AI and Assistive Tech: Key Advancements in Accessibility

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the digital accessibility landscape. Thanks to a new generation of AI-powered solutions, it’s easier than ever for organizations to build and maintain experiences that work for everyone, including users of assistive technologies. But it’s also changing the landscape of assistive technology itself.

From improved image recognition to sophisticated speech-to-text processing, assistive tools are becoming more intuitive, more accurate, and more personalized. Understanding these advancements will help you ensure your accessibility efforts keep pace with users’ evolving needs.

This blog unpacks how AI is transforming the assistive technologies used by many people with disabilities, including new, intelligent tools available to users and AI-powered accessibility enhancements in major tech platforms. We’ll also explain what these innovations mean for your organization’s digital accessibility program.

Exploring AI innovation in assistive technology

People with disabilities can harness a growing number of AI-powered assistive tools to navigate barriers to access in both the digital and physical world. These include tools specifically created to improve accessibility, as well as new AI capabilities in existing platforms that provide a more equitable user experience.

AI-enabled assistive technology apps

AI innovation, particularly in image and facial recognition, has given rise to many apps specifically designed to help users with disabilities break down accessibility barriers in daily life. For example:

• Microsoft Seeing AI: This free mobile app, available on iOS and Android, supports users who are blind or have low vision by translating visual surroundings into audio. Using the device’s camera and AI-driven tools, it can describe scenes, read text aloud, and recognize objects in real time.
• Be My Eyes: Originally a volunteer-based service, the Be My Eyes app now includes an AI-powered feature that assists users with visual disabilities with object and text recognition—including in screenshots and app interfaces—without needing a live human connection.
• Google Live Transcribe: Google’s Live Transcribe app helps make spoken conversations more accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. By converting speech to text in real time, the app supports inclusive communication—whether in one-on-one conversations, group settings, or public environments.
• Google Lens: With the Google Lens app, people with visual disabilities can use their smartphone camera to read text, identify objects and products, and learn about their surroundings. Built-in accessibility features like TalkBack support these capabilities: All Google Lens functions are made accessible through audio output and customizable text displays.
• Proloquo2Go: An acclaimed augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app, Proloquo2Go helps children and adults with speech disabilities communicate with confidence by using symbol-based tools to start and engage in conversations.

Other notable AI-driven advancements in assistive technology

The impact of AI on the assistive technology landscape extends beyond specific apps. From more sophisticated accessibility features on popular devices to new, intelligent assistive technology interfaces and wearables, AI innovation is powering a wide range of developments that improve access for people with disabilities:

• Expanded iOS accessibility features: On iOS devices, users with visual disabilities can leverage built-in AI tools to better understand the content of their photos and receive guidance for framing shots. Apple also offers automatic screen and image descriptions, and tools that allow users who can’t vocalize to create personalized synthetic voices.
• Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs): These interfaces let people control computers with their thoughts. By reading brain signals, BCIs can move cursors, operate robotic arms, and even help individuals with paralysis breathe or speak.
• Ray-Ban Meta glasses: These glasses help users who are blind or have low vision navigate the world more easily with AI-powered features like Detailed Responses, which describe objects, text, and their surroundings in real time.

What does AI-powered assistive technology mean for digital accessibility programs?

Through AI innovation, assistive tools are helping bridge critical accessibility gaps—allowing users to more easily overcome barriers in digital environments, as well as physical ones. If your organization is working to design and build barrier-free digital experiences, you may be wondering whether the availability of these tools should impact your efforts. For instance, do you still need to add alt text to images, if AI-powered assistive tools can automatically describe photos and graphics?

Even though AI advancements in assistive technology are helping users more effectively navigate barriers to access, organizations must continue making an active effort to ensure that experiences are barrier-free in the first place. That means adhering to established accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

The use of AI-powered assistive technology is not yet universal, and people may have access needs that are not addressed by available tools. So, by conforming to standards, you ensure that you provide a consistently accessible experience for the broadest possible group of users. Additionally, aligning with WCAG remains critical for compliance with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Simply put, WCAG conformance offers a baseline level of accessibility for all users, and a baseline level of compliance for organizations. For people that leverage them, AI-powered assistive tools may provide access above and beyond what’s possible through WCAG conformance—but that doesn’t impact organizations’ responsibility to meet this baseline standard.

Shaping the future of user experience with AI and human values

AI is a powerful ally in the quest for digital inclusion. AI advancements in assistive technology are allowing users to more readily move past barriers, like missing alt text and inaccessible communication. But organizations also have a crucial part to play by developing digital experiences for every user’s needs. Beyond technology, accessibility requires intentional design, conformance to standards, and ongoing human input.

Ready to make accessibility part of your digital strategy?

Level Access combines an AI-powered platform with deep subject matter expertise to supercharge your accessibility operations. Backed by 25 years of industry leadership, our end-to-end solution helps you accelerate workflows, optimize productivity, and scale accessible digital experiences with precision and confidence.

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