Disability tech startups kill the cynic in me

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The Perkins School for the Blind has identified over 1,400 companies that are designing and building products specifically for people with disabilities. I met a handful of them at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, and I am impressed by both these startups and their founders. — Anna

A real sector

A broad range of sectors were represented at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield this year, from fintech and AI to legal tech and health tech. But there’s a group of startups that particularly piqued my curiosity: disability tech startups.

With 16% of the global population living with a disability, the market value of the disability tech market in 2023 is estimated at $25 billion, and could reach $37 billion by 2029, according to a white paper presented at Disrupt by Howe Innovation Center Executive Director Sandy Lacey.

“It’s a real sector. There’s growth and momentum; it’s not some niche thing,” Lacey told me at an after-hours event organized by the Howe Innovation Center and its parent institution, the Perkins School for the Blind.

I had gone to the event with Mizaru CEO Jason Corning, graphic designer Jiacheng Sun, and their ASL interpreters. Corning is deafblind, and his online platform, one of the Startup Battlefield 200 finalists this year, aims to help organizations find and manage disability support workers.

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Hospitals, for instance, could do a much better job at making sure that patients have the ASL interpreters they need, when they need it. And not just because it’s the right thing to do: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) also means they risk being sued if they don’t, Corning explained.

The ADA and its fines also create necessary tailwinds for one of my favorite companies at Battlefield this year: Travelsist, which provides on-demand assistance to travelers on behalf of airlines and airports.

Inspiring and empowering

“Accessibility is a human right,” reads a sticker I got from the Howe Innovation Center. And for sure, it is great to see startups help companies make this a reality. But what I found even more inspiring is how they are helping people with disabilities live fuller lives, which includes traveling.

The most striking example of this among the Battlefield demo booths was a travel wheelchair called the Revolve Air. It’s not just the chair that’s foldable; its wheels are, too. As a result, it’s the size of cabin luggage, which should make flying much less of a hassle.

Before you rush and try to order one, I have to mention that it’s quite pricey, at least for now. But there’s also something to be said for a disability tech product that’s not just functional but also has a real “wow” factor. As I joked to Revolve founder Andrea Mocellin, a former Ferrari designer, it feels a bit like the iPhone of wheelchairs.

There may well be buyers for such an upmarket offering, too. “Together, people with disabilities and their allies control $13 trillion worth of disposable income,” the Howe Innovation Center noted.

Among the first ones to receive a Revolve Air will be its ambassadors: a group of disabled athletes, ultralight pilots and similar who have been supporting the startup. If I have my way, it would also include Ali Jawad, a Paralympic powerlifting champion who co-founded fellow Battlefield finalist Accessercise.

Accessercise is a fitness app specifically designed for people who have disabilities. It’s about access, as well as empowerment. “We want to be at the forefront of driving change in accessibility,” the company’s co-founder, Sam Brearey, told me.

Accessibility is about inclusion, of course. But a side effect is that these innovations often improve quality of life for everyone, like how I use a voice reader to listen to articles when I am washing the dishes. Or like Travelist makes air travel easier for parents and first-time fliers, too. I can’t wait to see what these startups have in stock for all of us.