Forbes Accessibility 100 for 2025

We’re thrilled to announce that two organisations - Koalaa and the Assistive Technology for Disability Trust (AT4D) - supported by Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) through the UK government funded AT2030 programme  have been recognised in the prestigious Forbes Accessibility 100 for 2025. This annual list celebrates global changemakers designing technologies that break barriers and unlock everyday opportunities for people with disabilities.

Koalaa: 
Koalaa’s mission is simple yet transformative - to reimagine upper-limb prosthetics by making them soft, modular, affordable, and accessible from Day 1. 

While traditional prosthetics can take up to six months to fit, Koalaa’s innovative soft sleeve can be worn just hours after surgery, giving users immediate comfort and function. Its swappable attachments mean that wearers  from toddlers to adults can customise their prosthetic for daily activities like stirring pasta, doing push-ups, playing guitar, pushing walkers, or steering scooters. 

Koalaa was part of our #AT2030Programme’s Assistive Tech Impact Fund, which used catalytic capital and expert venture-building to unlock new solutions for scale, build AT ecosystems, and drive system change. With the help of GDI Hub, Koalaa was able to expand into the African market for the first time. 

To better understand Koalaa’s real-world impact, we also worked in partnership with impact measurement specialists 60Decibels to create a dedicated report detaiing customer profiles, outcomes, and experiences. 

Koalaa’s recognition by Forbes is a testament to what can be achieved when user-centred design, innovation, and strategic investment come together to transform lives. 

Click here to read more about their work. 

Assistive Technology for Disability Trust (AT4D): 
AT4D is a Kenyan-based not-for-profit and OPD (Organisation of Persons with Disabilities) championing a new generation of transformative assistive technology solutions for Africa Emerging from our #AT2030Programme, delivered in partnership with Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa (KBTA) and funded by NORAD for its Innovate Now accelerator, AT4D is a legacy organisation of the GDI Hub’s Innovate Now accelerator, 

AT4D is a catalytic force in Africa’s assistive technology landscape, supporting startups to develop and deliver context-appropriate AT solution.  AT4D tackles systemic barriers and nurture African-designed solutions for inclusive, accessible cities of the future. 

 As Bernard Chiira, AT4D’s founder and director, told Forbes: 

 “Africa is now building many new cities in Kenya. We are hoping that the technologies we are nurturing will power these future cities. 

 This recognition by Forbes reflects the vision and collaboration that has enabled AT4D to emerge as a legacy from our AT2030 programme which tests ‘what works’ to get life-changing assistive technology to everyone, everywhere. We congratulate Koalaa, AT4D, our partners at KBTA, and every innovator driving forward the mission to unlock opportunities for people with disabilities across Africa and the world. 

🔗 Read the full Forbes Accessibility 100 list: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanschwarz/2025/06/17/defying-categories-money-media-and-more/