Imagine watching a video without being able to hear the dialogue, visiting a website without being able to see its images, or trying to understand an important announcement that is written in complicated language.
For millions of people, these are not hypothetical situations. The way media is created and presented can determine whether someone can participate independently or is left out.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities to make digital content more accessible. From automatically generating captions and describing images to translating information and helping people understand complex text, AI can support a more inclusive media landscape.
However, technology is not a complete solution on its own. AI systems can make mistakes, overlook individual needs and produce information that is misleading or inaccessible. The most effective approach combines useful technology with thoughtful design, human oversight and the experiences of disabled people themselves.
What is AI accessibility?
AI accessibility refers to the use of artificial intelligence to help people access, understand, create and interact with digital content and technology.
It can support accessibility in areas such as:
- Videos, films and online broadcasts.
- Music videos, podcasts and audio programmes.
- Websites, articles and digital publications.
- Photographs, graphics, illustrations and other visual content.
- Online learning materials and educational resources.
- Digital services and everyday communication.
The aim is not to create a separate, inferior experience for disabled people. It is to remove unnecessary barriers so that more people can access the same information, entertainment, opportunities and services.
1. AI-generated captions for videos
One of the most familiar applications of AI in media is automatic speech recognition. This technology can identify spoken words and turn them into captions or transcripts.
Accurate captions can help deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers follow dialogue. They can also benefit people watching videos in noisy environments, people who cannot turn up the sound and viewers who prefer to read along.
Captions can be particularly valuable for:
- News reports and interviews.
- Educational videos and online courses.
- Social media clips and music-related content.
- Workplace training and public information.
- Recorded meetings, presentations and webinars.
Nevertheless, automatic captions are not always correct. Names, accents, technical terms, overlapping voices and background music can all cause errors. Incorrect captions may change the meaning of a sentence or make important information difficult to understand.
Creators should review captions before publishing and include meaningful non-speech information where appropriate, such as identifying speakers or significant sounds. Human checking is especially important when accuracy affects safety, health, education or legal information.
2. AI-generated descriptions of images
Images are an important part of modern media, but they can create barriers for people who are blind or partially sighted when no meaningful text alternative is provided.
AI image-recognition tools can help generate descriptions of photographs, illustrations, charts and other visual material. These descriptions may be used as a starting point for alternative text, commonly called alt text, or for longer image descriptions.
For example, an AI tool might describe a photograph of volunteers preparing food at a community event. A human editor can then check that the description communicates the important information without making unsupported assumptions about the people shown.
Good image descriptions should focus on the purpose of the image and what the reader needs to understand. Not every decorative image needs a long description, while a complex chart may require a more detailed explanation of its findings.
AI-generated descriptions should be reviewed carefully. A system may misidentify an object, overlook a crucial detail or make an assumption about a person's identity, emotion or disability.
AI can help speed up the process, but it should not be treated as automatically correct. The final description should serve the reader, not simply describe everything the software thinks it can see.
3. Audio descriptions for visual media
Audio description provides spoken explanations of important visual information that is not already communicated through dialogue or the soundtrack. It can help blind and partially sighted audiences follow films, television programmes, videos and other visual content.
AI may help identify scenes, objects, actions and changes in a video. It can also assist in drafting descriptions that a trained reviewer can refine.
However, automatically describing a scene is not the same as producing a useful audio-description track. The timing, relevance and clarity of the narration matter. Descriptions should fit naturally into appropriate gaps and prioritise information that helps audiences understand what is happening.
Where a video has important visual details, creators should consider whether audio description is needed and seek appropriate expertise rather than assume that a general AI summary is an adequate substitute.
4. Translation and multilingual access
AI translation can help make media available to people who speak different languages. It can assist with translating articles, subtitles, transcripts, instructions and other digital information.
This can help community organisations, educators, public services and media publishers reach audiences who might otherwise face language barriers.
AI translation may also support people who use a different language from the one in which a service was originally created. However, translation does not always preserve tone, cultural meaning, specialist terminology or important distinctions.
For safeguarding messages, medical information, legal documents and other high-impact content, translations should receive suitable human review. Organisations should also consider whether the audience needs plain language, sign-language resources or another accessible format in addition to translated text.
5. Making information easier to understand
Long articles, complicated forms and technical explanations can create barriers for people with learning disabilities, some neurodivergent people and anyone who finds dense information difficult to process.
AI tools can help writers produce plain-language versions of documents, break complex information into shorter sections, explain unfamiliar terms and create step-by-step instructions.
For example, an organisation might use AI to create a simpler summary of an event's arrival arrangements, explain what someone should bring or rewrite a long set of instructions into a clear sequence.
The result still needs to be checked. Simplifying information should not remove essential details, change the meaning or speak to adults in a patronising way.
Easy Read is also more than ordinary text with shorter sentences. Depending on the audience and purpose, it may involve a particular layout, carefully chosen words, supportive images and review by people who use Easy Read materials.
6. Supporting different ways to communicate
People communicate in many different ways. Some use speech, while others use sign language, communication boards, symbols, text, speech-generating devices or a combination of methods.
AI-powered speech recognition, transcription, translation and communication tools may help some people participate in conversations, meetings, learning and online activities.
For example, speech-to-text tools can provide a written record of spoken information. Other tools may support the preparation of communication materials or help turn information into a format that is easier for a particular audience to use.
These benefits depend on the person's preferences, the quality of the technology and the situation. Speech recognition may work poorly with some speech patterns, accents, background noise or communication differences. A tool designed for one person may be unsuitable for another.
AI should not be used to assume what a non-speaking person wants, thinks or feels. Communication support must respect the individual's established methods, choices and autonomy.
