Welcome to the Season 3 premiere of Pathways to Zero Barriers! In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar, Global Accessibility Lead at D2L (Desire2Learn), to explore how the lines between assistive technology (AT) and mainstream consumer tech are permanently blurring.

We look closely at how the "curb-cut effect" is accelerating in 2026, driven by edge AI, next-generation wearables, and massive market convergence.

📃Episode transcript

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

The Curb-Cut Effect & AI Acceleration: How features like captions and predictive text transition from niche AT to mainstream defaults—and how AI is collapsing this adoption timeline.

Wearables to Watch: A look at the $34.2B global AT market, featuring breakout tech like Meta Ray-Ban glasses, the OrCam MyEye, and the booming $20B health-and-sleep tracking ring industry.

Tech Convergence vs. Mainstream Crossover: Understanding the difference between OS-level accessibility features (Apple, Google, Microsoft) and true tech convergence (where edge AI, IoT, and biotech merge into real-time health advisors).

The $13 Trillion Case for Accessibility: Why 53% of consumers are connected to disability, and why developers must stop designing for the "mythical average user."

About Our Guest:

Dr. Sambhavi Chandrashekar is the Global Accessibility Lead at D2L (Desire2Learn), where she champions inclusive design and digital accessibility at scale. She is a recognized expert in reframing accessibility as a core business strategy and an engine for mainstream innovation.

Pathways to Zero Barriers is a Zero Project podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and subscribe!