Post 11: The Compensation Question
- James W.
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
How much are disabled people paid for their expertise in your inclusive design process?
If the answer is "we consulted them" or "they volunteered," then the answer is: not enough.
Disabled people's knowledge about accessibility, inclusion, and their own needs is labor. Professional labor. It should be compensated as such.
When organizations ask disabled people to provide "input" on accessibility as unpaid consultation, they're extracting value without compensation. This is exploitation dressed up as "engagement."
Genuine inclusion requires:
Compensating disabled people for expertise
Treating their time as professional work
Paying for the emotional labor
Ensuring decision-making authority, not just consultation
Pay disabled people. Give them power. Or don't claim to value inclusion.
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