About
What Makes Us Tick
We're working towards a future where AI removes barriers rather than perpetuates them, where disabled people's participation in industry, arts, education, and public life is enhanced and expanded by AI.
This is important
We are a values-driven company. Here are some of the values we apply in every project we undertake.
Inclusive by design
Inclusion isn't a buzzword to us. It's how we think, and how we work, all the way through.
Rigour
Evidence and real-world experience underpin all our advice. We know what works—and we can prove it.
Nothing about us without us
Disabled perspectives are integral to all our work — they don’t just inform it, they are woven into it.
Urgency
AI is moving fast, and those traditionally excluded pay the highest price when we delay making it responsible and inclusive.
Progress you own
Our goal is to move your business forward and, ultimately, make our own role unnecessary.
Constructive
We don't just find problems. We show you the solutions, and leave your team stronger.
Founded by practitioners
Are you taking advice from people who have never worked a day in your role? Doesn't make sense does it? When we join forces with you we bring a set of experiences as wide and as unique as yours.
Gareth Ford Williams
Co-founder / CEO
Gareth founded Accessible Thinking to address a gap he observed: organisations building AI systems lack the expertise to understand how their products land with disabled users, while accessibility practitioners lack the AI literacy to engage meaningfully with these systems.
His background spans digital accessibility, public sector technology, and entertainment industry accessibility initiatives. He founded BBC’s first Digital Accessibility Team, led accessibility for BBC iPlayer’s launch, and co-authored Game Accessibility Guidelines. In recent years he has been consulting for a wide range of the companies and organisations of every size.
Michael Mathews
Co-founder / CTO
Michael co-founded Accessible Thinking after seeing accessibility work in education and employment settings that wasn’t connecting to the AI conversation happening in parallel.
His background spans hands-on digital development and education. Originally an accredited teacher, he worked for over a decade at the BBC — as Senior Software Engineer, Senior Research Engineer in Accessibility, and in BBC Academy. During that time he oversaw the creation of the Technical Accessibility Guidelines for the BBC UX&D Design System. That same depth informs his training work: delivering programmes, including teaching accessibility apprenticeships, that leave teams genuinely capable.
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