Siddiqui is the founder and CEO of Orchid, a company that is building whole-genome embryo screening tools to help families understand and reduce genetic risk before a child is born through IVF. A former Thiel Fellow and AI researcher at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Noor and her team apply the latest in machine learning, embryology and genetics technology to give babies their strongest possible start.

The company promises a healthy baby, but at times, the language and proposition leans into the framing that to be Disabled, or to have a Disabled baby is something that can and should be solved for. Orchid’s website reads, “Screen your embryos for thousands of diseases” and “take the first step towards having healthy kids”, with screening data offered for birth defects that could arise from advanced paternal age, or that could include hearing loss, skeletal disorders, autism spectrum disorder (which is language the Autistic community no longer uses), epilepsy, and blood cancers.

In a powerful response to the support for accelerating the rise of genetic screening technologies, Sinéad Burke shared a critical perspective on what it means to truly have a choice in a world that often overlooks Disabled lives. Her brief address served as a vital reminder that while technology offers promises of “improving” humanity, we must look closer at the systems driving these innovations and the lack of investment in removing barriers, re-designing systems, and transforming mindsets.

The Illusion of Choice

Sinéad challenged the idea of “choice” when the options presented are fundamentally unequal. She asked the audience at TED to consider if a choice is truly free if one path is riddled with systemic barriers, such as:

  • Inaccessible Healthcare and Education: Systems that are not built to accommodate or support Disabled individuals.
  • Barriers in Employment and Finance: Economic structures that often exclude the Disabled community.
  • Pervasive Ableism: A societal bias that devalues disabled lives.

When the alternative to these obstacles is presented as a “wondrous promise” of a life without pain or friction, perhaps what we are being offered is an illusion masked as an opportunity.

The Value of Friction

“There is no humanity in a life without friction”. Sinéad argued against the erasure of disability, noting that society currently lacks the urgency to invest in accessible infrastructure. Instead of removing the barriers that prevent Disabled people from thriving, the current preference is often to invest in their erasure through genetic selection.

Lived Experience as Intellectual Property

Reframing the narrative around disability, Sinéad emphasised that lived experience is intellectual property. 

  • Innovation through Disability: Disabled people are sensational not in spite of their disabilities, but because of the unique perspectives and skills they develop navigating a world not designed for them.
  • A Call for Accessibility: True progress lies in designing systems and infrastructure that are inclusive, rather than exploiting fear and shame to justify the removal of certain genetic compositions.

Sinéad’s response to the TED audience was a call to action to be wary of those who exploit fear and to instead champion a world where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

Transcript of Sinéad's speech

My name is Sinéad Burke, and I am responding to Noor Siddiqi, Founder and CEO of Orchid. 

Eugenics is the practice or advocacy of controlled selective breeding to improve the populations’ genetic composition. 

History has taught us that eugenics doesn’t show up first as outright extermination. Usually it’s an idea, even an opportunity, something that could improve life overall.

I am a Disabled woman, and I believe in choice. But is it a real choice if one option is presented as a path with inaccessible healthcare, education, employment, finance and ableism. And, the alternative is a wondrous promise of a life without pain, without friction? 

There is no humanity in a life without friction.

Be wary of that which exploits our fear and shame and masks it as choice.

Disabled people live in a world that is not designed for them. We have little urgency and minimal investment in designing systems and infrastructure to be more accessible. Society’s preference is not to invest in removing barriers, to allow Disabled people to thrive, but instead, invest in our erasure. 

I believe that lived experience is intellectual property. Disabled people are sensational, and are innovators by design; not in spite of our disability, but because of it. 

In November 2024, I received an email from Andrew Bolton, the Curator in Charge at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

I first met Andrew in the restaurant at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London during the press preview of his touring exhibition, ‘Savage Beauty’. That was over 15 years ago, and in the time since, I have had the privilege of spending considerable time with Andrew and the wider team at the Costume Institute – always curious, always advocating, always learning. 

Andrew’s email read, “I’m working on our spring 2025 and spring 2026 exhibitions. The latter is focused on fashion and the aesthetics of embodiment. I’d love to speak with you about it at some point.” That email led to many, many conversations. 

Andrew Bolton kneels on one knee wearing a suit next to Sinéad Burke. They are both smiling at the camera.
Andrew Bolton and Sinéad Burke. Photography by Matteo Prandoni / BFA.com.

To rewind a little, The Costume Institute, is a curatorial department of the Met focused on fashion and costume design. And to rewind even further (this is relevant, I promise) the Costume Institute began its life called the Museum of Costume Art, a venture by Irene and Alice Lewisohn, as they worked in theatre and developed an archive of costume, set and stage design. The Costume Art Museum was expanded into the Met in 1946, but remained independently run until 1959, when it became a curatorial department.

From 1946 to now, the Costume Institute is solely responsible for fundraising to cover and fund the department’s operating expenses. It is the only curatorial department at the Met required to raise its own operating funds. The first Met Gala was designed and hosted in 1946 to fund these operating costs, and it has grown from there. 

The 'Costume Art' exhibition

The 2026 exhibition ‘Costume Art’ came through many iterations over that time, and is now open in the Condé Nast Galleries at the Met, celebrating seven types of body, including a section on the ‘Disabled Body’ and how it shows up in both fashion and art. 

Over the past 18 months, Tilting the Lens has been proud to support the Costume Institute with a number of key objectives:

  • Consulting on the curation of the ‘Disabled Body’
  • Consulting on the Costume Art catalogue
  • Training for the volunteer guides
  • Supporting greater accessibility at the exhibition’s private opening and fundraiser, the Met Gala. 

On a personal level, I also contributed to the exhibition via:

  • Participation in mannequin development, and 
  • Donating two pieces from my wardrobe to the Costume Institute’s permanent collection.

‘Costume Art’ is an exhibition that underscores the validity of fashion as art, if it was ever in question. It also demonstrates how, unlike many other forms, an argument could be made that fashion exceeds art, due to the transforming nature of embodiment. But what does this mean? In plainer terms, when a person wears fashion, it evolves from being an object, a piece or a garment, and becomes movement, and evolves based on the wearer. This is both what makes fashion art, and extends beyond it.

The Costume Institute has consistently explored the body and fashion, but this exhibition had two specific objectives: the first is to draw on the artistic endeavours of the Met’s other curatorial departments, creating a specific link between the Costume Institute’s collections, and more traditional work such as sculpture, fine art and more. The connecting tissue is the body. The abstract body, the Disabled body, the corpulent body, the inscribed body, the anatomical body, the aging body, the vital body, and the mortal body are centred in the Costume Institute connecting to relevant artworks and objects from across the museum.

The second objective was to increase the representation of bodies, and in turn, mannequins at the Costume Institute. In 2023, curator Mellissa Huber’s exhibition, “Women Dressing Women” commissioned a mannequin to be made of model, Aariana Rose Philip, and acquired the mannequin made of my body from Proportion London, first created for the Body Beautiful exhibition at the National Museums of Scotland. 

