Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in transforming digital accessibility, ensuring equal access and usability for all individuals, regardless of their disabilities. Accessibility in AI encompasses the design and implementation of AI-powered technologies and applications and the ethical use of these solutions to complement and expedite current web accessibility methodologies.

What is Accessibility in Artificial Intelligence?

Accessibility in artificial intelligence refers to the design and implementation of AI-powered technologies and applications in a way that ensures equal access and usability for all individuals, regardless of their disabilities. Moreover, it encompasses the ethical use of AI solutions to complement, augment, and expedite current web accessibility programs and methodologies. It aims to break down barriers and create a more inclusive digital environment, enabling people with disabilities to fully participate in and benefit from AI-driven solutions.

What Microsoft is Doing

Screenshot of Bing’s search bar with the new AI-powered assistant in the dropdown menu.

Microsoft Bing

Microsoft is revolutionizing the search engine experience with its latest innovation, Bing powered by ChatGPT. This AI-powered Bing synthesizes information from various sources and provides simple, easy-to-understand answers to search queries, complementing the traditional search results. Unlike ChatGPT, Bing's AI assistant includes linked webpages as sources for its output, promoting transparency. Users can even engage in interactive conversations with the AI assistant in a separate window, just like with ChatGPT.

Please note that the generations of AI models like ChatGPT are not fact-checked, and it is essential to keep this in mind while using the technology. Additionally, remember that all sources on the internet may not be equally reliable, so it is prudent to double-check the information provided by the AI assistant. Nonetheless, Bing's AI-powered technology streamlines the search process by presenting concise answers with cited sources, saving time, and aiding users, including those with disabilities, in accessing information more easily.

Microsoft 365

Accessibility is a crucial consideration not only for websites and apps but also for the documents and content we create. To facilitate more inclusive content creation, Microsoft 365 is rolling out Accessibility Assistant, empowering creators to effortlessly check content accessibility, akin to spellchecking and grammar correction.

Accessibility Assistant offers three innovative functionalities:

Default accessible choices: A color picker displaying high-contrast colors enables creators to opt for inclusive options from the start.
Continuous learning and real-time fixing: Similar to a spellchecker, the AI identifies issues as you work and provides immediate solutions, avoiding a backlog of problems during final reviews.
Upcoming Accessibility Assistant pane: This feature, like Microsoft Editor, conveniently groups accessibility issues by category on the right side. Clicking through the list leads directly to each issue's location, offering solutions within the same window.

As Microsoft states, "we all hold accountability for creating content that can be accessed equitably by all." Accessibility Assistant seamlessly integrates accessibility into the natural workflow, fostering more inclusive content for everyone.

What Mentra is Doing

Mentra is revolutionizing workforce accessibility through the innovative use of AI. Their platform analyzes 76+ data points to match neurodivergent individuals with job opportunities that prioritize career success, surpassing traditional measures of job fit. By going beyond typical qualifications and experience criteria, Mentra's AI uncovers unique strengths and capabilities in neurodivergent candidates.

The AI algorithms consider numerous factors, including cognitive abilities, communication styles, problem-solving approaches, sensory sensitivities, and work environment preferences. This holistic assessment empowers employers to build diverse, empathetic, and high-performing teams while providing neurodivergent candidates with roles that align with their strengths and preferences.

Mentra's commitment to inclusive hiring practices fosters an environment where diversity is celebrated and embraced. By leveraging advanced technology to uncover untapped talent, Mentra's AI not only promotes career success for neurodivergent individuals but also drives innovation and progress in the modern workforce.

What AudioEye is Doing

AudioEye, a leading enterprise SaaS accessibility platform, recently conducted a collaborative initiative involving accessibility experts from the disability community to evaluate the effectiveness of generative AI in identifying, fixing, and communicating accessibility issues. Accessibility experts, including individuals who rely on assistive technology, found that AI could significantly reduce the time required to assess and correct complex accessibility issues by up to 10 times. The study used a Large Language Model (LLM) and demonstrated promising results, showing that AI-generated fixes were on par with those generated by human experts.

The research highlighted the potential of AI as a scalable solution to address one of the biggest challenges in digital accessibility—efficiently identifying and fixing complex issues that traditionally demand time-consuming human analysis. By using AI-generated fixes as a starting point, human accessibility experts achieved substantial time savings in identifying code-based solutions and effectively communicating updates to developers.

David Moradi, AudioEye CEO, stresses the importance of ensuring AI is making digital access more equitable: “... when it comes to digital accessibility, a thoughtful and fact-based approach is needed to ensure AI is enhancing and not hindering digital access for the 1.3 billion people with disabilities around the globe... Working directly with members of the disability community to manage both the advantages and risks of AI is imperative.”

What accessiBe Doing

AccessiBe's accessWidget, powered by AI technology, offers a comprehensive set of accessibility features for websites, including:

Contextual Understanding AI: The AI analyzes website elements and behaviors, learning their purpose to make the content accessible for blind users relying on screen readers. It visually matches elements and behaviors to past encounters, ensuring precise communication of each element's purpose on the page.
Image Recognition and OCR AI Technologies: accessWidget scans all images on the site, automatically providing accurate and elaborate alternative text, even for embedded text and objects. This ensures visually impaired users receive comprehensive descriptions of each image.
Streamlined Web Accessibility: The AI fixes common requirements that many websites lack, enhancing elements like popups, menus, dropdowns, forms, links, icons, and buttons to enable keyboard navigation, lock up navigation focus, and identify field requirements and validations.
Ongoing Accessibility Compliance: accessWidget re-scans every page of every site at least once every 24 hours, ensuring the latest updates are remediated for compliance immediately. This scalable solution addresses complex accessibility issues that can arise due to website updates.

AccessiBe's AI-driven accessWidget empowers websites to become more inclusive and user-friendly, facilitating a seamless digital experience for all users.

Conclusion

The transformative power of AI in the realm of accessibility is evident through the groundbreaking initiatives taken by industry leaders. Companies like Microsoft, Mentra, AudioEye, and accessiBe are spearheading innovative AI-driven solutions that prioritize inclusivity. From revolutionizing search engine experiences to matching neurodivergent candidates with suitable job opportunities, and from analyzing images for accurate alternative text to streamlining web accessibility compliance, AI is reshaping the digital landscape for the better. Embracing a thoughtful and collaborative approach, AI is not just enhancing accessibility but also empowering millions of people with disabilities worldwide, fostering a more equitable and inclusive future for all.