How AI Is Changing Accessibility: Progress, Challenges, and the Path Ahead

Accessible technology is essential for people to function in our ever-increasingly digitized society. For millions of people with disabilities, access to technology can mean the difference between participating fully in education, employment, healthcare, and civic life, or being excluded as a result of barriers to accessibility. Whether it’s reading a document, navigating public transportation, joining a meeting, or accessing government services, technology should be designed with access and equity in mind, so that everyone can use technology as a tool for communication and independent living. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a larger part of the tools and systems we rely on, it is having an outsized impact on how we use technology, access the internet, get information, and communicate with each other. In its early stages, AI may not be addressing accessibility optimally, and yet at the same time, AI is providing advantages in technology use that are significant improvements for people with disabilities. Following, we’ll explore some AI-related tech innovations, and consider what may lie ahead, and what’s still needed.