Summary
The metaverse, virtual reality, Web 3.0, distributed infrastructure, the Internet of Things, wearable computing, and AI: all these things are going to change the face of accessibility over the next 10 years. In this talk, Samuel Proulx, Fable’s Accessibility Evangelist, will give you an overview of what the current landscape looks like at the frontier of accessibility and assistive technology. Where’s the research taking us? What might be coming down the pipe?
Key Insights
-
•
Early computing's text-based nature made accessibility simpler through braille and text interception.
-
•
Transition to graphical user interfaces complicated accessibility, requiring third-party assistive tech that became costly and specialized.
-
•
Apple’s VoiceOver and built-in accessibility APIs marked a turning point, making touchscreens accessible and driving industry innovation.
-
•
Accessibility is now an expected OS/browser responsibility, not a niche or third-party add-on.
-
•
Gaming, VR, and AR remain largely inaccessible with minimal built-in support, echoing earlier doubts about accessibility adoption.
-
•
Major companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Meta are actively researching accessibility solutions for XR and 3D environments.
-
•
Artificial intelligence poses new accessibility opportunities and challenges, especially around privacy, bias, and inclusivity.
-
•
Cloud computing cycles back some centralization challenges for accessibility, with users unable to control updates or local customization.
-
•
Accessibility advancements benefit all users by unlocking broader innovation and fluid, natural interactions across product lines.
-
•
The first companies to solve accessibility issues for new technologies will gain long-term market leadership advantages.
Notable Quotes
"Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it."
"My father made headlines as a blind man graduating with a computer science degree because it was considered unusual and abnormal."
"In early computing, all you had to do was intercept text and put it in braille or text-to-speech, because everything was text-based."
"People said graphical user interfaces are bad for accessibility and that blind people would have to stick to command lines forever."
"Apple solved the problem of making touchscreens accessible by inventing VoiceOver and providing rich APIs for developers."
"It took competitors over seven years to catch up to Apple’s accessibility features like Siri, dark mode, and multitouch."
"Accessibility is no longer an unusual hack; it is the responsibility of all of us to create accessible products."
"Gaming is where the graphical user interface once was—still largely inaccessible, with assistive tech as third-party add-ons."
"Artificial intelligence promises new independence for people with disabilities but raises questions of bias and privacy."
"The first to solve accessibility for new modalities will be market leaders for decades to come."
Dig deeper—ask the Rosenbot:
More Videos
"I hadn’t realized that we were both going to need that advice."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020
"Don’t force yourself into a job you know isn’t right just because you’re unemployed."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"Meaningfulness is linked directly to what your organization cares about in terms of goals and priorities."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022
"Most of my career has been in health, and it’s really important that we don’t just get people to do something once, but sustain a new behavior."
Amy BucherHarnessing behavioral science to uncover deeper truths
March 12, 2025
"The interface you’ve designed is like a landscape shaping the flow of user behavior as water flows through a stream."
David SternbergUncovering the hidden forces shaping user behavior
July 17, 2025
"Using pilots can get buy-in from stakeholders who might resist broad change initially."
Deanna SmithLeading Change with Confidence: Strategies for Optimizing Your Process
September 23, 2024
"When the powerless get to speak freely, those in power hear what they desperately need to."
Jennifer StricklandAdopting a "Design By" Method
December 9, 2021
"We realized we were solving problems of a design practice when our organization had actually scaled to an organizational level."
Rachel Posman John CalhounA Closer Look at Team Ops and Product Ops (Two Sides of the DesignOps Coin)
November 19, 2020
"Mirroring content by repeating back what people say helps them understand their own ideas better."
Gina MendoliaTherapists, Coaches, and Grandmas: Techniques for Service Design in Complex Systems
December 3, 2024