Inside the 2026 Met Exhibition: Costume Art | Vogue

The Mannequin

Back in 2018 the first mannequin of my body was made through a laborious casting process that took several days for the Body Beautiful exhibition. I had to stand still in one pose, as my body was covered in casting material to make a mould, to then make a mannequin. This is one of the first mannequins of a person with dwarfism to exist, and beyond Edinburgh it has also been on display in the V&A in London, the Met New York, and is about to be included in an exhibition at the V&A in Dundee. It has also acted as a canvas for young fashion designers creating adaptive collections, specifically for little people and those with dwarfism.

A key limitation of this mannequin was the inflexibility of the process and in turn, the pose. If a curator needed a mannequin to be positioned in a specific way, the flexibility and range was limited. For ‘Costume Art’, the Costume Institute sought to trial a different process that would give almost any option.

In August 2025, myself and Laia Cargol Martinez travelled to Brooklyn for ‘photogrammetry’ at New York Capture’s studio. Photogrammetry is the science of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant imagery. In practice, it was a cylindrical machine, with cameras placed three inches apart, covering the entire surface area. There was a small space to step into, and in the centre, every part of your body was in the centre of a lens. 

A large cylindrical machine stands in an empty room. The machine has a hollow centre for a person to stand in. Around the walls of the machine are a number of lights and DSLR cameras to capture the subject.
Photogrammetry at New York Capture’s studio

It was an intimidating process. Standing in my underwear and a pair of shoes that didn’t fit, I was encouraged by the team at the Costume Institute to move my body into positions that could be used in this exhibition or a future one. Seeing your body from all angles and perspectives is an act of empowerment, but starts with the need to unpick, challenge, and silence the perspective that with bodies, there is a norm, an ideal, a desirability. We are all the norm, the ideal, and desirable.

With the scans complete, the artist Frank Benson transformed the imagery into “digital clay” and the mannequins were made by Bonaveri in Italy. For this exhibition, each mannequin has a mirror in place of a face, so that visitors can see themselves in the bodies, the garments and the objects. 

The Disabled Body

For Tilting the Lens to consult and support the development of this section of the exhibition was a significant challenge. Our remit began with the title of this thematic section. We were specific and explicit in our naming and referencing, as while the etymology of the words disability and disabled often focus on absence, lacking, or deficiency, we were clear that in our naming of the Disabled Body, it is an exercise in Disability Pride, and an act of continued reclamation. In naming this section ‘Disabled Body’ we wanted Disabled people to feel welcome, to be invited, and to see themselves in the pieces and objectives, and to challenge the absences that continue to exist. 

One exhibition alone cannot include all perspectives, all bodies, or all Disabled bodies. That continued exclusion cannot be excused. Instead, it must create an urgency for museums and cultural spaces to continue to invest, expand, partner, and collaborate.   

In ‘Disabled Body’ fashion objects and garments are paired with artworks and objects from other curatorial departments across the Met. This pairing of work creates opportunity for new conversations. For example, the exhibition features a four inch marble statue of a person with dwarfism from 332-150 BCE, made close to 2,300 years ago. The sculpture signifies the cultural honor of dwarves in ancient Egyptian society. It is paired with my mannequin, and a Vivienne Westwood t-shirt from 1978, worn as a dress on a little person’s body. Standing in front of the two pieces together, it provokes questions and thoughts – why in one artistic medium is this body-type visible and valued, and in another, that visibility came later, and remains rare? Disabled bodies often had a much earlier presence and prevalence in other artforms, than in fashion. 

For ‘Disabled Body’, Tilting the Lens researched design archives for disability-related collections, and lived experiences of designers. Throughout the curatorial process, we suggested key pieces, pairings and ensured that this section of the exhibition was as broad as possible. We also supported the framing and context of this section, ensuring that themes of disability rights, disability pride, and Disability Justice were centered. This practice extended to the exhibition catalogue too. ‘Disabled Body’ also pairs artworks like Street, a photograph by Nolan Trowe. It’s an image taken from a lower height, looking up at the display screen of the inside of an elevator. The screen reads “Street”.

Street is paired with a pair of Levi jeans made in partnership with the Disabled designer, Helen Cookman, and a denim jumpsuit by Lou Dehrot and Louise Linderoth. The jeans are presented on mannequins of Antwan Tolliver and Sonia Vera, both wheelchair users.

In the exhibition there is an image titled ‘Street’ by Nolan Trowe on the wall. It is paired with a pair of Levi jeans made in partnership with the Disabled designer, Helen Cookman, and a denim jumpsuit by Lou Dehrot and Louise Linderoth. The jeans are presented on mannequins of Antwan Tolliver and Sonia Vera, both wheelchair users.
The image titled ‘Street’ by Nolan Trowe is paired with a pair of Levi jeans made in partnership with the Disabled designer, Helen Cookman, and a denim jumpsuit by Lou Dehrot and Louise Linderoth. The jeans are presented on mannequins of Antwan Tolliver and Sonia Vera, both wheelchair users.

This section of the exhibition also features the Disabled designer, Sugandha Gupta, and features mannequins modelled from the bodies of Disabled models, Aariana Rose Philip and Aimée Mullins. It showcases designers, painters and sculptural works that reference Deafness, Blindness, physical disabilities, neurodivergence, and mental illness. It also reveals the gaps that exist in fashion with designers identifying as Disabled, and pathways for Disabled fashion designers to succeed. 

 

For transparency, Tilting the Lens has a scholarship programme with Parsons School of Design – The Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Programme is a fully-funded scholarship to create a pipeline of Disabled fashion talent. We are about to enrol our third cohort of students.

It’s likely that some people who will visit Costume Art, will not have a lot of prior knowledge about disability. The purpose of including the Disabled Body in this exhibition is to communicate that disability is part of the human experience. We are all likely to experience disability and a Disabled body, particularly if we have the fortune to age. Historically, to be Disabled, was to be less than others, to be worthy of pity or shame. Costume Art rejects these ideas and instead, honours the beauty and validity of the Disabled body.

Training for Volunteer Guides

The Costume Art exhibition will be on display until January 2027. A typical Costume Institute exhibition attracts somewhere between 300,000 and 750,000 visitors (WWD 2025) and the volunteer guides support those visitors with brilliant, informative and engaging tours. The guides go through a number of training sessions in preparation for the exhibition opening. 

Curators will often host a session about the objects in the exhibition, providing context for the chronology, the background rationale and how some objects came to be acquired. To support the guides in feeling greater confidence in discussing ‘Disabled Body’, Tilting the Lens designed and hosted a virtual training program.

