AI Tools Boost Physical Accessibility and Unlock Market Potential

Name: Making the World Easier to Open: Rethinking Physical Accessibility | Uma Girkar, MBA ’26
Uploaded: 2026-04-03T19:37:45.035492+00:00
Duration: 10 min 24 s
Channel: Stanford Graduate School of Business
Description: Summary and key takeaways on AI Tools Boost Physical Accessibility and Unlock Market Potential, covering The Problem of Physical Exclusion Physical objects

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Apr 03, 2026

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10 min video

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2 min read

YouTube video ID: dHP2ZdOxnuM

Source: YouTube video by Stanford Graduate School of Business — Watch original video

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Physical objects often ignore the full range of human capabilities, forcing people to rely on others for tasks that should be simple. While digital accessibility has made notable strides, everyday products and spaces remain largely inaccessible. “How often the world quietly asks people with disabilities to depend on others for things that should be simple.”

The Scope of the Disability Community

More than 1.3 billion people worldwide live with a disability, making it the largest minority group on the planet. Anyone can become part of this group at any time, without warning. “People with disabilities are the world's largest minority group. But it's not just that. They're the only minority group that any one of us can join at any time.” Inclusive design therefore moves beyond a “special accommodation” to become a core principle of good design.

The Hidden Need for Accessibility

Many individuals have non‑visible disabilities or temporary conditions that still require accessible infrastructure. Airplane bathrooms, for example, are essential for health and safety yet are inconsistently available. “You cannot tell who here benefits from accessibility.” The invisibility of these needs makes universal design all the more critical.

The Business and Design Case

Products built with accessibility in mind can reach up to four times as many consumers. The electric toothbrush, originally created for users with motor impairments, grew into a multi‑billion‑dollar market worth roughly 3 billion USD. Companies often shy away from inclusive design because they perceive high costs and complexity, but the market data tells a different story. “Making products and spaces more physically accessible stops being a special accommodation. Instead, it becomes the next frontier of good design.”

AI‑Powered Solutions

A new AI tool enables designers to upload product images and instantly spot accessibility failures. The system provides real‑time 3D visualizations of suggested improvements and tracks manufacturing cost implications, turning abstract accessibility goals into concrete, actionable designs. Co‑founder Amo Bave describes the platform as a practical bridge between inclusive intent and feasible production.

Call to Action

Advocacy for inclusive design must move from rhetoric to daily practice. By embedding accessibility into the physical world—into the products we touch and the spaces we move through—designers can unlock massive market potential while ensuring dignity and independence for all users.

Takeaways

Physical objects frequently ignore diverse human abilities, creating dependence that digital accessibility has largely avoided.
Over 1.3 billion people live with a disability, making it the world’s largest minority that anyone can join at any moment.
Accessible infrastructure such as airplane bathrooms protects health and safety for both visible and invisible disabilities.
Designing for accessibility can expand a product’s reach by up to four times, as shown by the multi‑billion‑dollar market for electric toothbrushes.
An AI tool now lets designers upload images, receive real‑time 3D visualizations of accessibility fixes, and track cost impacts, turning inclusive design into a practical, scalable process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the AI tool identify accessibility failures in product designs?

The AI tool analyzes uploaded product images, automatically flags elements that hinder physical access, and generates real‑time 3D visualizations of corrective modifications. It also estimates manufacturing cost changes, allowing designers to evaluate feasibility instantly.

Why is universal design considered a business opportunity rather than a special accommodation?

Inclusive products can reach up to four times more consumers, turning accessibility into a market expansion strategy. Historical examples like the electric toothbrush show that designs initially aimed at disability can become mainstream, generating billions in revenue.

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Helpful resources related to this video

If you want to practice or explore the concepts discussed in the video, these commonly used tools may help.

Universal Design Principles And Practice Book Recommended

This book explores the core concepts of inclusive design, helping designers and creators understand how to build products that accommodate diverse human capabilities.

Amazon →

Ergonomic Kitchen Tools For Limited Mobility

These tools are designed to be accessible to people with varying motor capabilities, serving as a practical example of how inclusive design improves daily independence.

Amazon →

Inclusive Design And Accessibility Reference Guide

A reference guide provides actionable standards for creating accessible physical environments and products, supporting the speaker's call for better design practices.

Amazon →

Links may be affiliate links. We only include resources that are genuinely relevant to the topic.

