In this episode of Investing in Accessibility, co-hosts Kelvin Crosby and Chris Maher take you behind the scenes at CES in Las Vegas—where accessibility took a major step forward with the first-ever dedicated Accessibility Stage.

After navigating the chaos of 150,000 attendees (and a few unforgettable “grab the backpack and go!” moments), Kelvin and Chris bring you a live recording of Chris’s CES panel: “Investing in Accessibility.” The conversation features leaders from across the disability innovation ecosystem, including Perkins School for the Blind / The Howe Innovation Center, Movement Ventures, Disabled Life Alliance, and the CTA Foundation.

Together, the panel breaks down what makes accessibility-focused startups investable, how purpose and profit align, and why disability innovation represents one of the biggest market opportunities still misunderstood by mainstream investors.

You’ll hear about:

• What investors look for in accessibility and disability-tech startups
• The importance of founder-market fit and building with (not just for) disabled communities
• Why the disability market is massive—and often overlooked
• The “first money in” challenge for early-stage disability tech companies
• Why AI must be built accessibly from the start (so we don’t repeat the internet’s accessibility gap)
• How collaboration, mentorship, and ecosystem-building are accelerating the space

This episode is a snapshot of a shifting moment: accessibility moving from the sidelines to the center—and a call to action for founders, funders, and builders to design inclusively from day one.

Links & Resources:

CTA Foundation: Website / Irica Cheeks: LinkedIn

disAbled Life Alliance: Website / Paul Kent: LinkedIn

Movement Ventures: Website / Moaz Hamid: LinkedIn

Perkins/Howe Innovation: Website / Sandy Lacey: LinkedIn

COMING SOON!

American Sign Language (ASL) and Captioning for each episode will be provided on our YouTube channel. Go to handle @SamaritanPartners.