When I started losing my sight, I had to learn about screen readers, magnification, apps, specialist hardware and the accessibility features already built into the technology I owned. Finding something useful often depended on knowing what to search for.

That is quite an expectation when you are still trying to understand what has changed and how to keep doing everyday things.

You might need to use your phone with one hand, control it entirely by voice or find a way to read your laptop screen. You know what you want to do. You don't necessarily know which settings, software or equipment could help.

And if you don't know that a solution exists, how are you supposed to find it?

This is the problem Kerbcut is trying to address.

Start with the problem you actually have

I recently listened to Hector Minto, founder of Kerbcut and formerly of Microsoft, discussing the platform on Double Tap’s episode about the launch.

What stood out was the gap between the technology available and people knowing how to find it. Products, services and useful advice are spread across manufacturers, charities, professional services, websites, podcasts and online communities.

There is plenty to discover. Getting to the right information is another matter.

The scale is substantial. The WHO and UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology, published in 2022, estimated that more than 2.5 billion people needed one or more assistive products, while nearly one billion lacked access. Discovery cannot solve that whole problem, but awareness is part of it.

A search for “Windows screen reader” will lead you towards Narrator, NVDA and JAWS. That is useful if you already know what a screen reader does.

But people are more likely to start with questions such as:

• “How can I use my phone with one hand?”
• “Can I control my phone entirely by voice?”
• “How can I follow a video if I can't hear it clearly?”
• “How can I use my laptop if I can't see the screen?”

A parent looking for technology to help their child communicate may have a different question again. They shouldn't have to learn the technical vocabulary before asking for help.

Kerbcut’s assistant starts with what you want to do, what is getting in the way or the outcome you need. It then helps you explore relevant technology, services and possible next steps.

That is a sensible starting point.

Product information only tells you so much

Kerbcut describes a platform bringing together product knowledge from vendors, expertise from professionals and organisations, and lived experience from creators with disabilities.

For me, that combination is the interesting part.

A specification can tell me that a device has Bluetooth, a touchscreen and an app. It doesn't necessarily tell me whether I can set it up independently or use it comfortably.

The same applies to accessibility features. A phone might offer voice control, but you still need to know whether it supports the tasks you want to complete. A setting intended to make one-handed use easier needs to work with the way you can hold and operate the device.

I regularly find this when researching technology for myself. The manufacturer's website explains what a product can do. I then look for reviews, podcasts, YouTube videos and discussions from people with disabilities to understand what it is like to live with.

Both kinds of information have a purpose. Manufacturers know their products. People using them encounter the details that determine whether they are useful day after day.

Kerbcut is trying to make that knowledge easier to find together. Its description of the community behind the platform includes vendors contributing approved product information, professionals contributing assessment expertise and creators contributing their experience of the barriers technology needs to remove.

The value will depend on how well that information helps someone make a practical decision.

Built-in features are a starting point

Assistive technology doesn't always mean buying specialist equipment.

Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, Android and Chromebooks include accessibility features that can make a significant difference. Depending on the device, these include screen readers, magnification, voice control, captions, colour adjustments and larger text.

Windows 11, for example, includes Narrator, Magnifier, colour filters, live captions and voice access.

You may already own a device with a feature that helps. You still need to know where it is, how to use it and whether it is sufficient for your needs.

That last point matters.

Narrator enables me to use Windows, but it doesn't give me the efficiency I need. For me to work efficiently and be productive, I need a specialist screen reader.

That is my experience, rather than a verdict on what everybody should use. It does show why the presence of an accessibility feature cannot be the end of the conversation.

Being able to complete a task is one thing. Completing it reliably, comfortably and at a pace that lets you get on with your work is another.

A resource I have recommended before is AbilityNet’s My Computer My Way. It provides free, step-by-step guides to adapting computers, tablets and smartphones.

The site contains well over a thousand guides. You can search for an adjustment or filter by your needs and operating system. It covers features relevant to vision, hearing, motor and cognitive accessibility, including captions, voice input, colour settings and gestures.

My Computer My Way helps you configure the features available on your device. Kerbcut aims to help you discover the wider range of products, services and experience that could address your needs.

Both are useful. Sometimes a built-in setting will be enough. Sometimes it will help you establish what you need from a more specialist solution.

Finding a product isn't the same as finding the right fit

A product can work well for one person and be unsuitable for someone else with apparently similar requirements.

I've found this repeatedly with technology. Physical buttons, an app's screen reader support or the need for an internet connection can make the difference between something useful and something left in a drawer.

These details are easy to miss when you are comparing feature lists.

If you need to operate a phone entirely by voice, the useful question is whether you can complete your everyday tasks without touching it. If you need one-handed use, you need to understand whether the controls you rely on are within reach and manageable.

A feature name alone won't answer either question.

This is why professional knowledge and lived experience matter alongside product information. They help you ask better questions before committing time and money.

Kerbcut also sets a clear boundary. The notice beneath its assistant says responses are general information and do not constitute professional advice or recommendations.

AI can help you understand the options, but an assessment, demonstration or trial may still be needed before spending hundreds or thousands of pounds on specialist equipment.

Discovery gets you to a possible answer. You still need to establish whether it works for you.

Knowledge is part of access

Cost is an obvious barrier to assistive technology. Specialist products can be expensive, particularly when they serve a relatively small market.

Knowledge is another barrier.

A free screen reader cannot help someone who doesn't know it exists. A communication aid cannot support a family who cannot find it. Voice control on a phone does little for its owner if nobody explains how to switch it on and use it.

This is where I see potential in Kerbcut. It can help connect people with existing solutions, including features they already have access to and specialist products they may need.

There is also an opportunity for smaller assistive technology companies. A useful product may have neither a large marketing budget nor a prominent position in search results. Starting with someone's requirements could give relevant specialist products a better chance of reaching the people who need them.

Kerbcut has only just launched. The test will be how its knowledge develops and whether its suggestions prove useful as more vendors, professionals and people with disabilities contribute.

But I like the problem it is taking on.

You shouldn't have to become an assistive technology expert before finding something that helps. And you shouldn't have to settle for basic access when a better solution could help you work efficiently and independently.

Finding a feature is a start. Finding something that meets your needs is what matters.

Sources

• Kerbcut: the assistant, platform aims, community contributions and guidance on the limits of its responses.
• Double Tap: Kerbcut Launches, Meta Connect and the Googlebook Coming Soon, 21 September 2026: discussion with Hector Minto about assistive technology discovery.
• WHO and UNICEF: Global Report on Assistive Technology, May 2022: estimates of global need and unmet access.
• AbilityNet: My Computer My Way: practical guides to adapting mainstream devices.
• Microsoft: Windows 11 accessibility features: built-in tools for vision, hearing, mobility and other accessibility needs.