Accessibility

Mistral Large 3 and the Mistral 3 family were trained with particular emphasis on non-English languages, a rarity among frontier AI systems. The models were designed to run on edge devices including laptops and drones, making advanced AI accessible to billions who speak different native languages and users with limited computational resources. This multilingual and accessibility focus distinguishes Mistral from most AI labs that primarily focus on English.

NHS services using Limbic's AI recorded significant improvements in accessibility for underrepresented groups. Non-binary patient referrals increased 179% and ethnic minority referrals increased 29%. The AI can classify mental health disorders with 93% accuracy and saved 430 weeks of patient waiting time within one month across four IAPTs.

Department of Justice filed lawsuit against Uber seeking $125 million for systemic discrimination against passengers with disabilities, including those who use service animals and mobility devices. DOJ alleges Uber and drivers routinely refuse service to individuals with disabilities, impose improper surcharges (cleaning fees for service animal shedding), charge cancellation fees to denied riders, and refuse reasonable modifications like allowing mobility-disabled riders to sit in front seat. Uber received over 21,000 service animal discrimination complaints between 2017-2019 with 'no material decrease' despite 2016 class action settlement. Named plaintiff Ryan Honick documented a decade of complaints since 2014. Hundreds protested at Uber's San Francisco headquarters on October 15, 2024 over ride denials.

Uber introduced multiple accessibility features on October 10, 2024: (1) Self-identification for blind/low-vision riders allowing them to disclose disability status and communication preferences to drivers after trip acceptance; (2) Self-identification for deaf/hard-of-hearing riders with chat/phone preference options that prevent unwanted calls when chat-only selected; (3) Mandatory service animal education video sent to all US drivers, designed with blind and service animal advocacy organizations, covering service animal rights and reminder that denying rides violates Uber policy and federal law; (4) Pilot program for voluntary service animal advance notification in US and Canada. Features aim to improve accessibility and reduce discrimination, though launched after company received over 21,000 service animal complaints and faced October 2024 protests.

GyroGear's GyroGlove, a hand-stabilizing device for people with Parkinson's disease and hand tremors, was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2024. The device uses gyroscopic technology to reduce hand tremors, helping people with Parkinson's disease perform daily tasks more easily.

Khan Academy has scaled its free educational platform to over 180 million registered users across 190+ countries by 2025, with content available in over 50 languages. During the 2023-2024 school year alone, the platform added 14.8 million new users. The U.S. Districts Partnerships program reached 945,000 students, with 64% qualifying for free/reduced lunch, 20% Black and 36% Hispanic, demonstrating strong reach into under-resourced communities. International expansion includes Brazil (2.3M users) and the Philippines (34 public schools).

During federal trial in Lowell v. Lyft wheelchair accessibility lawsuit, former head of Lyft's national WAV program Chris Wu testified that Lyft's policy is to do 'as little as possible unless forced' to serve people with disabilities. Lyft only offers WAV service in 4% of total service areas (9 cities). WAV Program Manager testified she had no professional experience in transportation management, Americans with Disabilities Act, or developing programs for people with disabilities prior to joining Lyft. Budget for WAV services decreasing from 2023 to 2024. Lyft consistently argues it's merely a 'technology company' not subject to ADA, claims it's 'not in the transportation business.' Judge dismissed case September 30, 2024, finding plaintiffs didn't prove proposed accommodations would be effective.

OrCam Technologies closed its reading glasses development activity for the visually impaired in July 2024, abandoning the core accessibility product that the company was founded to provide. Company stated 'technological progress in image processing by language models makes the need for further development of the Low Vision products unnecessary.' This decision left blind users who had relied on OrCam devices with a discontinued product. The company pivoted from vision technology to hearing aids, effectively abandoning its social mission after raising $86.4M on the promise of helping the blind community.

Despite 2017 settlement with National Federation of the Blind that launched new service animal policy and hotline, discrimination continues with DOJ now investigating. Survey by Guide Dogs for the Blind in May 2024 found 83% of respondents experienced rideshare denials. Notable case: former U.S. Circuit Court Judge David Tatel, who is blind, was denied Lyft ride to court when driver refused his guide dog. Individual lawsuit filed in 2024 cited five instances where drivers canceled rides after seeing service dog or being notified of its presence. Years-long issue has caught attention of U.S. Department of Justice, which is sharing data with national nonprofits.

