Using AI to improve accessibility
Practical ways AI helps make work more accessible — used carefully, with people not instead of them.
Updated 4 Jun 2026
One of the most genuinely positive uses of AI is widening access — to information, to communication, to participation. Used well, it lowers everyday barriers. Used carelessly, it can paper over them with plausible-but-wrong output, so the how matters.
Where it helps today
- Alt text and descriptions. AI can draft image descriptions at scale — a strong starting point a human then checks for accuracy and context.
- Plain-language versions. Rewriting dense text into clearer English helps far more people than those with diagnosed needs.
- Captions and transcripts. Fast, useful, and the backbone of accessible meeting notes — verify names and key terms.
- Reading and drafting support. For dyslexia, ADHD, or simply a second language, an assistant that summarises and helps phrase things removes real friction.
Do it with people, not at them
- Verify, don’t dump. Auto-generated alt text or captions that are wrong are worse than honest gaps — they mislead the people relying on them.
- Offer, don’t impose. Accessibility is about choice; let people opt into AI-assisted formats.
- Involve the people affected. The best check on whether something is actually accessible is the people who need it to be.
AI is a powerful accessibility assistant and a poor accessibility authority. Let it draft; keep humans deciding what’s genuinely usable.