The training covered: 

  • The models of disability; from eugenics to Disability Justice. With historical understanding of how and why disability is framed and considered, it helps us explain the current context and language. 
  • Disability terminology and avoiding euphemisms. This section of the exhibition is proudly called ‘Disabled Body’, and we wanted to ensure that guides felt confident using disability-first language, and equipped to explain why, if necessary.
  • An introduction to visual descriptions. The Met’s education and accessibility teams are excellent and they have put together a range of accessible programming and tours for Costume Art. But, if you’re a Blind person or someone with low vision, or if you’re a little person and at the back of a tour, brief, visual descriptions create a fairer experience as you move through the space.
  • Supporting guests’ access needs. Using potential visitor profiles, we practiced scenarios where the guides’ role was to remove barriers to support visitors through the space. If someone needs to sit and rest, how do we direct them and support them to come back to the tour? If a person is over-stimulated, where can they go to de-compress and feel more regulated? If a visitor is lip-reading, how should the guide present the tour in the most accessible way? 

The training was recorded and will hopefully be a useful tool for guides throughout the exhibition run. We know that one training session cannot cover all topics, and for training to be most useful, it has to be followed by action and practice. We will continue to be available to the guides for the duration of the exhibition for queries, and to help solve barriers and challenges as they arise.

The Met Gala

I have been advocating for a more accessible Met Gala for almost 20 years. The Met Gala is a fundraiser, a party, and over 80 years, has evolved to become a litmus test for who and what is accepted and valued in fashion. That can be both a positive and a negative, but for many Disabled people, particularly those with physical disabilities, climbing the steps to the Met Gala has always been inaccessible. It has meant that very few physically Disabled people have attended the Met Gala. To the best of our knowledge, it’s Aimée Mullins, and me. I attended the Met Gala once before in 2019.

If Disabled talent can’t access the red carpet and have their photo taken, it’s unlikely fashion brands will sponsor their ticket and invite them to the Gala. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, why can’t we make it accessible? 

Challenges in built environment access

The steps at the front of the Met Museum were designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1975. They replaced a narrower staircase and today, they are 13.5 feet high and 154 feet long. In 1986, The Met was designated a National Historic Landmark. There are approximately 2,500 National Historic Landmarks in the US, and in theory, they can be altered to be accessible, but under the Americans with Disabilities Act, historic and protected buildings do not have to be compliant if: “the requirements for accessible routes (exterior and interior), ramps, entrances, or toilets would threaten or destroy the historic significance of the building or facility.” – US Access Board. 

I am not an architect, but I spend a lot of time with built environment experts, and at Tilting the Lens, moving beyond compliance in this space is one of our key services. I’ve always known that:

  • Any attempt to ramp the steps, (i.e. level a section of the steps to include a ramp), would potentially meet the threshold for ADA non-compliance. But even if it didn’t, the incline of a 13.5 feet high ramp would be too steep and too dangerous for a wheelchair-user. 
  • There is a handrail on either side of the far left and right of the steps. These rails are not robust enough to hold a stair lift and even if it were to work, this often isn’t a preferred solution. 
  • My suggestion has always been to extend the tent. Typically at the Met Gala, the width of the tent spans two city blocks; 82nd to 84th street. It covers an entry point, check-in and the stairs up to the main entrance. Yet, the Met has a step-free entrance on 81st street. It’s clearly labelled and used by visitors daily. Why can the tent not be extended to include the 81st street step-free entrance? Yes, Disabled guests will still not be able to climb the steps, it will not be an equal experience, but they will be able to attend and participate in the red carpet moment. 

An accessible entrance

In November 2025, I received an email from the team at Vogue that said they were once again putting together a small host committee who reflect the exhibition theme, and that “Anna is hoping to include you”.

I must admit, I didn’t respond straight away. 

I knew that this role was an opportunity to leverage change. I couldn’t be there if there wasn’t meaningful access. This was another opportunity to ask for what I and other people need. If you’ve ever received an email from me, you’ll know that they’re usually lengthy, explanatory, optimistic and challenging. So I started drafting and redrafting:

“… I feel a sense of responsibility in what my presence at the Benefit, and even more, my inclusion in the Host Committee could represent. I’m very conscious that in 2019, great consideration of my accessibility needs were taken into account by Vogue, the Met, and Gucci. In the proceeding six years, I’ve invested my time and energy to ensure that change is not just for me. The stairs leading up to the Met is a constant and very visual reminder that for many Disabled people, the Met Gala is not for them. I would like to work with you to see if a solution can be found to ensure that Disabled people can attend, or at the very least, aspire to attend.

I understand that the Metropolitan Museum is in a protected, historic building and adding a ramp to the stairs is not feasible from both a legislative and finance perspective. But, perhaps there is a way to consider the adjacent step-free entrance as a secondary route, one that is as aesthetically pleasing, as engaging, and as welcoming as the stairs.” 

And so began many conversations. First with Vogue, and then with the Met. In February 2026, it was confirmed confidentially that the tent would be extended to include the step-free entrance at 81st Street. Disabled guests would arrive, queue for the red carpet, be interviewed by the live-stream, have their photographs taken on the flat surface and go left, rather than up the stairs, to the step-free entrance. Disabled guests would then use the elevator to reach the new fashion galleries and join all other guests. 

This is not a perfect solution, but it is progress. 

The Costume Institute’s permanent collection

One of Tilting the Lens’ principles is building legacy memory. We want change and the tools for change to not just live with one person, or one department in a company or organisation, but for it to be part of the fabric in how things function long term. This is important, because if that catalyst is taken away for any reason, everything stalls. That’s not the fault of the person, but a failure of the institution. Our work is about cementing that in every project that we do.

This project was no exception. 

The Costume Institute has a permanent collection of over 33,000 objects. As per the Costume Institute’s website, the permanent collection is open for research appointments by scholars, graduate students, doctoral students, and designers in relevant fields. In thinking about how we expand fashion academia, support doctoral students to study disability and design, and encourage designers and students to examine the ableism in design systems, the permanent collection must represent and provoke these ideas. I’m really proud to have donated two pieces from my wardrobe to the Costume Institute’s permanent collection for this very purpose.

I donated the Burberry trench coat and crown that was cut and photographed by Tim Walker for the cover of the Business of Fashion’s Age of Influence print issue in 2018. Along with a white cotton Alexander McQueen dress and leather belt that was photographed by Adama Jollah for British Vogue’s May 2023 Reframing Fashion issue, with Tilting the Lens as consulting editors. 

I know that for some, fashion is frivolous, expensive, and harmful. It can be all of those things, and it is also an institution that shapes culture, society, and is an extraordinary art form. It has an urgent responsibility to do better for people and the planet, but it is also an industry that we cannot escape from. We all wear clothes. 

Further Reading

A cornerstone of our language policy is the capitalisation of the ‘D’ in Disabled when referring to the community and disability as an identity. This is not a stylistic choice, but a recognition of Disabled as a proper noun, signifying a collective identity. When we speak of “Disabled people” or the “Disabled community,” we are honouring the lived experience and self-identification of individuals who embrace disability as a core part of who they are.

This extends to our consistent use of identity-first language. You’ll find us writing “Disabled person” rather than “person with a disability.” This choice is directly influenced by the Disabled community’s preference, as it sees disability as an integral part of one’s personhood, shaping experiences, skills, and outlook. It reinforces the concept of Disability Pride, moving away from language that might suggest disability is something to be “suffered from” or “managed.”

