The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the employment opportunities and work experiences of disabled people in the UK

“The AI-empowered research project is progressing our understanding of the impacts of AI and automation technologies through capturing perspectives from academic experts, non-governmental organizations, charities, policymakers, employers and the lived experiences of disabled people.”

— AI-empowered project lead, Professor Daniel Wheatley

Impactful research from AI-empowered

  • Professor Daniel Wheatley leading a panel discussion at the AI-empowered launch event in October 2025.

    About the project

    AI-empowered is led by researchers from the University of Birmingham, UK. The project is led by Professor Daniel Wheatley in collaboration with Dr Harriet Clarke, Dr Christian Darko, Dr John Gibney, Dr Benjamin Hopkins and Dr Aikaterini Tavoulari.

    The project is commissioned and funded by The Edward Gostling Foundation (Charitable Registration No. 1068617).

    The project received ethical approval from the University of Birmingham (reference: 4224).

    Find our more about the project
  • The AI-empowered project report cover. The cover has a purple colour palette. The title is AI-empowered: The impact of artificial intelligence on employment opportunities and work experiences of disabled people in the UK.

    Project report

    The AI-empowered project report summarises key findings from research conducted October 2025 to May 2026.

    It concludes with eight evidence-led principles for Government and organisations calling for action to guide disability-inclusive AI. The report outlines 21 recommended actions for UK Government.

    Access the project report
  • The AI-empowered employer toolkit for disability inclusive AI, showing the score achieved under each of four themes and the total score including the button to access feedback.

    Employer toolkit

    The AI-empowered Employer Toolkit is designed to help organisations assess current policies, practices and capabilities, and identify context-specific actions to enhance disability inclusion while implementing AI responsibly.

    The questionnaire section of the toolkit contains 50 questions split across four themes that measure organisational capabilities, policies and practices.

    Scores for each section are automatically calculated as well as a total score for all sections. Feedback and sources of support guide action setting.

    Access the employer toolkit

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about the project or wish to find out how you can participate or engage with our events and activities please contact us using the attached form.

Alternatively you can contact the project lead, Professor Daniel Wheatley, at d.wheatley@bham.ac.uk.