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Full Transcript YouTube

I still remember the first time I met
Tim. I was in college back then and he
had this playful charm, the kind that
instantly pulled you in before you even
realized it. Now, before you get too
excited, no, this is not the beginning
of a love story.
In many ways, though, Tim and I were the
same.
In one important way, we were not. Tim
had severe cerebral palsy.
I used to visit him often at his home in
suburban Massachusetts. One afternoon,
we were sitting at the kitchen table
when I casually grabbed a bottle of
water, twisted the cap open without
thinking, and took a sip.
Then I noticed him. His hands were
shaking as he tried to open his own
bottle. He twisted the cap once, then
again. It would not budge. He paused,
looked at the bottle, then quietly asked
his mother to open it for him.
I sat there dumbfounded, my own bottle
still in my hand, realizing that
something so effortless for me had just
cost him his independence.
Not because he wasn't capable,
certainly not because he didn't try, but
because that bottle was not designed for
his body, for his capabilities.
That moment stayed with me because it
revealed something much larger.
How often the world quietly asks people
with disabilities to depend on others
for things that should be simple.
People like the elderly woman in a
wheelchair straining to reach an
elevator button that was apparently
installed for giraffes.
Everyday objects, everyday spaces,
all sending the same message. This was
not designed with you in mind.
We've spent decades changing that story
in the digital world for people with
disabilities. Our websites are more
accessible now, and yes, even our Tik
Toks come with captions.
But the physical world, our physical
products, spaces, experiences
have largely been left behind.
I have seen the same pattern emerged
everywhere I worked on accessibility at
MIT, at Google, at the World Health
Organization.
But then I realized something that
changed how I saw everything.
People with disabilities are the world's
largest minority group. But it's not
just that. They're the only minority
group that any one of us can join at any
time. Spoiler alert, you do not get a
warning email in advance.
Most of us will arrive there completely
unprepared.
Globally, over 1.3 billion people live
with a disability.
That is not niche. That is a population
more than three times that of the United
States. And when you include older
adults, caregivers, people recovering
from workout injuries after trying to
impress their dates,
then making products and spaces more
physically accessible stops being a
special accommodation.
Instead, it becomes the next frontier of
good design.
But despite all of this, for a long
time, I thought physical accessibility
was only the story of people with
disabilities. I did not yet realize it
affects all of us, including me.
I do not look visibly disabled. I am
5'2.
I appear healthy, but I also rely on a
medical device that requires me to use
an accessible bathroom on airplanes.
Now, if you've ever been inside a
standard airplane bathroom, you know how
little space there is. It is probably
smaller than the size of your closet.
The door presses against your back like
it is trying to keep you hostage.
No, really, it has happened.
But in an accessible bathroom, there is
space. Space to keep my medical device
sterile so that I do not end up with a
bladder infection. Space to set things
down in the event of air turbulence.
Strays that set turns an otherwise
stressful situation into a somewhat
manageable one.
But accessible bathrooms are not
available on every aircraft.
In fact, I have sometimes paid more
money, not for extra champagne, not for
extra leg room, but to fly on an airline
that has an accessible bathroom.
And here is the kicker.
No one looking at me would ever guess
that I need that accessible bathroom.
Take a look around this room for a
second.
You cannot tell who here benefits from
accessibility.
And that is the point because making
products and spaces more physically
accessible touches way more lives than
we tend to realize.
And this is not just me speaking. Data
backs it up. The Center for Inclusive
Design shows that products designed with
accessibility in mind can reach up to
four times as many consumers, not just
disabled consumers. Consumers like this
guy,
a perfectly capable adult who still
cannot open a jar of pickles.
History proves the same point.
Electronic toothbrushes were first
designed for people with motor
impairments, but today they're used by
consumers worldwide and have a market
size greater than 3 billion US.
In other words, making products and
spaces more physically accessible
benefits everyone.
So why then do companies continue to
ignore physical accessibility?
It is not because they're evil. It is
because making products more physically
accessible is hard. It's expensive. It's
complex. And frankly, many companies
just do not have the resources to solve
this problem.
But imagine if companies could look at a
product and pinpoint where accessibility
breaks down. Imagine if companies could
explore more accessible design options
without blowing up costs or adding
complexity.
Well, I am so excited to share that my
longtime friend and now co-founder Amo
Bave and I have built an AI powered tool
to do just that.
With the click of a button, packaging
designers can upload an image of the
product and see where accessibility
breaks down. But it does not stop there.
Designers can view and apply
accessibility improvements to the
product in real time. That too in 3D.
Teams can also compare the original and
improved versions of the product side by
side. Like this easy to open tear strip
on top of this serial box on the left.
or this easy to pour spout on top of
this cereal box on the left.
Best of all, designers can view
manufacturing costs to make informed
design decisions and watch as
accessibility scores rise in real time.
But building this technology alone is
not enough. Accessibility only matters
when it is embedded into the real
physical world, into the products we
touch and the spaces we move through.
However, to build this more accessible
world where everyone can open doors,
jars, and opportunities, we need leaders
like yourselves to step up. So, my ask
today is simple. When you leave this
room, I hope you begin to see the
physical world differently. Notice the
objects you touch and the spaces you
move through. Ask if they were designed
to include the people you love, like
your aging grandmother with arthritis or
your friend that tore his ACL.
And when you encounter a product or
space that is hard to use, say
something. Leave a review even when no
one offers you a gift card or a chance
to win a cool prize.
Because when you voice a concern, you're
not just speaking for yourself. You may
be advocating for millions of others
with and without disabilities.
I am committed to making this world a
reality. The question is, will you help
build it with me? Thank you.