While we generally opt for a lowercase ‘d’ for “disability” itself (as it’s not an identity), we make exceptions for specific models or movements, such as the Medical Model of Disability or Disability Justice, where capitalisation signifies a defined concept.

We acknowledge that some individuals prefer person-first language, and we always respect these explicit choices. However, our default remains identity-first, led by the voices and preferences of the Disabled community.

Our language guidelines, including the capitalisation of other identities like “Neurodivergent,” “Blind,” and “Deaf,” are designed to foster an inclusive and respectful environment. By embracing these linguistic distinctions, Tilting the Lens aims to contribute to a more nuanced and affirming understanding of disability and identity.

Glossary

Disability Justice Model: this is a movement which focuses on examining disability and ableism as they relate to other forms of oppression and identity, centring rights and access. Sins Invalid18 lays out ten principles of Disability Justice including intersectionality, interdependence, and sustainability.

The Medical Model of Disability: this approach sees a disability as something ‘wrong’ or ‘impairing’ to be ‘fixed’ through medical treatment or intervention. This has led to segregated services and the ultimate exclusion of many Disabled people from society, rather than the addressing of societal, physical, or policy barriers.

 

 

 

EU legislation and progress

There was a clear sense of frustration in the room about how slowly the EU is progressing. Due to new regulations and a cautious business culture, there was a feeling that innovation was being held back. 

The EU AI Act has begun a phased approach to regulation and creating AI standards. The Act has a primary focus on safety, security, and protecting fundamental human rights in the EU. The Act will inform how new and existing tools are regulated based on a risk hierarchy. 

However, the discussion shifted from “how fast can we go” to “how well can we lead.” Pārsla Baško, Chief People Officer at FYUL proposed that we can only move at the pace our team allows, and frankly, it’s not always about speed — it’s about quality and redistributing work.

Informed leadership

There were some optimistic opinions that AI shouldn’t lead to fewer jobs; instead, it should create more meaningful work and tools for those who are employed. Leaders have a significant responsibility here. If leaders aren’t knowledgeable about AI themselves, how can they motivate teams to experiment while ensuring safety and compliance? 

A brilliant quote from Susanna Laurin, the Chair of the Funka Foundation, really resonated with the audience: “A fool with a tool is just a more powerful fool.”

Protecting education

The education segment really hit home for me. While the next generation of graduates might outperform us because they have grown up with these tools, it has never been more important to understand the human condition. Software has skills, but humans have meaning and purpose. 

It was widely agreed that AI should never be the sole gatekeeper for student applications, as it introduces too many biases. They should be interviewed and applications should always be validated by a human, like with any job.

Sinéad and Christopher sit on a large stage with many audience members in shadow in a dark room. There's a screen behind them showing live video and live captions of their discussion.
Sinéad Burke, CEO in discussion with Christopher Patnoe for a session titled, “Designing an AI Economy That Includes Everyone”.

AI and accessibility

In the latter part of the day, there was a strong focus on accessibility and Sinéad Burke, CEO of Tilting the Lens was in discussion with Christopher Patnoe for a session titled, “Designing an AI Economy That Includes Everyone”.

She spoke about gaining a deeper understanding of the disability landscape in this part of Europe. As of 2026, 41.2% of people in Latvia were identified as Disabled, compared to the EU average of 23.9%. The discussion shifted towards using AI and accessibility to better include these 221,000+ individuals in the workforce, moving beyond state benefits to active employment. It is also important to recognise that most people are often unaware of the accessibility tools already available on our own devices.

There were some clear calls to action: 

  • AI must be designed to be inclusive from the beginning. 
  • Every AI product should be tested by people from diverse backgrounds to ensure that no one is left behind or excluded from this important technological shift. 

Throughout the day there were some other themes we noticed:

  1. Will AI help to bridge this gap and bring more Disabled people into the workforce?
  2. Will the requirement for employees to use AI in their roles mean that Disabled people may leave the workforce?
  3. How are we upskilling Disabled people with AI and prompt engineering to ensure they are ready to excel in the workforce? 
  4. How accessible is AI?

Companies must keep in mind that for any new innovation in AI software there will be overlap with the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and any technology still needs to be compliant with other regulations, not just the AI Act.

We are now better equipped to get accessibility right. Bias and mistakes will inevitably happen, but we must learn quickly and thoughtfully. 

At Tilting the Lens we encourage our clients and community to go beyond testing prototypes or products with Disabled people. We use human-centred design principles because we must include Disabled people in the creation of the software, and hire Disabled developers and designers. 

I left Riga thinking less about the technology itself and less afraid that software and bots will take our jobs, and more encouraged about what this means for humans at the centre. How these tools can enhance our creativity and meaningful work, as long as we have the time and freedom to experiment in a safe and secure way. 

When spreadsheets become an inaccessible system

From the beginning, Excel was the backbone of how we managed finances at Tilting the Lens. Spreadsheets start out as a practical solution for start-ups. They’re flexible, widely understood, and easy to build as you go. As a remote team, it’s also easy to collaborate on them. Our spreadsheets allowed us to build quickly and adapt as our needs evolved. But over time, you create one sheet for expenses, another for tracking payments, maybe another for budgets. Weeks and months pass, more sheets appear. Tabs multiply. Formulas become more complex.

I spend a lot of time looking at numbers, reconciling information, answering questions about spending, and helping to ensure that the data behind financial reports is correct. I work closely with accountants and our CEO, but I’m the person who sees how financial processes actually play out within company operations. And for a long time, much of that work happened inside Excel.

Looking for a new accessible solution

In 2025, we decided to create more robust structures around financial processes as part of our B Corp application process. 

Instead of financial data being spread across multiple files, transactions should now be recorded and organised in a single platform solution to reduce the administrative burden and provide the teams with better insights and overviews on finances. It also improves consistency and for the accountants we work with, this also simplifies reporting. The information they receive is already organised within the accounting platform, making it easier to review and prepare formal financial reports.

As an accessibility consultancy and a B Corp, moving to a new digital system always comes with another layer of consideration: accessibility.

As we began to onboard with our new supplier, QuickBooks which solved many of our financial workflow challenges, it also presented new accessibility barriers. So, rather than quietly working around those barriers, we decided to raise them directly with Intuit, the company behind the platform.

Raising our accessibility issues

What followed was a collaborative and constructive exchange with Intuit’s accessibility and inclusive design team. For a global platform used by millions of businesses, accessibility improvements don’t happen overnight. But the conversations that started were meaningful and constructive. 

Some of the issues we raised were small, but accessibility often lives in these details. 

  • One area was colour contrast in parts of the interface, which can make text difficult to read for users with low vision as well as those with colour blindness. 
  • Another area we discussed was run-on sentences and readability in parts of the interface text. 
  • We also touched on design flexibility. Some software systems prioritise visual consistency but limit how users can adjust the interface to suit their needs. That rigidity can unintentionally exclude users who need different viewing or interaction options. 