In April 2024, Hitachi issued a revised Global DEI Policy adding coverage for LGBTQIA+ and disability/neurodiversity with focus on allyship and psychological safety. Hitachi was the only Japanese company included in the World Economic Forum's DEI Lighthouses 2024 Insight Report. The company set targets of 30% women and 30% non-Japanese in executive positions by 2030.

On January 28, 2024, Neuralink implanted its Telepathy device in Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old quadriplegic, at Barrow Neurological Institute. Arbaugh was released the next day without needing pain medication. On his first day using the device, he beat the 2017 world record for BCI cursor speed and precision. By September 2025, 12 trial participants had accumulated 2,000+ days and 15,000 hours of usage. Trials expanded to US, Canada, UK, and UAE. The FDA also granted 'breakthrough' status to Neuralink's Blindsight device for restoring vision.

Palo Alto Networks received a perfect score of 100 on The Disability Equality Index (2022) and earned its third consecutive 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ Equality. The company states it is a 'fair pay company: validated by external audit year over year' with no differential in promotions for underrepresented talent.

Intellect built Asia's largest mental health platform serving 3.7 million users across 40 languages with culturally-adapted mental health support. Backed by Y Combinator and Tiger Global, the Singapore-based company addresses the significant mental health treatment gap in Southeast Asia where stigma and lack of access remain major barriers.

Tomás Vega, co-founder of Augmental, publicly stated that 'the biggest challenge is building a company for social good — it's challenging, because the market for solutions for people with disabilities is not considered significant by most investors.' He also noted that 'the idea of disabilities is not as flashy as B2B SaaS,' highlighting systemic bias in venture capital against disability-focused startups. Despite creating the MouthPad (tongue-controlled interface for people with paralysis), winning Forbes 30 Under 30, and recognition at CES 2024, Augmental raised only just over $1M since 2019 and had to develop other B2B products to fund their accessibility mission.

Amaha (formerly InnerHour) became India's leading mental health platform with 4.5 million users and 110+ in-house therapists. The company addresses India's significant mental health treatment gap where only a small fraction of those needing care receive it, making therapy accessible through digital platforms in a country with severe psychiatrist shortages.

Canva offers free access through Canva for Education and Canva for Nonprofits programs, reaching over 100 million teachers and students and 860,000 nonprofit organizations across 190 countries. The total value of product donated exceeded $1 billion, with an annualized value of approximately $1.5 billion. Canva joined Pledge 1% in 2019, committing 1% of profit, equity, product, and employee time to communities.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella visited GyroGear's booth at CES 2024, inquiring about GyroGlove's product availability, future pipeline, and technology implementation. This high-profile interest from a major tech CEO highlights the potential of assistive technology innovations for people with Parkinson's disease and hand tremors.

On April 18, 2023, Reddit announced it would charge for API access at rates that would cost major third-party app Apollo $20 million annually, forcing it to shut down on June 30, 2023. Despite 8,500+ subreddits going private in protest (June 12-14) and accessibility concerns from r/Blind moderators, CEO Steve Huffman refused to negotiate or revise pricing. The rapid 30-day implementation timeline was criticized compared to industry standards. Third-party apps were widely used by moderators for organization, spam blocking, harassment detection, and by disabled users for accessibility. The change prioritized Reddit's IPO preparation over community welfare and platform accessibility.

Oracle Academy works with educators globally to prepare students for technology careers, offering academic institutions and educators free teaching and learning resources including curricula, cloud technology, software, and professional development opportunities. The program advances technology education, skills development, innovation, and inclusion across diverse communities.

GyroGear raised $4.3 million in seed funding led by Foxconn Technology Group (£1 million investment), with participation from Fidelium Group and UK Government Future Fund. The funding supports development of GyroGlove, a hand-stabilizing device for people with Parkinson's disease and hand tremors, demonstrating commitment to accessibility innovation.