Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and Disability: Discussion

2:00 am

Dr. Dónal Fitzpatrick:

Yes. I am delighted to say that we have, across a lot of different areas, engaged with some of the tech companies, particularly around the area of, for example, the European Accessibility Act and others. As part of those discussions, AI certainly comes up in terms of the products that are being developed or the issues surrounding those. Certainly from the engagements that we have had, it is becoming very apparent that accessibility and inclusion are now becoming very mainstream through recent legislation, such as the European Accessibility Act, etc. Accessibility and inclusion are now very much on the agenda of these companies. Indeed, they have been in many of the US-based companies since the Americans with Disabilities Act came into force over 30 years ago and with section 508 of the telecommunications Act.

There is great awareness of what is required. There has been significant engagement and work by many of these companies in that particular space. We are delighted to be able to continue engagements with many of them and to carry on discussions with them.