The Web Is Being Made Accessible for AI, Not People

CU Boulder
Cal Poly
Tech Policy Press, 2026

AI companies are now getting accommodations that disabled people spent decades fighting for. This reflects a broader pattern, where accessibility gains become politically possible only once industry needs the same changes.

As agentic AI rapidly transforms internet infrastructure, how do we ensure disabled people’s needs are not displaced? We argue accessibility must not be treated as an incidental benefit of rapid AI expansion.