"AI makes art accessible to disabled people" is something supporters of AI love to say, and as a disabled artist I have issues with this sentiment.

My first critique is that art is often one of the only accessible hobbies that disabled folks can do. You will not catch my disabled ass on a hike because I physically cannot do that (although there are definitely ways hiking can be made accessible). I can however, crochet or code or sew;these are all accessible hobbies for me because I can pick them and put them down when needed or do them from bed. They're cheap which is helpful as someone who doesn't work due to disability and they don't require too much energy, nor do they flare up my pain.

Many disabled folks take up creative hobbies after becoming disabled or engage with them more.I had creative hobbies before I became disabled but I engage with them and appreciate them much more now. Frida Kahlo is probably one of the most famous examples of someone who took up art after becoming disabled (it should be noted that Frida was born with spina bifida and had polio as a child so the disability I'm refering to here is her accident) If it wasn't for her accident, she wouldn't be the beloved artist that we know today.

The idea that AI is suddenly making art accessible just ignores the contributions disabled folks have made to art. Some of the most famous artists of all time were disabled. Van Gogh had epilepsy and suspected bipolar disorder, Beethoven was deaf, Lady Gaga lives with fibromyalgia, the list goes on and on.

My second issue with this idea is that it ignores how resillient disabled folks are. Without any adaptations, art can be inaccessible, but there are so many ways around this. Personally, I make art accessible to me by changing where I craft depending on my pain and energy. I keep my computer brightness down, wear tinted glasses and have a blue light filter. I have a fan on my desk to prevent getting too hot and I lie down or have a nap when fatigue get's too much. For folks with limited dexterity and mobility in their hands I've seen them use adaptive gear to make holding supplies easier. I've seen someone without a hand set up a contraption so they could crochet. I've seen people with hEDs use finger splits to reduce pain when making art and adaptive gear for their viola to prevent joint dislocations. When faced with challenges, disabled folks are very good at finding ways to overcome them, we don't need AI to do it.

My third and final issue is that people who say AI makes art accessible, don't actually care about accessibility. I've never seen disabled folks ask for art to be made accessible, I have ,however, seen disabled people asking for lifts that are constantly broken to be fixed, for red cords in disabled toilets to be touching the floor, for staff to actually get ramps out when a disabled person rings the bell for assistance. If these people really cared about accessibility they'd a) listen to us and b) campaign for the things we want. AI supporters who use this excuse are just trying to hide behind a smokescreen of progressivness and disability activism to justify their shitty behaviour.

I do think it's important to note that art as an institution is still inaccessible. For people with vision issues, they're might not be adaptations in place to help them access art. It wasn't until non-disabled people couldn't access art during lockdown that things started to move online which makes it accessible to people who are homebound. Websites aren't alwaus accessible, museums sometimes put a red cord in a slightly larger bathroom and call it "accessible" without consulting wheelchair users. Museums also don't usually provide in depth accessibility information, leaving disabled folks wondering if they'll get there and be unable to go in, if they even have any accessibility information. For things like plays and musicals, getting accessible seats and carers tickets can take days, and these aren't even all of the problems art has. However, I do want to challenge this idea that disabled folks need AI, because we don't and many of us are very anti AI.

I highly doubt someone who supports AI will come across this, but if you're reading this and you want to be a better ally to disabled people, please question anyone who says AI makes art accessible to us.