Rethinking digital and AI inclusion: participatory and intersectionality-informed methods for disability and migrant justice.

Abstract

Everyday consumer technologies are increasingly integral to autonomy, mobility, and social participation among people with disabilities and migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. However, these technologies often remain inaccessible and exclusionary at the intersection of these identities. This study examined how CaLD migrants with disabilities engage with everyday consumer technologies using participatory and intersectionality-informed approaches. This article focuses on Stage Two of the Autonomy, Diversity & Disability: Everyday Practices of Technology project, funded by the Australian Research Council industry partnership grant (LP: 190900099), which involved individual interviews, creative workshops, guided discussions, post-workshop reflections, and the co-creation of AI-generated e-books. Drawing on three case studies, the analysis identified three key findings: (1) participants experienced a disproportionate burden in navigating digital accessibility and advocating for their needs; (2) generative AI perpetuated biases and misrepresentations of intersecting identities; and (3) participants actively used everyday consumer technologies to foster agency, learning, caregiving, and cultural connection. Through sustained participatory engagement, the researchers identified methodological parameters to inform future disability-inclusive, participatory, and intersectionality-informed research.