ARTICLE
1 August 2025

Disability's Impact On Innovation

MP
Miles & Partners

Contributor

Miles and Partners, established in 1996, is a specialist law firm based in London, close to Liverpool Street Station and the City. Founded by five young lawyers committed to delivering top-tier legal services, the firm has since built a strong reputation for being approachable, accessible, and dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for clients locally, regionally, and internationally. All of their solicitors are accredited experts in their fields and often represent clients in court, including higher courts like the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. Recognized as leaders in their practice areas, Miles and Partners is ranked in the Legal 500, Chambers UK Guides, and The Times Best 200 Law Firms. The firm is deeply committed to equality and upholding the rights of individuals, ensuring that every client receives the same high level of service, regardless of their background.

Disability often fuels innovation — not in spite of the challenges it brings, but because of them. Across history, disabled people have developed tools, technologies, and ideas that have transformed...
Italy Family and Matrimonial

Disability often fuels innovation — not in spite of the challenges it brings, but because of them. Across history, disabled people have developed tools, technologies, and ideas that have transformed lives far beyond their own communities.

This Disability Pride Month Elisavet Koureas investigates four examples of disability-driven innovation.

1. The Typewriter and Assistive Text Technology

In the early 1800s, the typewriter was developed in part to support a blind woman in Italy. That early effort paved the way for modern word processors, screen readers, and text-to-speech tools — essential for many today, from disabled students to global tech users.

2. Curb Cuts: An Everyday Invention with Universal Impact

In the 1970s, wheelchair users in the U.S. began physically creating ramps on pavements to demand better accessibility. These simple curb cuts are now everywhere — and benefit not just disabled people, but parents with prams, cyclists, and delivery workers.

3. Speech-Generating Devices

Popularised by physicist Stephen Hawking, voice-output communication aids have transformed how non-verbal people — including those with cerebral palsy, ALS, or autism — can communicate. These devices continue to evolve, shaped by users themselves.

4. Velcro

Even everyday inventions owe their existence to accessibility thinking. Velcro, for example, became popular thanks to its ease of use for people with dexterity issues — and has since become ubiquitous in clothing, shoes, and bags.

Disability is often framed as something to accommodate, but it can also drive creativity, problem-solving, and progress. This Disability Visibility Month, it's worth remembering: many of the tools we all use every day exist because someone challenged a barrier.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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