Allocative Harm

A category of algorithmic harm in which an automated system disproportionately withholds opportunities, resources, or services from certain individuals or groups - often because those groups are underrepresented or atypically represented in training data. In accessibility, allocative harm appears when valid, effortful user input is systematically rejected (for example, gesture or speech from a disabled user that the model does not recognise), which translates into reduced access to authentication, smart-home controls, or assistive interfaces. Allocative harm is distinct from representational harm (stereotyping or demeaning portrayals) and is a core concern of disability-aware algorithmic fairness.