Mapping the Disability Tech Market

Together, people with disabilities and their allies control $13 trillion worth of disposable income, yet the market remains fragmented. The Howe Innovation Center at Perkins School for the Blind has identified over 700 companies designing and building products specifically for people with disabilities. Executive Director Sandy Lacey will share their industry market map as well as an overall vision for disability tech innovation ecosystem.

Transcript

1. Howe Innovation Center ACCESS May 1, 2024 Mapping the DisabilityTech Market
2. Hi, I’m Sandy Lacey 3x Entrepreneur Intrapreneur Educator Innovation Ecosystem Developer Corporate innovation lab Executive Entrepreneurship @
3. What is an innovation ecosystem? Academia People With Disabiliites+ Community Startups Investors Corporations Government Test Beds
4. Innovation is in our DNA A bit about Perkins
5. Past Innovation at Perkins
6. Innovation at Perkins Present Day
7. $13T Annual Disposable Income 1400+ Companies Valued at $40B in 2030 World’s Largest Minority (16% of Population) The Stakes are High
8. Assistive Technology Inclusive Technology Defining DisabilityTech DisabilityTech comprises all products and services that improve accessibility for people with and without disabilities. Adaptive Technology $4.1B early stage investments in 2022
9. Users are late to benefit from advances in technology Innovators face many challenges The Ecosystem is Underdeveloped
10. Challenge 1: Finding Customers for Primary Market Research & User Testing Barriers to Innovation
11. Challenge 2: Daily challenges are largely misunderstood and unaddressed Barriers to Innovation 106 1
12. Innovations that Originated in the Disability Community
13. We are a beacon: - 1500+ companies - 400+ equity investors - 16% of the global population Strengthening the Ecosystem for DisabilityTech
14. Perkins.org // 14 Research Support Innovators Amplify Lived Experiences Expand Reach How We Strengthen the Ecosystem
15. 15 // Perkins.org We started with 1400+ DisabilityTech Companies
16. Perkins.org // 16 White Paper released September 2023
18. 1400+ DisabilityTech Company Database, Market Map, Visualizations, White Paper (9/20), Investor Database Research
20. And we are sharing the database!
21. Howe Innovation Center: Gaining Traction Size of the Howe Innovation Center Community, # of community members after major data releases Impacting Investors & Innovators Impacting People with Disabilities Impacting all Ecosystem stakeholders Mar 22 Brought 4 groups of innovators to campus Hosted roundtable at A11Y Boston Released accessible database visualization June 23 Sep 23 Conducted 30+ primary research interview Published whitepaper on DisabilityTech sector Presented at TechCrunch Disrupt Facilitated session at M-Enabling Summit Met with legislators in DC Attended SoCap conference and met with Social Impact Foundations Oct 23 Presented at A11Y NYC Released Perceptual Market Map of innovations for BVI Press in Boston Globe Howe Innovation Center Milestones Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Dec Nov Jan Feb Entered engagement with McKinsey Speaking role at Consumer Electronics Show Jan 24 Hosting #HackDisability: AI for Accessibility Hackathon at MIT, powered by Amazon Feb 24 Launched DisabilityTech collaboration with MassChallenge Entered MOU with Museum of Science Received major gift from Amazon Generated problem statements for 2024 hackathon
22. Howe Innovation Center In the News
23. Reminder: Accessibility can put the fun in function
24. Perkins.org // 24 We are fundraising $2.5M to grow the Howe Innovation Center over the next 3 years
25. Perkins.org // 25 Join Our Community