Design Expert: AI, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of Digital Experiences

What does the future of digital experiences look like when AI, accessibility, and entrepreneurship collide? On this episode of Digital Disruption, we’re joined by serial tech entrepreneur, accessibility advocate, and co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Joe Devon. As Chair of the GAAD Foundation, Joe strives to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development by embedding accessibility as a core requirement. Inspired by his 2011 blog post highlighting the need for mainstream accessibility knowledge among developers, GAAD has grown into an annual event observed on the third Thursday of May, promoting digital access and inclusion for over one billion people with disabilities worldwide. He also co-hosts the Accessibility and Gen.AI Podcast, exploring the intersection of accessibility and artificial intelligence. Joe sits down with Geoff to explore how AI startups are reshaping the digital landscape, from code accessibility to the rise of small business innovation. He shares the story of how one blog post led to a global accessibility movement, why AI-driven tools could either democratize or centralize technology, and how the entrepreneurial spirit will define the next decade. From robotics fused with large language models to AI coding assistants generating billions of lines of code, this conversation dives into the challenges, risks, and opportunities for entrepreneurs and digital leaders navigating this transformation. In this episode: 00:00 Intro 00:23 The “ChatGPT moment” for robotics 01:23 The mission behind Global Accessibility Awareness Day 02:29 How AI shifts the accessibility conversation 03:08 Why accessibility matters for everyone 06:17 Usability and empathy in digital product design 12:28 How AI can unlock inclusion and personalization 14:45 Aphantasia, hyperphantasia & diverse human abilities 17:34 AI and the future of sign language translation 19:23 How to work with disability communities 23:59 Advice for leaders getting started with inclusive design 25:13 AI coding tools revolutionizing software development 29:27 Can AI accessibility become the new standard? 30:06 How GAAD became a global movement 35:24 Entrepreneurship vs. 9-to-5 in an AI-powered economy 45:07 Lessons from the early internet and RSS’s decline 47:04 The debate on Universal Basic Income (UBI) 50:26 Joe’s father’s influence and the accessibility journey 52:34 From a blog post to real change in banking 57:13 The rise of AI influencers vs. the value of real humans 58:36 Advice for those unsure about entrepreneurship Connect with Joe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedevon/ X: https://x.com/joedevon Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG