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AI for All? Inclusion, bias, and opportunity for persons with disabilities

Equitable AI Alliance

Session 173

Tuesday, 8 July 2025 10:00–10:45 (UTC+02:00) Physical (on-site) and Virtual (remote) participation Room G, Palexpo Real-time captioning Accessibility Interactive Session 3 Documents
Session Recording

As AI systems increasingly influence hiring, banking, and access to services, we must ask: Are these technologies promoting inclusion, or perpetuating bias and exclusion?

This session goes beyond theory to focus on concrete and practical examples of how AI impacts persons with disabilities—both as inclusive and dedicated tools.

With reference to WSIS Action Lines—notably C3 (Access to Information and Knowledge), C4 (Capacity Building), C6 (Enabling Environment), and C10 (Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society)—the discussion will present real-world cases from the fields of employment and financial inclusion, covering both risks and opportunities.

The session will also examine how to drive organizational change toward responsible AI as we enter the critical five-year window ahead of the 2030 SDG review, ensuring disability inclusion is not left behind.

The session is organised by the Equitable AI Alliance, a civil society initiative focused on promoting the disability-inclusive development and use of AI. It’s supported by the Zero Project and The Seneca Trust.

Panellists
Ms. Bianca Prins
Ms. Bianca Prins Global Head of Accessibility ING Bank (Netherlands)

Bianca Prins is Global Head of Accessibility at ING Bank, with extensive experience in accessibility policy, accessibility strategy and accessibility of financial services.

Ms. Christine Hemphill
Ms. Christine Hemphill Managing Director Open Inclusion (United Kingdom)

Christine is a disability and age-inclusive inclusive researcher, designer, and innovator.  She founded and leads Open Inclusion, which is based in the UK, operating globally. Open is a global leader in disability and age-informed market, social, design and innovation research with specific expertise in emerging technologies, consumer experiences and inclusive brand communications.

Mr. Jürgen Menze
Mr. Jürgen Menze Disability Inclusion Specialist ILO Global Business and Disability Network (Switzerland)

Jürgen Menze is a Disability Inclusion Specialist in the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch of the International Labour Organization (ILO) – the United Nations specialised agency for the world of work.

He is the coordinator of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network – a worldwide platform of more than 40 multinational enterprises and more than 40 country-level business & disability networks working jointly for disability employment in the private sector.

Jürgen has worked for the ILO both in its Swiss headquarters and its office for Central America.

Before he joined the ILO in 2013, he had worked for the Austrian federation of blind people, the Western Pacific Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Philippines as well as for the German Technical Cooperation Agency GIZ in Kenya.

Jürgen holds a master’s degree in economics and another one in political science and history.

Ms. Judith Hermetter
Ms. Judith Hermetter Global Head of Communications Zero Project | Essl Foundation (Austria) Moderator

Judith Hermetter is the Global Head of Communications at the Zero Project, a global initiative dedicated to identifying and sharing innovative solutions for disability inclusion.

In this role, she leads the development and management of the Zero Project’s global brand, overseeing strategic communications across multiple platforms to advance the initiative’s mission.

Judith brings extensive experience in communications for purpose-driven organizations. She joined the Zero Project in December 2021, following her roles as Chief Marketing Officer at the ClimateTech start-up Glacier and as Head of Communications at onebillion, a British nonprofit and Global Learning XPRIZE winner focused on education technology.

Earlier in her career, Judith worked on marketing localization campaigns for leading brands at an integrated media production agency in London, and managed corporate communications projects in Austria and France.

Topics
Artificial Intelligence Digital Inclusion Emerging Technologies
WSIS Action Lines
  • AL C3 logo C3. Access to information and knowledge
  • AL C4 logo C4. Capacity building
  • AL C6 logo C6. Enabling environment
  • AL C10 logo C10. Ethical dimensions of the Information Society
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 8 logo Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all
  • Goal 10 logo Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Goal 16 logo Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
  • Goal 17 logo Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
Documents
OutcomeDocument_Session173_Equitable_AI_Alliance.pdf Session RAW Transcript Session173 "AI for all?": Presentation (accessible PDF)
Links