Smart Tech Isn’t Truly Smart Unless It Works for Everyone
With AI evolving so quickly, how do we make sure people with disabilities don’t get left behind?
Welcome back to Curious Constructs, where I seek to understand and challenge the barriers that prevent us from bringing our full, authentic selves forward — whether those barriers are personal or systemic.
Rethink this: Accessibility Is a Journey, Not a Feature
Target is testing out fully accessible self-checkout machines — and that’s a great step. They’re even working with blind people during the testing process — a crucial part of designing accessible tech.
But as a blind person, I’m curious:
Are they thinking about how blind people actually find the barcodes to scan items?
Are they questioning how we navigate to the machine on our own?
For me, just getting to the checkout is already inaccessible — I don’t know the layout of the store, where the aisles are or even how to find the checkout in the first place.
Of course, I’m speaking from the perspective of a blind person, because that’s my lived experience. But accessibility isn’t one-size-fits-all — we need different types of accessibility for different types of disability.
Some companies rely on outside tools — like assistive tech — to fill accessibility gaps, rather than designing inclusively from the start. But much of that technology still has a long way to go.
It would be amazing if stores like Target took a step back and asked: How do we make the entire experience — from the moment someone walks in to the moment they leave — truly accessible for everyone?
(I emailed Target for a comment on their new, accessible self-checkout machines, but they didn’t respond.)
That’s the part that’s often missed. It’s not just about making the checkout machine work for me — it’s about the whole journey. There’s no tech yet that allows me to shop completely on my own.
This is something we have to keep thinking about as AI and smart tech continue to rapidly evolve.
A Visit To Japan: What Accessible — and Inaccessible — Design Looks Like
My sister, who’s also blind, had the most accessible experience of her life navigating public transportation in Japan (she made a video about it for her series Planes, Trains, and Canes). There were cane guides, soundscapes, directional sounds ... That’s thoughtful, intuitive, human-centered design.
Every detail was mapped out. When you exit the train, for example, you follow the cane guide and start hearing bird sounds — that means you’re headed toward the exit. A flushing sound? That means you’re near the bathroom.
Many places have cane guides — the textured strips on the ground meant to help people with vision impairments navigate — but there is no standard, so sometimes I don't even know where they are leading me. Partnered with the directional sounds, these cane guides were intuitive and easy to follow — that’s what happens when accessibility isn’t just a checkbox, but part of intentional, holistic design.
Despite this innovation, however, that same level of accessibility in the transit system didn’t carry over to stores or restaurants.
One place had buttons on the wall to order food — but no voice, no braille, no guidance. Another used a robot host instead of a person. At a sushi bar, food came out on a conveyor belt, but no one told her what anything was. Unless someone was with her, she had no way of knowing.
This is what happens when accessibility isn’t built in from the start — when companies fail to journey map every customer’s experience and create products based on universal design principles that work for everyone.
And this experience of encountering partially, but not fully accessible features isn’t unique to my sister or Japan.
We now have self-driving cars like Waymo, which could make transportation easier for people who don’t drive. But how do I know the car that pulled up is mine? That I’m at the right destination? Right now, I just ask the driver. Take away the human, and suddenly, independence becomes much harder.
At hotels, self-check-in kiosks are meant to streamline the process — but how do I navigate a touchscreen as a blind person? Do all kiosks come with a voiceover function?
Designing for Everyone, Benefits Everyone
This is why the idea of a smart, AI-driven world is both exciting and scary. If we don’t prioritize accessibility now, we risk creating a future where people with disabilities are excluded from this progress — and become more dependent, not more independent.
Accessibility has to be baked into every step of the design process — not an afterthought. That starts by journey mapping the full experience of people with disabilities from day one.
When we build systems that work for people with disabilities, we build systems that actually work better for everyone.
Even things like the bird or flushing sounds aren’t just helpful for blind people. They’re helpful for distracted people, those unfamiliar with the area, people who don’t speak the language or for anyone who just navigates the world better by sound.
So yes — Target’s accessible self-checkouts are a great step forward. But accessibility shouldn’t be something we praise as exceptional — universal design should be the standard. It's also good business: reaching a wider customer base is inclusive and profitable.
So let’s ask bigger questions, challenge our current norms and create a world that truly works for everyone.
Fashion with Fida: Movement, Modesty and Loose Fits
Welcome back to Fashion with Fida, where I share style tips from my mom, Fida, along with reflections and ideas about accessible, modest fashion that’s expressive and fully you.
My mom is known in her community — and even in my friend group — as a woman who has designed her own, unique style.
Her style is constantly changing and evolving — but she doesn’t tend to follow the fashion trends of the moment. Instead, she has an incredible eye for beauty — she can see how pieces come together to create a look that’s cohesive, stylish and completely her own.
My mom always showed me that dressing modestly can be cool, creative and fun. Even with loose fitting clothes, you can still experiment with shape and structure in a way that is visually striking and true to your style.
A staple in her closet — and now in mine — is loose-fitting pants. As Muslim women, modesty is an important aspect of our fashion — and loose pants are an elegant, comfortable and effortlessly stylish way to achieve that.
I especially love the movement and ease they bring to an outfit. Here’s how I usually style them:
Pair with a shorter top that hits at the waistline to create balance and give the outfit shape — while still keeping the look modest.
Layer with a longer, looser shirt and add a belt at the waist to break up the fabric and define the silhouette.
Honestly, the majority of the pants in my closet are loose and flowy — they don’t just look good, they feel good. To me, they perfectly blend comfort, confidence and modesty in a way that feels authentic to me.
Further Reading, Deeper Thinking:
What the Subminimum Wage Rollback Means for the Disability Community
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor withdrew a proposed rule that would end the federal policy that allows disabled workers to be paid less than the minimum wage under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
So what does this mean?
With this decision, employers can continue paying subminimum wages to people with disabilities — often as little as $2 an hour. This move deepens economic inequality and denies disabled people the right to fair pay, independence and full inclusion in our communities.
Here are some leaders to read and follow, to dive deeper into this policy change and how it affects the disability community:
Taryn Mackenzie Williams, former Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, shares her thoughts on the implications of this decision, and how it’s a “reminder of how policy decisions can narrow, rather than expand, opportunity, independence, and access to meaningful employment and community living for people with disabilities.” Read more.
Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft, shares how Microsoft is working with Congress to pass the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which aims to provide integrated employment opportunities for everyone. Read more.
New Disabled South published a joint statement from disability rights, disability justice, civil rights and economic justice organizations condemning the Trump Administration’s withdrawal of this proposed rule to phase out subminimum wages for disabled workers. Read it here.
Until next week — let’s be curious about ourselves, each other and the narratives that shape us.
Warmly,
Sara
Sara Minkara is a world-renowned speaker and visionary who challenges traditional perspectives on leadership, disability, and human potential. As the former U.S. Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, she transformed how nations and international organizations approach diplomacy and leadership in disability-related issues. Her unique identity as a blind Muslim woman and Arab-American entrepreneur informs her experiences offering a fresh and powerful perspective on authenticity and leadership.