For us, raising these issues was about recognising that accessibility is an ongoing and often collaborative process. Large technology platforms evolve constantly, and accessibility improvements happen through dialogue with the people using those systems in real contexts. The work is ongoing, but it was genuinely encouraging to see how seriously the issues were taken and how quickly the accessibility team engaged with us. Knowing that our feedback could influence improvements to a system used by millions of organisations was a powerful reminder of how meaningful accessibility work can be.

Advocating for better systems

Instead of managing finances through a collection of spreadsheets, we now have a central system that supports how financial information is recorded, organised, and reported and alongside that shift came another outcome we hadn’t anticipated: the opportunity to contribute to improving the accessibility of a global financial platform.

For us, this is where our B Corp journey becomes real. How we operate internally is a reflection of how our systems, tools and processes demonstrate our commitment to inclusion, accountability and equity. Choosing better systems is part of that, but beyond that, challenging those systems to be more accessible is another.

For someone working between operations and finance, and within a company dedicated to accessibility, that combination felt particularly meaningful. The system didn’t just support our work – it also gave us an opportunity to make it better.

Further Reading

Sinéad’s ZeroCon 26 opening keynote on Tilting the Lens’ co-design approach

As part of the experience, Sinéad (CEO and founder of Tilting the Lens) gave the opening keynote at Zero Project Conference, sharing the Tilting the Lens approach and principles with all conference attendees. 

Sinéad’s insights and the Tilting the Lens co-design approach resonated with the audience, becoming one of the most cited concepts in the following sessions. 

Co-design must be:  

  • Intersectional: We understand the intersectional expression of disability and the need for policies, practices, and behaviours to be tools to dissolve the barriers and biases experienced by those from multiply-marginalised backgrounds.
  • Lived experience as intellectual property: We position Disabled people as equal partners, recognising and valuing their lived experience as a vital form of expertise. We take deliberate steps to ensure our research is paid, respectful, and community-led.
  • Accessibility as baseline: Meaningful and deliberate accessibility builds dignity, equity, agency, innovation, and pride. All co-design projects must have accessibility at their core.
  • Multimodality: Our solutions are about designing multiple pathways. Much like fashion, one size does not fit all. We deliberately design solutions to be flexible, equitable, and multimodal, so that people have agency and control.
  • Power sharing: Co-design involves collaborative methods and is rooted in power-sharing and equitable exchange. We deeply understand that an individual’s identity cultivates unique insights, solutions, and ways to break down barriers.
  • Continuous feedback loop: Within our process, centering those who have lived experience and insight into the problems we are solving creates robust, sustainable, and pragmatic solutions. We must engage them from ideation to validation, creating a continuous feedback loop that ensures solutions are aligned with insights and experiences. 

Read the full transcript of Sinéad’s keynote speech

Sinéad, Emma, and Laia, members of the Tilting the Lens team, are holding conference name badges toward the camera. The focus is on their hands and the badges. Each badge is white, featuring the ZeroCon26 logo at the top. The badges display each person’s name, organisation, and location. From left to right: Laia’s badge reads, “Laia Cargol Martinez – Tilting the Lens, Spain”; in the middle, Sinéad’s badge reads, “Sinéad Burke – Tilting the Lens, Ireland”; and finally, Emma’s badge reads, “Emma Shaw – Tilting the Lens, United Kingdom.
Tilting the Lens team members with their Zero Project Conference passes.

Tilting the Lens team members' ZeroCon takeaways to shape the work ahead

With three of us on the ground, we were able to embrace the ZeroCon experience. By dividing our time, we could collectively attend a wide range of sessions, covering topics such as disability leadership, disability and human rights, the European Accessibility Act, disability and employment, and successful case studies led by Disabled people. This gave us a comprehensive perspective on the current state of the industry.

Emma Shaw’s reflection

The definition of disability differs in each country. In Italy, for example, if you have ADHD or epilepsy, you do not fit within the national definition of disability. This is not unique to Italy, but many countries have yet to expand their definitions of disability to include neurodivergence and non-apparent disabilities. What does this mean for global businesses where employees who work for the same company, but in different territories, have different access and rights to reasonable adjustments?

In a world defined by constant movement, where organisations operate across countries, it is not enough to rely on local legislation as the benchmark for inclusive employment. We need business-wide definitions of disability. Standardised, proactive systems that ensure Disabled employees can thrive, succeed and be promoted regardless of geography. If companies are global, their internal disability strategy should be too.

“A key discussion at ZeroCon was around self-ID, disclosure, KPIs, and percentages. I believe companies should look beyond these metrics to evaluate disability data, emphasising human experiences rather than just statistics. This involves tracking the number of reasonable adjustments or accommodations provided, their implementation, and evidence of effectiveness. What challenges were encountered? How many Disabled employees have been promoted? When considering self-ID and disclosure, it’s essential to understand the reasons behind these actions—employees need clarity on how and why their information is used. Such understanding helps us recognise genuine progress and meaningful change.” – Emma Shaw, Senior Consultant

Laia Cargol’s reflection

The European Accessibility Act was a significant topic throughout the week. The urgency it has triggered within in-scope businesses is tangible and necessary. But we have a responsibility to remind partners and clients that compliance alone will not build inclusive systems. There is so much more to achieve beyond a checklist.

Accessibility is most authentically achieved through co-design, and that must be led by Disabled people, it must create economic advantage, it must be accessible, multi-modal and intersectional by design, it must include consistent follow-up with the participants to share how the learning is being mitigated, and it must foster dignity, interdependence and psychological safety as outcomes.

“The European Accessibility Act is a catalyst for opening conversations and bringing organisations on the accessibility journey. However, it should be just the beginning of that journey. We should help organisations to see beyond legislation and create meaningful solutions with and for the Disabled community, not just ones that align with requirements.”- Laia Cargol Martinez, Consultant 

Sinéad Burke’s reflection

ZeroCon created a space for discussing new standards, technologies and solutions that are revolutionising the accessibility scene, some of which are being led by Disabled people. We need more of that. Disabled leaders cannot just be considered beneficiaries of solutions. Systems must be redesigned so that the Disabled community can be more than just consumers; they must be the thinkers and creators behind the solution-building process. That is what makes co-design successful and creates meaningful, long-term change.

A tangible example of this came from my fireside conversation with Microsoft’s Jenny Lay Flurrie about greater representation of Disabled people in AI-generated imagery. Earlier this year, Jenny was promoted from Chief Accessibility Officer to Microsoft’s Head of Trusted Technology. Together, we talked about the ways in which Disabled leaders create system change across the organisation and how businesses can move from not just measuring the spending power of Disabled people, to the value and innovation that is and can be created.

“When and how do we move from considering Disabled people as end users or consumers, and instead, create pathways, systems and pipelines of talent that support Disabled people to be successful, and to have a pathway to become leaders.” – Sinéad Burke, CEO and founder 

In-person relationships and building new connections

ZeroCon wasn’t just about the official agenda; it allowed us to meet so many people doing great things, turning our usual online connections into in-person collaborations. 

