1 The impact of AI on accessibility

Today, AI advancements make technology more accessible for everyone. These innovations are breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities for individuals with diverse abilities. AI is proving to be a catalyst for inclusivity, enabling people to access information, communicate, and participate in various aspects of life more easily. Through these efforts, technology is becoming a powerful ally for inclusiveness and accessibility.

In this video, you explore the impact of AI on accessibility, highlighting how new initiatives are breaking down barriers and creating new opportunities for people with diverse abilities. The projects highlighted in this video demonstrate AI’s potential to enhance inclusivity, making it easier for individuals with disabilities to access information, communicate, and participate in various aspects of life.

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Envision a world where technology serves as a bridge to endless opportunities.

A world where every individual, no matter their abilities, can harness the power of technology to learn, work and connect with others.

This vision is becoming a reality, thanks to recent advancements in AI.

Through the principles of universal design, AI is actively redefining our digital landscape, making it more inclusive and empowering for everyone.

How is it doing this? AI is reducing the floor and raising the ceiling of what we can achieve with computers.

It is creating new user interfaces and platforms that are more intuitive and adaptable, making technology more accessible.

Let’s look at a few examples.

The Hexis-Antara project in India is enhancing braille literacy.

It involves a device which converts content into braille on demand, making educational content more accessible to learners who are blind or have low vision.

Mentra is a neurodiversity employment network dedicated to improving employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.

It uses AI to match individual’s unique strengths with rewarding careers, contributing to more diverse and productive work environments.

The DAISY Consortium is developing an AI app to convert books for use on various devices, typically in the hands of people with disabilities, including basic phones, braille displays, and solar-powered audio players.

This will also make books more accessible, especially in low-resourced parts of the world.

The Northwest Evaluation Association is making maths assessments more accessible for students with vision disabilities.

This project aims to address unmet accommodation needs that can exclude students from higher-level maths and STEM careers.

The Rijksmuseum, in partnership with the blind and low vision community, is making art more accessible through detailed text descriptions all powered by Azure AI Computer Vision and Azure OpenAI.

The project uses Azure AI computer vision to analyse artwork and generate descriptions.

These descriptions are then processed by Azure OpenAI which uses advanced language models to generate human-like text that can be read aloud or translated into braille.

By focusing on universally inclusive designs and leveraging the power of AI, a more equitable world is being created where technology serves as a bridge, rather than a barrier, for individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility is not just a feature—it is a fundamental human right, and generative AI is playing a pivotal role in making this right universally attainable.

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From enhancing braille literacy in India to transforming employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals, AI is at the forefront of making our digital world more inclusive.