Assistive technology should be selected around the person, rather than expecting the person to adapt to whichever technology is available.
7. Helping people navigate websites and digital services
AI assistants can sometimes help users locate information, summarise lengthy pages, explain unfamiliar terms or navigate complex services. These functions may reduce the effort required to find a particular answer.
For example, a visitor might ask an assistant to explain an event's accessibility arrangements, summarise a long policy or locate contact details on a website.
However, an AI assistant can provide an incorrect answer, overlook important information or fail to recognise that a user needs a particular adjustment. Organisations should make essential information available through reliable, accessible website pages and provide alternative contact routes.
AI should complement accessible website design, not replace it. Clear navigation, meaningful headings, keyboard access, readable text, suitable contrast and compatibility with assistive technologies remain important.
8. AI can help creators, but it cannot replace inclusive design
Media creators often work with limited time and resources. AI can assist with repetitive tasks, draft accessibility information and identify possible problems before content is published.
A creator might use AI to prepare an initial transcript, suggest alternative text, draft a plain-language summary or check whether a video has captions.
These tasks can make accessibility work more manageable, but they do not remove the responsibility to check the finished result.
Accessibility should be considered at the beginning of a project, not added as an afterthought. Creators should plan for captions, transcripts, descriptions, accessible page layouts and different ways of consuming information from the outset.
9. The risks of relying too heavily on AI
Although AI can support accessibility, poorly designed or inadequately checked systems can create new barriers.
- Inaccurate information: Incorrect captions, translations or descriptions may change the meaning of content.
- Bias: Systems may perform differently for different accents, languages, speech patterns or groups of people.
- Privacy: Uploading recordings, photographs or personal documents may expose information to a third-party service.
- Loss of context: An automated description may miss cultural meaning, humour, emotion or information that matters to the audience.
- Inaccessible tools: The AI interface itself may not work well with a screen reader, keyboard navigation or other assistive technology.
- Over-reliance: Organisations may publish automated outputs without adequate testing or consultation.
Accessibility features should be evaluated with the people expected to use them. A tool that appears impressive in a demonstration may not work reliably in everyday conditions.
10. How to use AI responsibly for accessible media
Media organisations, content creators, charities, schools and businesses can take practical steps to use AI more responsibly.
- Identify the audience. Consider the different access needs, preferences and communication methods of the people who will use the content.
- Choose the right tool. Check whether the service supports the required language, format and accessibility task.
- Protect personal information. Avoid uploading sensitive recordings, photographs or documents unless the use is appropriate and privacy safeguards have been considered.
- Review the output. Check captions, image descriptions, translations and simplified text for accuracy, clarity and unintended assumptions.
- Test with real users. Where possible, involve disabled people in evaluating whether the content is genuinely accessible and useful.
- Provide alternatives. Do not assume that one accessibility feature will meet everyone's needs. Offer appropriate combinations of text, audio, captions and other formats.
- Keep responsibility clear. Decide who checks the content, handles concerns and corrects accessibility problems after publication.
11. A practical accessibility checklist for media creators
Before publishing an article, video, podcast or digital resource, ask the following questions:
- Does the video have accurate captions where needed?
- Is a transcript available for relevant audio content?
- Do important images have meaningful text alternatives?
- Have audio-description needs been considered for visual media?
- Is the text clear, well organised and easy to navigate?
- Are colours, contrast and text size suitable for the intended audience?
- Can people navigate the content using a keyboard and assistive technology?
- Have AI-generated captions, summaries and descriptions been checked?
- Have privacy and data protection risks been considered?
- Have disabled people had a meaningful opportunity to provide feedback?
Not every item will apply to every project. The important thing is to consider accessibility deliberately and address the barriers that are relevant to the content and audience.
12. Why disabled people's voices must be included
Technology developers and media organisations cannot determine every accessibility need from technical tests alone. People who use accessibility features bring practical experience that can reveal problems a development team might otherwise overlook.
A caption may technically exist but be too inaccurate to follow. An image description may be present but omit the most important information. A simplified article may be shorter but still confusing. Feedback from users helps identify these differences.
Disabled people should have opportunities to contribute to the design, testing and improvement of accessible media. This should be meaningful involvement, with their time and expertise respected, rather than a last-minute request to approve a finished product.
Inclusion also means recognising that disabled people are not one single audience. Different people may have different preferences, and accessibility solutions should reflect that diversity.
Final thoughts: technology should open doors, not create new barriers
Artificial intelligence offers exciting possibilities for making media more accessible. It can help creators prepare captions, describe images, translate information, simplify complex text and support different ways of communicating.
Used thoughtfully, these tools can reduce some of the practical barriers that prevent people from accessing information, education, entertainment and community life.
But accessibility is not simply a feature that can be switched on. It requires planning, accurate content, inclusive design, privacy protection, human judgement and a willingness to learn from disabled people.
The real measure of success is not how advanced an AI system appears. It is whether people can use the resulting media more independently, confidently and meaningfully.
The future of accessible media should be shaped by a simple principle: technology should help more people participate, without leaving their rights, preferences or dignity behind.
Further information and trusted resources
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) — guidance on making websites and digital content accessible.
- GOV.UK: Accessibility requirements for public sector websites and apps — information about accessibility requirements in the UK public sector.
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) — information and support relating to sight loss and accessibility.
- RNID — information and support for people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
- Scope — information and resources relating to disability inclusion.
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework — a framework for considering and managing risks associated with AI systems.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and awareness. It is not legal, medical or technical advice. Accessibility needs and applicable requirements vary by context.
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