It gave us the opportunity to bring some of our clients with us to witness accessibility work in action, and for them to keep growing and evolving in their own inclusion journey.  

Beyond the sessions, ZeroCon created the space to celebrate the pride we take in our work and the community we build.

The Notes & Signs project: A collaborative effort

The Notes & Signs project is a Music & Health Ireland (M&HI) initiative, delivered in collaboration with Audiovisability (AV), with financial support from Rethink Ireland. Tilting the Lens was delighted to provide logistical and facilitation support from 2023 to 2025.

The project was developed to explore and dismantle barriers that d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences and musicians often face when engaging with music in schools, public spaces, and performance settings.

Goal: The primary aim was to work collaboratively to understand how Deaf students could have access to music education and to help venues support the d/Deaf community in experiencing live music more equitably and accessibly, whether as listeners, creators, or performers.

Exploration Areas: Through workshops, interviews, focus groups, and performances, the project explored how to:

  • Deliver meaningful music experiences in Deaf education settings
  • Build interpreter confidence and capacity in music contexts
  • Promote accessible programming in schools and venues
  • Empower d/Deaf children and their families to fully access music.
A group of people sit in a circle of chairs. One person is signing the words of a song and the group of interpreters watching are laughing in reaction.
Deaf Musician Ruth Montgomery of Audiovisibility and Grainne Hope of Music & Health Ireland host a workshop on music interpretation with ISL Interpreters at the National Concert Hall as part of the Notes & Signs project.

Evolution

The Notes & Signs project began in 2023 as a four-day enquiry-through-engagement. The project brought together key stakeholders, including families, teachers, musicians, Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters, and arts organisations, to understand real-world barriers and begin designing solutions.

Activities included: 

  • ISL Interpreters Workshops, which involved musicians, dancers, and interpreters
  • Family music concerts at the National Concert Hall
  • Workshops in Deaf Schools 
  • Feedback focus group with key stakeholders and funders to discuss outcomes, reflections, and consider ways forward. It was particularly concerning to discover the lack of availability of music education in Deaf Schools. 

The project continued in 2024 with further workshops with ISL interpreters, to consider ways to build comfort in the interpreter community to provide interpretation at music events. 

Evaluation and key outcomes

Resource Guides

The project culminated in two essential resource guides that serve as legacy outputs. The guides were written and produced by M&HI and Tilting the Lens.

The first guide is for venues on hosting accessible performances. It outlines practical steps and considerations for venues to make their performance events accessible, including:

  • ISL interpretation for Deaf audiences for both small venues and stadium events
  • Hearing loops
  • Real-time Captioning and Surtitles
  • Supporting Deaf musicians on stage
  • Making ‘visually quiet’ spaces
  • Making information accessible. 

The second guide focuses on inclusive music education. It outlines guidelines for visual learning, technology, and communication styles to support: 

  • Music teachers working with Deaf or Hard of Hearing students
  • Visiting musicians delivering inclusive workshops or performances in Deaf Schools
  • Schools supporting visiting musicians in Deaf education settings

Validation

The documents’ relevance and accuracy were ensured by working with the d/Deaf community and working with ISL interpreters throughout 2023 and 2024.

Key Learnings and Identified Needs (from workshops) 

Feedback from participants in the ISL Workshops highlighted the need for:

  • A “creative commonage”—an agreed lexicon of words for music in ISL in the Irish context.
  • An app or resource to help interpreters understand the marks, notations, and individual words that appear on a musical score.
  • More information in advance of a musical performance to help interpreters understand the story or elements being portrayed.

We hope you consider downloading the guides as a helpful resource in your work. 

Download the Resource Guides

Supporting D/deaf audiences, musicians, and performers in your venue

This guide is for venues hosting accessible performances. It outlines practical steps and considerations for venues to make their performance events accessible.

Download Form for Venue Guide

Inclusive Music-Making in Deaf Education Settings

This guide focuses on inclusive music education. It outlines guidelines for visual learning, technology, and communication styles to support.

Download form for Education Guide

Below, we lay out some of the ways we build accessibility and inclusion into each step of a recruitment journey:

1. Valuing diverse and lived experience

Tilting the Lens actively seeks out a wide range of lived and professional experiences. We encourage applications from people with a variety of backgrounds, including those with non-traditional work histories or who have experienced barriers to employment.

We place high value on professional, life, and lived experience, meaning we have no expectation of specific education or degree qualifications for roles. We recognise that the path to being the right fit for any role doesn’t always follow a conventional route. We actively welcome applications from Disabled candidates and people often underrepresented in the industries and sectors we work with.

This intentional call out is an example of the sort of language we use in our job descriptions.

2. Offering a transparent, rounded package with key added supports and benefits

Alongside a competitive salary relevant to the role that meets Living Wage parameters, Tilting the Lens assigns resources to provide enhanced sick and disability leave, and enhanced annual leave. Acknowledging that our team may require upskilling or other supports, we also offer an annual education allowance, and monthly wellbeing allowance. The team works remotely and flexibly. 

Laying out a clear and bulleted section of all the compensation and benefits of a role, high up in the job description, we hope to demonstrate early our clear intention of supporting people into the role. This also meets the upcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive which will be transposed into law in 2026. 

3. Being clear in what is expected of a role

Rather than an exhaustive list of tasks, or a broad sweep of soft and hard skills, we try to focus on identifying the key responsibilities of a role, and who the person might be. This might include some statements about what they are experienced doing, what they are highly confident in, and what they have practice in.  

4. Eliminating barriers in the application process

We ensure that the application stage is flexible and accessible by removing rigid format requirements. Candidates are welcome to submit applications in multiple formats, including:

  • Written documents (CVs, cover letters)
  • Audio or video recordings
  • Slides or visual portfolios

When applying for roles, we ask candidates to send their CV and a brief cover letter or expression of interest, which can also be provided in written, audio, or video format.

We also try to hire through our own website, giving potential candidates a specific email address if they need accessibility support. This ensures that there is a personal approach to the process. 

5. Removing the distraction of the algorithm

Another barrier Tilting the Lens seeks to remove is the inherent bias of the algorithms. When the application period closes, we take a breath and think again about what the key attributes we’re looking for in the candidate for a role. We then read all the applications ourselves, never via AI, seeking out the candidates that might get missed otherwise. 

6. Comprehensive commitment to access accommodations

Tilting the Lens explicitly states its commitment to ensuring the recruitment processes are as accessible as possible. The team recognises that access requirements vary and is committed to making adjustments at any stage of the process.

This includes adjustments related to:

  • How information is shared.
  • How interviews are conducted.
  • How assessments (if any) are approached.

Candidates who wish to discuss access needs or require support completing their application are invited to contact the dedicated accessibility email address.

