Two Ontario-based technology-focused startups, Deaf AI and Axtion Independence Mobility, are working to advance accessibility for Canadians with disabilities. While they work in differing areas, both companies are trying to demonstrate how inclusive design and user-centred innovation can address longstanding accessibility gaps in transportation, mobility, and communication.

AI-powered communication

Founded in 2021 by Mehdi Masoumi, Deaf AI is focused on building artificial intelligence tools to support communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The company is developing software that converts spoken language into sign language avatars in real time, specifically targeting transportation hubs like airports.

“Deaf AI is a social venture that uses any type of technology to create accessibility tools for deaf and hard-of-hearing people,” said Masoumi. “Our mission is to make many public buildings accessible to the deaf community.”

The idea for Deaf AI originated from Masoumi’s personal experience supporting deaf students in his home country of Iran and later witnessing sign language interpreters on Canadian media during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was exposed more to the sign language interpreter … and then I decided to search how I can use other cutting-edge technologies, like AI, to expand into the non-emergency situations to provide a more accessible environment for deaf people,” he said.

Currently, the company is collaborating with institutions such as Transport Canada, Toronto Metropolitan University, Sheridan College, York University, and the University of Toronto to test its minimum viable product. “We are actively looking for an airport where we can test our solution,” he added.

Deaf AI’s core offering is a sign language avatar that displays boarding announcements visually on screens, addressing a communication gap for deaf travellers. The company focuses on the transportation sector because of the repetitive and structured nature of airport announcements, which makes them ideal for AI processing.

“In transportation, we have boarding announcements. The boarding announcements are not more than 10 sentences, and the majority are repeatable. So we will be able to use AI for these combinations of names, numbers, and letters,” he explained.

However, Masoumi is clear about the challenges. “It’s very hard to replace sign language interpreters with AI. Sign languages are conceptual languages and are expressive languages that come through facial expressions,” he said, adding that co-development with the deaf community is central to the company’s design process. “The entire process is co-development—from idea to the final product—with deaf people,” he added.

Masoumi noted that while Canada is strong on regulations through initiatives such as the Accessible Canada Act, the innovation ecosystem still lacks structural support for early-stage startups. “Usually Canadians, especially when it comes to technology adoption, are conservative. They don’t want to be the first user. It’s a bit challenging,” he said.

He called for more integration between innovation hubs and public service providers, particularly transit authorities. “If we can see more collaboration between innovation centres, government bodies, and airport or transit authorities, that would be great for us,” Masoumi said.

Deaf AI has plans to expand internationally, beginning with partnerships in Europe. Domestically, it is eyeing the education sector as its next area of impact. “We are considering many partnerships. One of our future markets after transportation is education, especially for kids, to make materials accessible in sign language,” he said.

While the company has yet to complete a pilot project, Masoumi remains hopeful and sees potential in emerging technologies. “AI has the potential to offer many tools, especially for accessibility,” he said.

Tech-enabled mobility solution

Axtion Independence Mobility is developing solutions to help seniors and people with mobility impairments recover from falls and regain independence. The company’s RayMex Lift was inspired by a personal challenge faced by co-founder and CEO Tracey McGillivray.

Tracey’s father, Ray, who was 82 at the time, experienced frequent falls, and existing mobility devices didn’t provide adequate support. “One in four adults over 65, and one in two over 80, fall multiple times a year and often require assistance to get back up,” said McGillivray.

“I couldn’t find a product that I could lift and that would lift him,” she said. That gap led to the development of the RayMex Lift, a powered seat lift that functions like a walker and raises users from the floor to standing position safely.

Developed in partnership with Liam Maaskant, co-founder and chief product officer, the RayMex Lift weighs 36 lbs (16 kg), portable, and capable of lifting users weighing up to 300 lbs (136 kg).

Engineered to resemble a rollator walker, the device integrates a powered seat platform that lowers to the floor and raises up to 24 inches. “It works by two lead screws that are powered by two separate brush motors located at the bottom of the unit,” explained Maaskant. The seat maintains level movement throughout its range to prevent imbalance. The lift also features electric brakes that engage automatically when the seat is in motion, ensuring safety.

To date, the company has built and tested multiple prototypes, designed at Dalhousie University with manufacturing support from Precise Design Engineering Solutions, a Nova Scotia-based contract design manufacturer.

“They’re an amazing, incredible partner,” said McGillivray, adding that the partnership has enabled Axtion to adopt a capital-efficient model. Rather than investing heavily in their own factory setup, the company focuses on engineering and product development while leveraging Precise’s manufacturing capabilities.

The RayMex Lift has undergone clinical trials and user testing, incorporating feedback into its product development. Axtion plans to begin commercial sales in both Canada and the United States in the coming months, with additional plans to enter Europe, the UK, and Japan through licensing agreements.

Affordability, however, remains a concern for McGillivray. “That is the big, big challenge,” she said, adding that the company is working closely with provincial funding programs in Canada and organizations such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make the product more accessible. “There are mechanisms to get it funded, but we are also working hard to bring down our costs,” she said.

Looking forward, the company is not limiting itself to fall recovery. McGillivray and Maaskant envision the RayMex Lift evolving into a transport wheelchair, equipped with smart navigation and autonomous functionality. “If somebody falls in their living room and the device is in the kitchen, they could press a button and it would make its way to them,” McGillivray said, outlining the long-term plans.

Despite a historically slow pace of change in accessibility technologies, McGillivray believes momentum is building. “There hasn’t been a lot of innovation over the last few decades, but I think we’re really starting to see this take off,” she said. “There’s a lot of hope and a better future for people facing mobility challenges and other physical disabilities.”

These startups are not only filling long-standing gaps in communication and mobility, but also setting an example for how user-driven innovation can lead to meaningful change. With the right support—whether through funding, partnerships, or policy integration—such ventures have the potential to scale their impact and help ensure that all Canadians, regardless of ability, can navigate public spaces.