Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we work. Yet we rarely discuss who actually has a place in this new reality. The program “People with Disabilities Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence” provides a clear answer: People with Disabilities can participate in the development of AI. With appropriate training and support, they can successfully work in this field.
In the second year of the program’s implementation, the excellent results continue, with dozens of people with disabilities already working on AI projects.
The program “People with Disabilities Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence” is implemented by Science For You – SciFY and the Centre for the Child and the Adolescent, with the support of the Ioannis S. Latsis Foundation and METLEN Energy & Metals.
From Theory to Practice
During the Program:
- 27 people with disabilities (people with autism, mental health conditions and physical disabilities) were trained in data annotation tasks.
- 11 professionals from disability support organisations were trained in AI, strengthening their organisations’ capacity to offer modern services and new career pathways to their beneficiaries.
- The beneficiaries of the project worked for a total of approximately 1,000 hours of paid work, under real working conditions, with support from specialists and within a clear framework.
But what matters most is not just the hours or the numbers — it's where they led.
Real Work on Real AI Projects
25 people with disabilities — both new and previous beneficiaries — moved on to part-time paid employment, taking on projects that met the real needs of six research groups from NCSR “Demokritos” and the Athena Research Center. Participants were not trained just for the sake of learning. They actively contributed to the development of AI research projects,while gaining work experience and new skills.
What Changed in Practice?
The Program did not focus only on the workers with disabilities themselves.
Its interventions operated on four levels:
- People with Disabilities, who gained modern digital skills and experience in a growing sector.
- Support organisations, which were strengthened so they could offer new services.
- The market and research sector, by exploring real needs for annotation services and building partnerships with potential employers.
- Science, by
- contributing to the creation of inclusive AI models through the participation of People with Disabilities in the training process, and
- studying ways to support People with Disabilities in their employment in AI, through in-depth research so that decisions are based on data rather than assumptions.
See the results of the research during the training phase here (in Greek).
A Step Towards More Inclusive AI
“People with Disabilities Pioneers in Artificial Intelligence” does not claim to have solved the problem of labour-market inclusion for people with disabilities. However, it proved something crucial:
When training, support, and the market come together, AI can become a tool for inclusion, not exclusion.
For this reason, the program is planned to continue.
A Few Words from the Beneficiaries Themselves
Panagiotis Pitsiniagkas, Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant: “Through the program, people with mobility impairments were given the opportunity to work from the comfort of their homes, and for some of them it was the first time they had ever worked.”
Giannis, Program Beneficiary:“I took part in the program because I was looking for a job, and it was an opportunity to get involved in a modern field… I improved my English, and I became more hardworking and disciplined.”
Efthymis, Program Beneficiary:“I always looked forward to our lessons, because I like gaining new knowledge and meeting other people… I gained a lot from the program, such as improving my computer skills…”
Froso, Program Beneficiary: “I filled my daily life with something that interested me, and I was also given the opportunity for paid work… I felt that I had an obligation to carry out. My days started to fill up with work…”
Giannis, Program Beneficiary:“I felt that my opinion matters for the development of the process.”
Christos, Program Beneficiary:“I gained a lot of knowledge and skills that I will be able to use to the fullest in the future.”
Nikoleta, Program Beneficiary: “I gained new experiences and worked on things like my patience.”
Christos, Program Beneficiary: “I saw what it is like for people to work in teams and that collective work is, in the end, a beautiful thing.”
Watch the beneficiaries describe their experience in this video.
For more information, please contact:
Science For You (SciFY)
Vassilis Giannakopoulos, Chief Marketing Officer of SciFY
Tel. +30 211 400 4192 Μobile: +30 697 20 58 648
vgia@scify.org
SciFY Website: https://scify.org/en/
SciFY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scify-not-for-profit-company/
