British businesses accelerating their use of artificial intelligence risk excluding millions of disabled consumers unless accessibility is built into products from the start, according to new research from the Business Disability Forum (BDF).
A survey of 1,032 disabled adults in the UK, carried out with Opinium, found that 40% believe the most effective way to make AI accessible is to involve disabled people directly in design, development, and testing. Other priorities identified included more user-friendly interfaces (38%), clearer information on how AI can support disabled users (37%), and stronger onboarding support (36%).
The findings arrive as companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, expand their use of AI in customer services, digital tools, and workplace systems. With around one in four people in the UK expected to experience disability at some point in their lives, researchers warn that excluding accessibility considerations could limit both market reach and long-term competitiveness.
The study also highlights cautious optimism about AI’s potential. Around 38% of disabled respondents said they expect AI to improve communication, while 34% pointed to better online experiences. Other expected benefits include improved access to healthcare information (33%), education (32%), digital content (32%), independent living support (31%), and employment opportunities (24%).
Despite this optimism, concerns remain significant. One in five respondents said they do not believe AI products will benefit them, while 18% were unsure. Researchers say this reflects a trust gap that businesses will need to address if adoption is to match technological investment.
A separate poll of 2,000 UK adults found that 34% of the wider public also support involving disabled users in AI design, suggesting inclusive development is increasingly seen as a standard expectation rather than a specialist issue.
Lara Davis, communications director at the Business Disability Forum, said the opportunity for AI to improve lives is significant but not guaranteed. She warned that without proper inclusion, disabled people risk being excluded from technological progress, stressing that consultation with users should take place throughout development rather than at the end.
Lucy Ruck, who leads the organisation’s Tech Taskforce, said AI can only reach its full potential if inclusion is prioritised from the outset. She said disabled users must be active participants in shaping tools that will increasingly influence everyday life.
The BDF has recommended that businesses involve disabled users across the entire AI lifecycle, provide accessible information on product features, ensure compatibility with assistive technologies, and build ethical safeguards and human oversight into systems. It also calls for the use of inclusive training data to reduce bias.
For many product developers and SME leaders, the findings reinforce a familiar lesson from earlier digital transitions: accessibility is most effective when it is designed in from the beginning, not added after deployment.
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