7. Transparency and preparation for interviews

A cornerstone of the accessible interview process is full transparency. When applicants are invited to an interview with us, they are asked at that stage if there are any access accommodations they need to support their success during the meeting. Interviews are typically conducted online, to ensure that people have the access accommodations they need, and can be comfortable, and not flustered or exhausted from travel when we meet. 

Before the interview, Tilting the Lens sends a full brief containing essential preparatory information. This brief includes:

  • The meeting link and log-in details.
  • Information on who the candidate will meet.
  • All proposed interview questions.

Sharing the questions in advance is provided as an explicit access accommodation, designed to allow candidates to think about the conversation beforehand and consider the experience and skills they would most like to present on the day. Furthermore, if the preparatory document is inaccessible in any way, the team commits to sending it in a different format.

Giving the questions in advance supports both the applicant to prepare for the interview, but we also find it helps get to the quality content more quickly, and allows us to fairly compare the candidates. 

For the virtual meetings, the interviews are proposed via the Zoom platform, which includes captioning and transcription support. If Zoom is not accessible to a candidate, Tilting the Lens will support an alternative platform that is.

8. Over-communicating rather than under-communicating

We all get anxious when we have a vacuum of information. Tilting the Lens communicates with all candidates at each step of the process, so you know we have received your application, what stage we’re at in our deliberations, and crucially, if we’re going to take a bit longer to get back to you.

9. Inclusion beyond hiring: working practices

The commitment to inclusion extends past the recruitment stage and into the role itself. Tilting the Lens offers ongoing accessibility accommodation support for employees, including access to assistive technology or adjustments as needed.

By designing a recruitment process that is deeply transparent and committed to individual access needs and diverse experience, Tilting the Lens models the equitable and human-centred systems we champion to our clients, and we attract a more diverse and rich pool of skilled and committed candidates.

 

Case Study: Unlocking recruitment potential with publicjobs

Enhancing public sector employment for Disabled talent in Ireland

Read the publicjobs case study

A close up of a mans hands holding a marker pen over a piece of paper. He is sitting at a desk. Photo by Giu Vicente

Embedding Tilting the Lens co-design framework into this year’s adaptive design challenge with Laia Cargol Martinez

For as long as I can remember, fashion has been one of my great interests, and from the start of my career, I’ve worked to steer my path in that direction. Early on, I realised that what truly moved me about fashion was its power as a form of self-expression and communication, and the way our fashion choices can shape self-esteem. 

With that perspective, I’ve always sought roles that ensure fashion is intentional and driven by a socially positive impact. Joining Tilting the Lens has allowed me to pursue that mission not only in fashion but across many different industries, where I’ve realised that creating meaningful change alongside communities is what truly drives me now.

Tilting the Lens is partnering with Vogue and the CFDA for this year’s Fashion Fund Challenge

At the beginning of the summer, I received a calendar invite to join a call with my CEO, Sinéad Burke. The subject line read: Vogue x CFDA Fashion Fund Design Challenge. I didn’t yet know what was ahead, but having been immersed in the fashion industry, I knew that the Fashion Fund was an incubator for the next generation of American fashion designers, and if we were involved, maybe it could be an opportunity to drive measurable change within the fashion industry. 

Since that call and throughout the summer, I have had the honour of leading this exciting project. We partnered with Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and Tommy Hilfiger on this year’s Vogue x CFDA Fashion Fund Design Challenge, centred on adaptive design. 

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund was created in 2003 to support and spotlight emerging fashion designers in the American fashion industry. This year, 2025, the Fund marks its 21st anniversary. The CFDA and Vogue selected ten emerging designers, each of whom will face a series of challenges, one of them being the adaptive design challenge. The winner will receive $300,000 to invest in their brand, along with mentorship and support from key industry leaders. 

CFDA’s list of designers and more details about the challenge.

But what does adaptive design look like in the context of this challenge? According to the Fashion Sustainability Directory (2025), “adaptive design is a specialised field within clothing creation dedicated to producing garments and accessories intentionally designed for individuals with a wide range of physical and cognitive access needs”. This design philosophy prioritises functionality, ease of use, and wearer dignity, moving beyond purely aesthetic considerations to enhance independence and participation for diverse communities”. Based on this definition, feedback from the Disabled community, and existing market examples, it is evident that there is a consistent gap: adaptive fashion often prioritises function at the expense of style. The real challenge here, is to achieve a balance between functionality and aesthetics, to create garments that not only meet access needs but also reflect fashion-forward appeal. But how can we do it? Centering Disabled people and their lived experiences at every stage of the design process is a priority. Through a co-design approach, that ensures that both designers and the Disabled community’s lived experiences are integral elements of the design solution process rather than competitive priorities.

Our role in the partnership

Our role was to embed our co-design framework into the challenge; making sure the Disabled community was equally represented, ensuring lived experiences were valued, and economically compensated. Setting all the parts of the project up for success, enabling equal participation in the design process, and making sure that access remained a priority throughout the whole project. 

With that deliverable list in hand, we started bringing together 10 Disabled muses to be paired with one of the 10 finalist designers. In putting together this cohort of muses, it was really important to me and to my colleagues that we highlighted the diversity and intersectionality within the Disabled community – we tried to represent as many of the disabilities, identities, and lived experiences as possible. 

This curation process has been an incredible journey, one that introduced me to Disabled leaders in New York who are shaping innovation, arts, culture, fashion, and so many other industries. Building relationships with the muses and with the many Disabled people who have contributed to this project has deepened my appreciation for the power of community. It reinforced how important it is to support one another and to spotlight the remarkable work each of us is doing to improve accessibility. 

Sinéad Burke and Tommy Hilfiger speaking at the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Launch Event.

Supporting an accessible launch event

The challenge was announced at an in-person event on July 16. We worked with Vogue, the CFDA, and Tommy Hilfiger to make it as accessible as possible: digital invitations with colour contrast and screen reader compatibility; an accessible event space with step-free entry, clear pathways, seating options, and quiet areas. We created accessible call sheets and created wayfinding documentation to support people’s confidence and familiarity. For the launch event itself, we curated a guest list that included Disabled advocates, entrepreneurs, content creators, and allies driving change.

I will never forget the energy in the room. This was my very first Vogue event, yet even those who attend these gatherings almost daily came up to Sinéad and me, saying things like, “I’ve never seen people this engaged at previous events. “It’s amazing to see the connections already forming between the muses and the designers…”

It truly felt like we were witnessing something really meaningful.

Since July, Designers and muses have been collaborating to create a piece of adaptive fashion that is beautiful and accessible, combining designers’ expertise with muses’ lived experiences. This ranges from menswear, womenswear, to high jewellery.  

Read the Vogue article: Adaptive Fashion Took Center Stage at This Year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Challenge

“Lived experience is expertise. We have ten extraordinary designers, each partnered with an extraordinary muse. We hope this represents a pendulum shift: luxury fashion truly partnering with Disabled people to create better fashion for everyone.”

Sinéad Burke, CEO of Tilting the Lens, who will be one of the challenge judges, speaking at the launch event.

