Skip to main content

    Accessibility (2026)

    Updated October 20, 2026

    Key takeaway

    There is no agreed top 10 for accessibility and inclusive design, but Adrian Roselli, Leonie Watson and Kat Holmes come up most often. Adrian Roselli leads for Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Mode, and Kat Holmes leads for ChatGPT in some answers. The engines draw on different pools of people. Gemini and Google AI Mode favour practitioners and designers, while Copilot lists corporate accessibility leaders such as Jenny Lay-Flurrie of Microsoft.

    Mostly agree

    Adrian Roselli is a leading accessibility voice

    Kat Holmes is a leading voice on inclusive design

    Where they differ

    Who counts as influential

      Verdict

      No answer is firmly backed. Google AI Mode puts Kat Holmes first, Copilot puts Jenny Lay-Flurrie first, ChatGPT puts Haben Girma first and Gemini puts Ron Mace or Tim Berners-Lee first.

      Top ranked

      Adrian Roselli is named most often, in 19 of 42 answers, followed by Léonie Watson in 16 and Kat Holmes in 12.

      Kat Holmes
      66.67%22
      Jenny Lay-Flurrie
      55.56%11
      Haben Girma
      44.44%23
      Sarah Herrlinger
      33.33%9
      Shawn Lawton Henry
      33.33%21
      Adrian Roselli
      33.33%30
      Caroline Casey
      33.33%8
      Jennison Asuncion
      33.33%17
      Sina Bahram
      33.33%12
      Debra Ruh
      33.33%16

      How we rank

      This page is built from 39 answers by 5 AI engines. Tools are ordered by how often and how high the engines name them.

      Where each AI engine placed them

      Adrian Roselli is first for Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Mode, Kat Holmes is first for ChatGPT, and Jenny Lay-Flurrie is first for Copilot.

      NameGemini logoCopilot logo
      Kat Holmes5219-
      Jenny Lay-Flurrie4--11
      Haben Girma16-8-
      Sarah Herrlinger---22
      Shawn Lawton Henry-5-3-
      Adrian Roselli-63--
      Caroline Casey7--2-
      Jennison Asuncion9---4
      Sina Bahram-9-7-
      Debra Ruh8--10-

      Related questions

      What engines actually searched

      The sub-queries each engine actually searched before answering.

      Cited, but not mentioned

      14 sites cite this answer without naming anyone

      Full responses

      5 of 5 engines that answered. Full stored text as captured, with dashes shown as hyphens. Nothing is summarised.

      ChatGPT328 characters · October 10, 2026
      1. Haben Girma
      2. Tim Berners-Lee
      3. Chieko Asakawa
      4. Jenny Lay-Flurrie
      5. Kat Holmes
      6. Jutta Treviranus
      7. Caroline Casey
      8. Debra Ruh
      9. Jennison Asuncion
      10. Lainey Feingold

      Forbes

      Gemini logo Gemini190 characters · October 10, 2026

      1. Ron Mace

      2. Kat Holmes

      3. Liz Jackson

      4. Sinéad Burke

      5. Victor Pineda

      6. Haben Girma

      7. Chancey Fleet

      8. Adrian Roselli

      9. Jonathan Hassell

      10. Lainey Feingold

      Google AI Mode814 characters · October 10, 2026
      1. Kat Holmes
      2. Alice Wong
      3. Judy Heumann
      4. Maayan Ziv
      5. Dave Dame
      6. Heather Dowdy
      7. Marlee Matlin
      8. Crystal Preston-Watson
      9. Anna Cook
      10. Jordyn Zimmerman 15 Leaders in Product Inclusion and Accessibility | by Lisa Zane | MediumMismatch

      If you'd like, I can provide:

      • A brief description of their key contributions or notable projects
      • The specific organizations or frameworks they are associated with

      Let me know how you would like to explore these leaders further.

      Perplexity174 characters · October 20, 2026
      1. Jenny Lay-Flurrie
      2. Sarah Herrlinger
      3. Caroline Casey
      4. Rob Dodson
      5. Marcy Sutton
      6. Sara Soueidan
      7. Steve Faulkner
      8. Shawn Lawton Henry
      9. Sina Bahram
      10. Debra Ruh
      Copilot logo Copilot6,075 characters · October 10, 2026

      Top 10 most influential voices in accessibility and inclusive design today are listed below, ranked from most to least influential. These are real individuals recognized globally for their leadership and impact.

      🏆 Top 10 Influential People in Accessibility & Inclusive Design

      RankNameRole / Contribution
      1Jenny Lay-FlurrieChief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft; leads global accessibility strategy and innovation. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      2Sarah HerrlingerSenior Director of Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives at Apple; drives accessibility across Apple’s ecosystem. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      3KR LiuGlobal Head of Product Innovation & Marketing Partnerships at Google; advocate for inclusive product design, especially for hearing accessibility. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      4Jennison AsuncionHead of Accessibility Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn; co-founder of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The Accessibility 200: How We Make The List
      5Victor CaliseDirector of Global Accessibility Center of Excellence at Walmart; former NYC Commissioner for Disabilities. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      6Neil BarnettChief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft; influential voice on accessibility as a business imperative. Forbes' Accessibility List 2026: Innovation in Accessibility
      7Maxine WilliamsVP of Accessibility and Engagement at Meta; drives inclusive design and workplace accessibility. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      8Mike BuckleyCEO of Be My Eyes; expanded the app connecting blind/low-vision users with volunteers and AI support. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      9Tobie HatfieldSenior Director of Athlete Innovation at Nike; designs inclusive sports gear for athletes with disabilities. Forbes Announces Its Inaugural Accessibility 100 List Spotlighting The Impact-Makers And Innovators In The Field Of Accessibility For People With Disabilities
      10Emily GlasserPresident & CEO of Achilles International; empowers athletes with disabilities through inclusive sports programs. 10 Leaders Advancing Disability Inclusion & Innovation - NU Advisory Partners

      🔑 Why These Figures Matter

      • Corporate leadership: Lay-Flurrie, Herrlinger, Liu, Barnett, and Williams shape accessibility at the world’s largest tech companies, ensuring inclusive design reaches billions of users.

      • Grassroots advocacy: Asuncion (GAAD) and Glasser (Achilles International) amplify awareness and participation at the community level.

      • Policy & systems change: Calise and Barnett influence accessibility standards across public and private sectors.

      • Product innovation: Buckley and Hatfield demonstrate how inclusive design can transform everyday tools and sports equipment.

      ⚠️ Key Considerations

      • Influence is dynamic: Rankings reflect current visibility and impact (2025–2026). As accessibility evolves, new leaders may rise quickly.

      • Corporate vs. advocacy balance: Tech executives dominate due to scale, but grassroots leaders remain critical for cultural change.

      • Global scope: While most listed are U.S.-based, accessibility leadership is international, with emerging voices in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

      Would you like me to also highlight emerging voices (next-generation leaders) who are gaining influence in accessibility and inclusive design, beyond the established top 10?

      Your question will include this prompt's context: Who are the most influential voices in Accessibility & inclusive design?