• Voice-controlled environments: Smart homes and workplaces that respond seamlessly to spoken commands.
• Real-time captioning: AI-driven transcription enabling full participation for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Computer vision for navigation: Systems that describe surroundings in real time for individuals with visual impairments.
• Personalized learning: Adaptive platforms tailored to cognitive diversity.
• Agentic AI: Systems that act on behalf of users, proactively assisting with tasks and decision-making.
• Adaptive accessibility features: Interfaces that automatically adjust to user needs, reducing friction and expanding usability.

These innovations are not conveniences—they are lifelines to inclusion, dignity, and independence. Importantly, accessibility fuels innovation for everyone. Voice assistants, predictive text, and touchless interfaces—once designed for accessibility—are now mainstream tools used globally.

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The Privacy and Bias Paradox

Opportunities come with challenges. Privacy regulations, while essential, can unintentionally restrict accessibility if they limit the data needed to train assistive AI systems. Balanced frameworks are required to protect privacy without creating new barriers.

Equally concerning is the risk of biased data. Automated recruitment platforms, for example, often discriminate against persons with disabilities when trained on exclusionary datasets. Similarly, AI developer tools built on inaccessible code perpetuate exclusion by producing inaccessible code on an exponentially larger scale. Addressing these issues requires intentional design choices, inclusive datasets, and accessible developer environments.

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Global Implications and the Role of the Global Digital Compact

Canada’s CAN/ASC 6.2 standard is more than a national initiative—it is a model with global implications. As countries grapple with regulating AI, accessibility and equity must be central. The Global Digital Compact provides the scaffolding for this effort, reinforcing accessibility as a universal right.

Technology should not privilege some while marginalizing others. Instead, it should bridge divides and expand opportunities across borders. For persons with disabilities, this means not only removing barriers but creating pathways to leadership and innovation.

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A Call to Action

The path forward is built on collaboration. Let’s keep engaging, promoting, and supporting:

• Governments in shaping policies that put accessibility at the heart of digital transformation.
• Companies in embedding inclusive design as a driver of innovation and growth.
• Researchers in exploring how AI can break down barriers rather than reinforce them.
• Society in embracing accessibility not as charity, but as justice and shared progress.

Justice, however, is only part of the story. Accessibility is also a catalyst for innovation that benefits everyone. By empowering persons with disabilities to lead in AI development, we unlock creativity, resilience, and solutions that enrich our world.

As we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2025, we are reminded that AI is reshaping our future—but the shape it takes is up to us. Canada’s CAN/ASC 6.2 standard and the Global Digital Compact remind us that technology must serve humanity with dignity, agency, and fairness. Accessibility is not only about justice—it is about unleashing innovation that uplifts all lives.