Thank you for sharing.

 

I've always believed that disclosing a disability on a resume can be a personal 
decision, and in my opinion, it's often best to focus on showcasing one's 
skills and qualifications rather than their disability. Companies should 
ideally hire based on merit, ensuring that the most suitable candidate gets the 
job regardless of their abilities.

 

Regarding the accessibility of X (formerly Twitter), I've been using it with 
NVDA in Focus mode without significant issues. I can navigate tweets and 
interact with them using keyboard shortcuts. I'm not sure where the observation 
about accessibility issues is coming from, but it's possible that it might be 
related to specific features or updates.

 

I appreciate the discussion around AI, disability, and accessibility. It's 
crucial to ensure that AI-driven systems are designed and implemented in a way 
that promotes inclusivity and doesn't inadvertently exclude or disadvantage 
certain groups. The conversations around these topics are important, and I'm 
glad to see disabled individuals organizing and advocating for their rights and 
needs.

 

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf 
Of [email protected]
Sent: 18 July 2025 12:00 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AI] What people worldwide are saying about AI and disability

 

Dear friends,

 

Want to share a quick note about some of the conversations around AI and 
disability that are gaining a lot of traction online. Over the last few weeks, 
several stories and threads have emerged that are both troubling and 
thought-provoking. These are not just abstract tech issues—they are about jobs, 
representation, and the way disabled people are being treated in AI-driven 
systems. They may not be directly affecting us as yet, but could serve as an 
early warning system for us to be vigilant.

 

Here is a brief roundup of what I have come across:

 

AI and hiring discrimination

A long Reddit thread has sparked wide discussion about how AI-powered hiring 
tools are quietly filtering out disabled candidates. People have shared 
instances where automated video screening tools penalised them for speech or 
hearing differences. Others pointed out how employment gaps or signs of 
assistive technology use often work against them. A lot of people are now 
asking whether it is even wise to disclose disability at the application stage. 
Most are saying no.

 

Resume bias in AI tools

 

A study from the University of Washington tested resumes with identical 
qualifications—except that one version mentioned a disability-related award. 
The result? The version with the disability mention consistently ranked lower. 
When asked for an explanation, the AI fell back on outdated, ableist 
assumptions. Many are calling this a clear example of bias being baked into the 
system.

 

NaNoWriMo and the AI controversy

 

There has also been a backlash against National Novel Writing Month 
(NaNoWriMo), which is popular among writers of fiction and nonfiction alike, 
for suggesting that criticism of AI writing tools is “ableist” and “classist.” 
Disabled writers were quick to respond, saying they did not want to be used as 
a justification for replacing genuine effort with AI-generated content. The 
argument touched a nerve, and it has opened up a wider conversation about what 
inclusive writing support actually looks like.

 

The AI accessibility paradox on TikTok (which I thought is still relevant even 
though we are not using this app in India)

 

On TikTok, creators have been highlighting the contradiction between tech 
companies promoting AI as an accessibility breakthrough while their own 
platforms remain difficult or impossible to use for many disabled people. The 
message being repeated is clear: there is no point in building futuristic 
accessibility tools if the basics are still broken.

 

Disabled users leaving Twitter/X

 

There is also growing frustration over the decline of accessibility features on 
Twitter/X since 2022. Many disabled users have started moving to alternative 
platforms like Bluesky, documenting their reasons for leaving and what they 
feel has been lost in the process.

 

What connects all of these conversations is a sense that AI is being rolled out 
quickly, without listening to the people most affected.

Disabled people are still being excluded from major discussions about how these 
systems are designed, tested, and implemented. At the same time, AI is already 
being used to make decisions about our access to jobs, healthcare, education, 
and public benefits. The systems often make mistakes—but the consequences fall 
on us.

There is also growing anger about how AI-generated content is being used to 
simulate disabled people for clicks or attention. On platforms like Instagram, 
fake accounts have appeared using AI-generated images of people with Down 
syndrome. Many are calling it a new form of exploitation.

These developments have left a lot of us caught between two truths: that AI has 
real potential to help, and that it is also being used—sometimes invisibly—to 
reinforce old patterns of discrimination.

 

The good news is that these are not just isolated complaints. There is a 
strong, growing sense of strategy in how people are responding. More disabled 
people are organising, analysing the impact of AI, and calling out the gap 
between promises and practice.

 

If you have been hearing these stories too, or if you have had experiences with 
AI that you want to talk about, I would love to hear from you. It feels 
important that we keep sharing what we know and what we are noticing.

 

-Subramani 

 

P. S.: I used a tool called Gensparks.ai to scrape the public social media 
space to collate this. Genspark is one of those AI agentic tools that perform 
tasks rather than just respond to language related questions. You might like to 
try the free version. 

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