Stop hating Ai — it’s changed the lives of disabled people
Some tools develop for a reason.
It phenomenal how collectively, we are having an open discourse, learning, and critically analysing new technology. In an incredibly fast-paced world, it feels like we are on a loop-de-loop roller coaster, constantly dizzying and speeding through to the future with no time to reflect.
But here’s the thing — ChatGPT has made me a writer.
Roughly 1 in 10 adults, or about 10% of the population, are estimated to have dyslexia. I am one of them. I think dyslexia is a gift.
Dyslexia is an incredible condition to have, and I will never call it a disability personally — I’m incredibly happy I have it. My parents raised me with dyslexic role models, the incredible children’s author Sally Gardener, of course the overused example (because of his dyslexic advocay) Richard Branson, and my own research into famous dyslexics.
Nevertheless, at primary school I was stupid. I couldn’t read out loud. I couldn’t read fast enough. I couldn’t spell. I couldn’t understand long instructions given verbally or written unless I had both options. I couldn’t tell the time (and to this day I sometimes forget). I was called stupid by teachers. I was held back in class. I was tormented by my peers. I was put on the stupid table.
Thank goodness we have the Internet and much better understanding today of what dyslexia is. Even now, as I’m writing this, if you asked me how much it affects my life, I probably couldn’t tell you — because I just see dyslexia as me.
Luckily, I’ve not let it get to me and I’ve learnt from asking others how can I get better help and support for my mispelings and my slower processing. Grammarly, auto-correct, digital clocks — my whole world has changed for good since the late 90s, and my fear of what I was misinformed in primary school, and I quote from my year 6 (grade 5) teacher:
“When applying for jobs, you have to write your cover letter by hand, or they likely won’t give you the job”
Hahahaha hahahaha hahhaha hahha hahahaha… oh how wrong they were.
But as a dyslexic and a creative, artistic person, I love writing. I love art. I create board and card games, and I design educational tools that are for children and people with learning differences.
Yet, in 2025, all the schools I work in look the same.
We replaced our teacher’s white boards with smart boards in the early 2000s, and schools got rid of asbestos in the walls.
Realistically, it feels like we still are a long, long way away from properly helping our students love learning and school, with so many disabled (and of course every student) saying “I HATE SCHOOL” everyday, crying and an increasingly worrying amount of students reporting declines in mental wellness due to how schools are just not equipped for modern day challenges and routines.
I could have gotten a job as a creative and never looked at a school again. But my passion for education and making lives better for young people has always brought me back.
And then suddenly, everything changed.
Fast forward to 2022, and we start seeing some headlines appearing about generative Ai. I have no idea what this is, but since my masters I’ve been using it constantly. I have spell check tools, I used an amazing ai paraphraser called QuilBot and I had managed to get all my deadlines in on time using an ai software to help me manage, structure and source all my research.
I subsequently achieved something impossible - I’d gotten a great job, started Hybrid Games and was ready to finish my masters early.
Unknown and New, in 2024, Ai became the world’s biggest enemy. And it worried me, as it still does when you have greedy tech giants controlling everything, moving at such a fast pace that it wasn’t until TWO YEARS AGO they even had a proper children’s safeguarding policy to help young people be blocked from harmful online content.
Yet — the Ai hate reeks of privilege to me.
I understand people are angry about it — but have you not stopped to think how this is changing the lives of disabled people, who were once shunned from society, literally chained up in schools if you had “behavioural probelms” and told their whole lives they’ll never amount to anything?
If it wasn’t for Chat GPT giving me the confidence to try writing again, you wouldn’t be reading this. Whatever the learning or physical difference — voice overs, automatic subtitles, text to speech, personal assistance(smart speakers), speech to text, automatic mind mapping softwares… I could probably go on forever. These technology tools are awe-inspiring and remarkable.
Originally as a artist and designer, I was terrified Ai would destroy the world of art and image — but people are now actively seeking our “non-ai art” and independent artists are able to get recognition for their human skills!
Ai is a tool. It isn’t a tormenting, floating being ready to steal all our creative jobs as soon as we close our eyes.
Google: Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems capable of performing complex tasks that historically only a human could do, such as reasoning, making decisions, or solving problems.
If we use it correctly, it can help us make decisions and solve problems. People recently seemed to have forgotten that before this new tool, the
Internet was still a messy, rude, dangerous, and incredibly oversaturated space.
For everyone out there who uses it to improve their day to day lives, remember what tools are for.
Separate your emotional and moral panics from what is actually happening.
I really do hope Ai will continue to improve lives for everyone around the world.
In a confusing, taxing and stressful world, Chat GPT has given me the gift of inner peace.
Holly Bazley (originally published on Medium - Educate better, Educate Fairer)
Sources
https://cdn.bdadyslexia.org.uk/uploads/documents/About/Reports/Adults-and-Dyslexia-report-2012.pdf?v=1553697969
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/01/meta-parental-tools-online-safety-children-trafficking
https://dyslexiacampus.com/2023/04/21/overcoming-dyslexia-with-artificial-intelligence-the-future-is-now/