Disability-first Design

A design and research methodology that positions disabled people as active contributors and decision-makers rather than passive subjects or end-users in technology development. In contrast to approaches where non-disabled researchers create solutions for disabled users, disability-first design ensures that disabled people's lived experiences, needs, and priorities shape the entire development process from the outset. This approach is particularly important in AI and machine learning, where datasets and models built without disabled contributors may fail to reflect real-world conditions.