Every time someone rants about how the world is getting “too woke,” they usually mean: “I’m being asked to consider someone else’s needs for once.” But what they don’t realise is this:

The world as we know it — your phone, your city, your tech — has been shaped by disabled people.

Not by accident. Not as an afterthought.
We’ve been designing for survival — and in the process, we’ve created things that now benefit everyone.

Let’s break down some of the everyday tools people take for granted that were originally created by, with, or for disabled people.

1. Texting: From Deaf Communication to Global Norm

Text messaging wasn’t invented to make teenagers look busy. The origins of texting (SMS) trace back to communication tech created for Deaf and hard of hearing communities. In the early days, people used TTY (text telephone) systems to communicate over landlines. When SMS was introduced in the '90s, Deaf communities were among the first to adopt and rely on it.

Now, we all text — constantly.
We break up by text. Flirt by text. Cry over dry “k” responses.
But don’t forget: it started as an access tool.

Disabled people weren’t “included later” — they helped pioneer how we all connect.

2. Voice Assistants: Accessibility Before Convenience

Voice recognition technology — the kind Siri and Alexa use — wasn’t built as a fun luxury feature. It was created for people who needed hands-free ways to control devices: people with mobility impairments, vision loss, or chronic illness.

The tech matured in disability spaces before being rebranded for the masses.
Now you can ask your phone to play Beyoncé or order pizza without lifting a finger. But long before that, someone needed it just to turn on a light.

Access first. Convenience later.

3. Captions: Not Just for Deaf People — for Everyone

Closed captions were introduced to give Deaf and hard of hearing audiences access to media. But who uses captions now?

• People watching videos on mute during work

• Neurodivergent folks who process written info more easily

• Non-native speakers

• People trying to keep up with fast dialogue or heavy accents

Captions are a classic case of “universal design”: something that meets a specific need but turns out to benefit everyone.

When you design for the margins, you improve the centre.

4. Curb Cuts: Activism That Changed Cities

Curb cuts — those little sidewalk ramps at street corners — exist because disabled activists fought for them. In the 1970s, the "curb cut effect" became a literal and symbolic example of how access helps everyone:

• Parents with strollers

• Cyclists

• Travellers with wheeled luggage

• Delivery workers with carts

• People using scooters

What was once considered a “special accommodation” for wheelchair users now makes life easier for millions of people every day.

Accessibility is infrastructure. It’s not charity — it’s smart.

5. Alt Text & Screen Readers: Building an Ethical Internet

Alt text (image descriptions) was created so blind and low vision users could access visual content via screen readers. These tools read websites, emails, and social media posts aloud, making the internet more navigable.

Now, alt text is:

• Essential for ethical design

• Respected in inclusive brands

• Expected in professional content creation

It’s also useful for:

• People with slow connections who can’t load images

• Search engine optimisation (yes, it boosts your SEO!)

• Neurodivergent people who benefit from image context

Again: what starts as an access tool becomes best practice.

6. Gaming Accessibility: From “Extra” to Essential

Disabled gamers have been pushing for adaptive controllers, customisable settings, and gameplay accessibility for years. Xbox’s Adaptive Controller, designed in partnership with disabled players, set a new standard for inclusive gaming.

Now features like:

• Subtitles

• Custom key mapping

• Difficulty adjustments

• High contrast or dyslexia-friendly fonts

…are being built into major titles.
Not just because of inclusion — but because of innovation driven by disabled players.

So What’s the Real Takeaway?

All these innovations weren’t some accident.
They weren’t “pity features” or boxes to tick.

They were designed to make the world more liveable — and they ended up making it better for everyone.

And yet, every time accessibility is mentioned, someone cries “woke!”
But here's the thing:

“Woke” design isn’t about politics.
It’s about people — all people.

Final Thoughts: We Didn’t Just Adapt. We Designed.

When you use Siri…
When you tap a curb cut…
When you scroll captions on TikTok…
When you text your friend instead of calling...

You’re standing on the shoulders of disabled innovators.

We’ve always been building systems not just to survive — but to thrive.
Not just for us — but for you, too.

Let’s Call It What It Is:

Not “woke.”
Not “extra.”
Not “a burden.”

Just good design — built by those who needed it most.