Embedding Tilting the Lens co-design framework

After the challenge announcement, we remained committed to supporting both the designers and the muses. Co-design can only succeed when all parties are set up for success, so we recognised that, for some designers, this might have been their first experience engaging with disability or adaptive design.

We also wanted to ensure that the Disabled muses didn’t have to constantly advocate for themselves. Our goal was to make sure the designers gained an understanding of accessibility, co-design, and the importance of learning from the muses’ lived experiences.

To support this, we provided a webinar introducing Disability Justice, co-design principles, accessibility on set, customer insights, and Disabled customer profiles, and the Tilting the Lens Adaptive Design framework. Additionally, we have been in regular contact with the muses, both online and in-person, to ensure they feel supported and that we continue to cultivate this sense of community.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen the connections between designers and muses grow far beyond the challenge. Many of the muses were invited to the designers’ Fashion Week Shows, creating opportunities for Disabled leaders to be present in spaces where they haven’t always been included.

In late October, designers and muses will present their collaborations.

Key learnings and industry opportunities

This project, and the opportunity to lead it, has reinforced some learnings and highlighted some industry opportunities: 

  • An urgent need to incorporate co-design: I believe this challenge is more than just a design exercise; it’s an opportunity to spotlight the importance of including Disabled perspectives in the strategies of fashion houses, young designers, retailers, and beyond, an opportunity to demonstrate that adaptive design can be beautiful, and a testament that success will only be possible through co-design that includes Disabled perspectives from beginning to end.
  • The importance of sponsorship and leadership buy-in: In my day-to-day work as a consultant, I support companies in transforming their cultures, strategies, and policies to become more inclusive and accessible. Time and again, I’ve seen that meaningful systemic change is only possible when leadership is fully committed. This project was no different, and it’s essential to emphasise that. Having leaders like Vogue and the CFDA spotlighting adaptive fashion is a powerful call to action for the entire industry. It challenges us to reflect on why the fashion world has historically failed to serve the Disabled community, and it presents a real opportunity to begin addressing that gap with intentionality. 
  • From consumers to decision makers: Even though this challenge is rooted in co-design and promotes a collaborative design approach, it still positions the Disabled community as consumers. Disabled designers have probably already been through the programme, but the industry, as a whole, needs more psychological safety and support in place for designers. In order to build that, we need to have more data to hold the industry accountable and drive systemic change. 

In response to these opportunities, I feel genuinely hopeful: 

  • I’m confident that Vogue’s and the CFDA’s commitment to opening this conversation will have a meaningful impact. 
  • I’m also glad to know that within the Tilting the Lens pipeline, several fashion organisations are already working towards change. 
  • To bring knowledge and better support current and future Disabled designers and fashion professionals, Parsons School of Design, in collaboration with Tilting the Lens, the CFDA, and the Ford Foundation, is leading a research project to understand accessibility and inclusion within the American fashion system. The project will continue gathering data through the end of the year. 
  • And through initiatives like the Parsons Disabled Fashion Student Program, we’ll soon see greater representation emerging. 

Further Reading

In terms of accessibility, we feel it’s more challenging to gauge. Accessibility is individual and collective, universal, and contextual. Even within one disability grouping, the access accommodation for one person, may be the opposite of what another person requires for comfort and safety. To grade something as ‘accessible’ risks creating a hierarchy of accessibility. We understand why companies feel compelled to seek an accreditation or rating, but in our practice, it’s something we push back on.   

Accreditation can provide a sense of reassurance, particularly in demonstrating compliance, but it is important to recognise its limitations. Frameworks of accessibility accreditation are often rooted in legislation and therefore reflect minimum thresholds to achieve ‘compliance’, rather than what might support the full diversity of lived experience. It can frame accessibility as a checklist of requirements, when in practice fairness, equity and access are much more nuanced and dynamic. What is positioned as ‘best practice’ can be subjective, sometimes resulting in a hierarchy where certain access needs are prioritised while others are overlooked. This can leave multiply-marginalised communities behind, and create a perception that accessibility is ‘finished’ once certification has been achieved, when in reality it is a continuous evolving process.

Frameworks of accessibility accreditation are often rooted in legislation and therefore reflect minimum thresholds to achieve ‘compliance’, rather than what might support the full diversity of lived experience. 

Accessibility as an ongoing practice

At Tilting the Lens, we take a different approach. We believe accessibility not to be a fixed endpoint but an ongoing practice of iteration, fairness, equity, and access. Our process is underpinned by intersectionality, recognising that accessibility must respond to the complex and overlapping experiences of identity, power and marginalisation. As a majority-Disabled team, we bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this work, ensuring that accessibility is embedded with authenticity and accountability at every stage.

Central to this is our co-design process with Disabled employees and Disabled customers. By creating space for lived experience to guide solutions, we ensure accessibility is not just technically compliant but practically relevant, equitable, and responsive. Through collaborative workshops and continuous feedback loops, organisations uncover barriers they may not have anticipated or recognised, while also gaining deeper insights into how fairness, equity, and access can positively shape both the workplace and customer experience. This not only builds more welcoming environments but also fosters trust and belonging.

A multi-height bar with red Smirnoff branding, supporting different access needs. On the lower part of the bar in front of glasses and cocktail paraphernalia is a cocktail menu in both print and braille.
A multi-height bar, on which sits a cocktail menu in both print and Braille at the “We Do Us” event in London, November 2023. The event was created in partnership between Tilting the Lens and RanaVerse, an accessibility-focused activation for the Smirnoff We Do Us campaign. Photo by Tilting the Lens.

Considering the approach to use

Your focus may be on embedding accessibility as a cultural value shaped by co-design with Disabled people and responsive to the built environment. Perhaps you are ambitious to ensure your recruitment, meeting, communications, services, products, and organisational processes are accessible. Then working with Tilting the Lens may be your ideal approach. We would be glad to begin with a conversation to explore where you are on your accessibility maturity model, and to learn more about your priorities and objectives.

However, we understand that depending on where confidence and comfort with accessibility sits within your organisation, an accreditation or a rating may be a necessary starting point. In order to move forward strategically, a calculation of the current baseline could be essential, especially to your leadership team. In order to create a broader definition of accessibility, we may need to understand where we are positioned solely in proximity to compliance.

If this is the path your organisation or practice is taking, there are a few thoughtful pathways and partners you may wish to consider:

  • If you are looking for a clear, standardised scorecard of your built environment with an accessible dashboard to track progress, an Irish-based company, Mobility Mojo may be a strong fit.
  • If your priority is to understand accessibility within a wider Diversity, Equity and Inclusion context, and to be benchmarked against an organisation-wide DEI framework, the Irish Centre for Diversity accreditation of Gold, Silver or Bronze, could provide that perspective.

Each of these potential partners offer something of value, and in some cases a combination may serve you best. We have relationships with these great Irish organisations, and admire their work and impact. 

We would be delighted to support you in identifying the approach that most meaningfully aligns with your goals.

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