In the wake of ChatGPT, everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential use cases, ranging from marketing to customer service to image and video creation. When should it be used? What are the perks and the risks?
And today, we’re going to talk about AI and accessibility. We’ll discuss how AI can help improve accessible digital experiences, where it can help with accessibility testing, and the limitations that brands need to keep in mind.
How can AI and accessibility work together? Using ChatGPT to help you develop the best prompts is an excellent experience for anyone, regardless of goal and topic.
Are you reading this blog because you want to stay updated on the latest accessibility insights?
We'll be covering web accessibility from a legal perspective in a new Holland & Knight and UsableNet webinar this week! Save your seat for March 27 at 12 pm - Navigating the Digital Accessibility Legal Landscape -A 2024 Update.
.AI’s Role in Improving Accessible Digital Experiences
Hear from a screen reader user on how he uses AI daily to improve his experience.
Artificial intelligence has several common uses for improving accessible digital experiences and increasing accessibility overall.
Real-life examples of AI improving digital accessibility include:
See where AI can help you with web accessibility testing
It’s important to note that AI can support existing automated capabilities, but it is not capable of expanding that functionality yet.
AI can currently help support image recognition for alt text generation. This can streamline the process of adding alt text to images on your websites, thus meeting WCAG criteria-related visuals.
AI can also help support automated testing tools when it comes to identifying specific accessibility issues like missing alt attributes, color contrast concerns, and incorrect use of Accessible Rich Internet Application ARIA) roles. In some cases, it may also be able to identify navigation and labeling issues.
While this can be highly beneficial, it does not change the fact that most WCAG success criteria need human testing to accurately evaluate and implement accessibility compliance.
Learn the limitations of AI and why it cant be fully dependant for WCAG conformance
AI can improve automated accessibility audits and testing and may help catch new concerns that existing ones may have otherwise missed.
Yet, AI does not make up for manual testing and human verification for two core reasons.
The first is that most WCAG Success Criteria require a deep understanding of context and intent, which AI currently struggles with. Nuance is critical.
The second is that complex interactions (like widgets that must be fully accessible) typically require human creativity and a proper understanding of diverse user needs and behaviors. AI cannot replicate this reliably or efficiently, so relying too much on it can leave significant gaps in digital accessibility.
In this Video, Jason Taylor breaks down the hype of AI and clarifies what it can and cannot do with web accessibility.
When it comes to automated AI solutions, it’s important to understand what’s real and what’s not. Here’s a general rule to consider:
In this video, Jason Taylor gives his recommendations on how your team can be empowered through AI.
To leverage AI for accessibility, consider these uses:
AI can be helpful for accessibility purposes, as long as organizations understand when to use it and when not to use it. Accessibility testing should always be conducted with manual human testing and ideally with members of the disabled community.
Litigation attorney Christine Walz will participate in a webinar hosted by Holland & Knight and UsableNet on digital accessibility. Register now for our free webinar on March 27 at 12 p.m. to learn essential considerations for online businesses and the latest legal insights.