What is the Disability Tech market?

The significance of accessibility and disability inclusion is gaining recognition across various sectors – including education, business, culture, and daily life. Consequently, an increasing number of companies are dedicating efforts to develop innovative products and services designed to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. Such solutions are commonly known collectively or individually as "disability tech".

Types of DisabilityTech

There a three types of disability tech: assistive technology, adaptive technology and inclusive technology.

Assistive Technology

Hearing aids, screen readers, powered wheelchairs, speech-generating devices, and braille displays constitute various forms of assistive technology. These solutions are tailored for individuals with disabilities and aim to enhance the accessibility of environments, experiences, and everyday activities.

Adaptive Technology

Screen magnifiers, sound amplifiers, and modified keyboards fall under the category of adaptive technology, a subset of assistive technology. Adaptive technology enhances existing products to improve their efficiency and accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

Inclusive Technology

This category may come as a surprise to those who are not disabled: you're using DisabilityTech products daily without even realizing it.

Indeed, virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa, voice-activated TV remotes, motion-sensor lights, automatic doors, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, adjustable-height desks, Zoom meetings, voice texting, GPS, and robotic vacuums, among other devices that simplify and enhance daily life, are actually DisabilityTech innovations. They are designed to enhance the accessibility of systems across various sectors—including education, employment, and entertainment—for all individuals, whether disabled or not.

Why DisabilityTech needs to be on your Radar

• 16% of the Global population have a disabilities
• $13 trillion in disposable income
• 1500+ companies focused on the DisabilityTech market
• $25 billion DisabilityTech market in 2023. By 2029, it’s estimated to reach $37 billion.

Statistics from Howe Innovation Center – Perkins School for the Blind and McKinsey Market Research.

Are you thinking about how your products and services can tap into the disability tech market? from making sure your existing products and services are accessible and inclusive to launching new products and services specifically for this market?