By Shelley Roossien, Accessibility & Inclusion Specialist
In a world increasingly shaped by digital experiences, ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities is not just a courtesy—it is a necessity. With 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. living with a disability, inclusive digital tools are needed now more than ever. With the recent explosion of interest in artificial intelligence, developers are now exploring and creating innovative AI solutions that promote independence, inclusion, and equal access. These revolutions in digital accessibility include things like:
- Real-time assistance (like live captions or voice commands)
- Greater independence through smart devices
- Personalized experiences tailored to individual needs
- Tools that help meet accessibility standards
A Brief History of AI in Accessibility
It is important to note that AI comes in many forms, not just generative AI and Large Language Models like ChatGPT and Gemini. In fact, AI has been around for decades, and its use in digital accessibility is no exception. As far back as the 1970s, accessibility tools have used forms of AI to address the needs of people with various disabilities.
| Technology | Disability Focus | Milestone Tools |
| Speech Recognition | Mobility, Deaf/Hard of Hearing | Dragon NaturallySpeaking (1997), Virtual Assistants |
| Text-to-Speech | Visual, Reading Disabilities | DECtalk (1980), JAWS (1995), Audiobooks |
| OCR (Optical Character Recognition) | Blindness | Kurzweil Reading Machine (1976), Mobile Scanning Apps |
| Predictive Text | Motor Impairments, Dyslexia | WordQ (2000), Smartphones |
| Eye Tracking | Motor & Speech Disabilities | Tobii Eye Tracker (2000), Gaming Interfaces |
| Haptic Feedback | Visual, Hearing, Cognitive | SensAble PHANToM (1993), Wearables |
Current Accessible AI Tools in Practice
AI for Visual Disabilities
SeeingAI: Narrates the world using a phone camera
Be My Eyes: Connects users to volunteers or AI assistants
VoiceOver, TalkBack, Narrator: Screen readers with AI enhancements
CaptionAI: Generates alt text for images
AI for Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Otter.ai / Google Live Transcribe: Real-time transcription
Zoom & Teams: Live captions and subtitles
ReSound Vivia: AI-powered smart hearing aids
Signapse AI: ASL interpretation
AI for Cognitive Disabilities
Ghotit: Writing support for dyslexia
Microsoft Immersive Reader: Reading comprehension aid
MindMeister: Thought organization for ADHD
CogniAssist: Task management for memory deficits
AI for Motor Disabilities
Voice Assistants: Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant
Smart Home Devices: Echo, Google Home
IntelliGaze: Eye-tracking computer control
Dragon Speech Recognition: Learns and adapts to user’s voice
Challenges & Consideration
AI can be a powerful tool, but it also raises serious concerns about fairness and privacy. In the area of accessibility, some critics point out that AI tools designed to remove barriers can create new ones if they are not built with real user in mind. For example, using AI to simulate sign language might sound helpful, but sign language has its own grammar and expressions that do not always translate well from English. As a result, important meaning can be lost. If the tool is not truly accessible to the people it is meant to help, then its good intentions do not really matter.
Looking Ahead
AI is ever changing and new trends in AI accessibility are emerging every day. Looking to the future, we may see sophisticated tools such as brain-computer interfaces, prosthetics and mobility aids, early neurological diagnosis, adaptive interfaces in conjunction with automated vehicles, and many other exciting innovations. As we all continue along this journey, we need to advocate for inclusive practices in the creation and adoption of AI tools and continue to educate ourselves about the importance of digital accessibility.
“Accessibility is not a feature, it’s a right.” – Anonymous
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