AI Accessibility Tools: Benefits, Limitations, Applications, and Recommendations

Your business is likely using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for various tasks. Yet, AI isn’t the right tool for every task. Human judgment is still essential, particularly for functions that rely on human connection: You wouldn’t trust generative AI to write every piece of copy on your website, and you shouldn’t trust AI to make your website accessible for people with disabilities. 

With that said, AI can be an important, cost-effective tool for improving digital accessibility — as long as it’s leveraged the right way.

Below, you’ll learn how to use AI web accessibility tools to meaningfully improve the experiences of real users. You’ll also learn how AI tools can improve your return on investment for accessibility initiatives and advancements when paired with expert human testing (and why human-guided tests are essential for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act(opens in a new tab) (ADA) and other accessibility laws.

AI and Accessibility: Answers and Questions

When implementing any trendy new technology, you have to understand how it works. This is particularly important with generative AI, given that there’s conflicting information about the technology’s current capabilities and long-term potential. 

You may have heard that AI will solve all of the world’s problems, and you’re just as likely to hear that it’s all marketing hype. For accessibility-specific applications, the truth is somewhere in the middle: AI can’t fix every accessibility barrier, but it can solve certain types of issues very quickly at scale. 

Before we discuss specific AI tools and how they can help your organization meet its goals, let’s look at a few common questions about AI and accessible design.

Why should I consider using AI for web accessibility?

Many accessibility issues can be found (and in some cases, fixed) with automation. For example, some AI tools can resolve common accessibility issues included in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(opens in a new tab) (WCAG) such as poor color contrast ratios or missing alternative text (also called alt text). 

If you’ve got a website with thousands of pages, AI can help you resolve hundreds of common accessibility concerns in seconds. The speed of assessment and correction can be extraordinarily useful.

What are the limitations of AI for web accessibility?

AI is less effective when accessibility issues fall outside of the simple pass-or-fail rules of WCAG. If an issue requires some level of human-like judgment, AI tools can make mistakes, which can have an immediate impact on users with disabilities.

For example:

• AI can determine whether or not a picture has alt text, but not whether the alt text is appropriately descriptive (at least, not yet — we’ll discuss this in detail later in this article). 

• AI can create captions and transcripts for videos (a much-needed feature for those with auditory and hearing impairments), but those text alternatives might not be 100% accurate, failing to meet WCAG’s requirements. 

• AI can fix simple issues with the semantic order (for example, the headings) of web content. However, if you’ve structured headings as visual headings — meaning that they don’t have any HTML to identify them as headings — AI won’t include those visual headings in the page structure.

Put simply, AI is an incredibly powerful set of tools when used correctly. In a recent collaborative study with experts from the disability community, AudioEye found that AI could reduce the time required to assess and correct accessibility issues by up to 10x. However, human judgment is still essential to find and fix more complex accessibility issues. 
It’s for that reason the World Wide Web Consortium(opens in a new tab) (W3C), which authors WCAG, recommends using a combination of automated and manual methods to test your content, helping you further enhance your content’s accessibility.

Can AI tools ensure compliance with accessibility laws?

The short answer is no. Non-discrimination laws like the ADA, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act(opens in a new tab) (AODA), and the European Accessibility Act(opens in a new tab) (EAA) require businesses to make their web content accessible for people with disabilities. That means following WCAG and conforming to all Level A/AA criteria. 

AI alone cannot guarantee conformance with WCAG — or compliance with laws like the ADA. If you rely completely on AI, you’re risking noncompliance.A comprehensive approach should leverage AI-driven automation, expert testers, and developer tools to maximize compliance.

Stylized web browser with a pop-up of a bulleted list; a magnifying glass over the accessibility symbol is in the right corner. Icons of gears are faded in the background.

4 Ways AI Tools Help Increase Accessibility

Now that you understand how AI can improve accessibility, let’s explore some present-day use cases and the benefits of using it.

1. Analyze (and Fix) Color Contrast Issues

Low color contrast is one of the most common accessibility barriers. It’s a problem for users with low vision, color vision deficiency, and individuals with situational disabilities (e.g., trying to scroll online in bright ambient light). 

AI-powered tools excel at identifying low-contrast text. Automation can rapidly scan thousands of pages, detecting instances where text contrast falls below WCAG requirements.

More advanced AI tools can go a step further, suggesting appropriate color combinations that meet contrast standards while aligning with your site's design palette.

2. Identify Missing Alt Text

AI tools like ChatGPT can create alt text descriptions (written text that describes images, graphs, and other visual content) using image recognition technology. For example, apps like Microsoft’s Seeing AI and the “Be My AI" feature from Be My Eyes use artificial intelligence to relay various types of visual content for those with visual impairments, including users who are blind or who have low vision.

However, AI tools are not quite advanced enough to write high-quality alt text. AI is capable of describing image content, but it can’t yet understand context. Some generative AI tools might include unnecessary details or provide too many details, both of which can harm the experience for assistive technology users. 

For example, let’s say that your website has an image of a man in a blue coat. The surrounding content might make it clear that the man is a physician, a veterinarian, or a gas station attendant — but AI may simply describe him as a “man in a blue coat.” 

Likewise, you might use one image to represent several different concepts on different pages of your site. Generative tools may describe all of those images with the same text.

Until AI is more advanced, it’s recommended to write alt text yourself. As AI improves, that guidance may change — and currently, AI tools can work in the other direction to help developers learn the best practices of writing alt text.

3. Make Language (More) Inclusive

AI tools can be trained on vast datasets to recognize potentially non-inclusive terms or phrases. They can flag language that might be considered outdated or biased for human review. 

However, AI isn’t nuanced. A phrase flagged by AI might be perfectly appropriate in context, or an AI might miss subtle forms of exclusion. While AI can serve as a helpful first pass to identify potential issues or biases in your copy, humans will need to review the suggestions.

4. Check HTML for Accessibility Issues

Clean, semantic HTML helps web browsers and assistive technologies present content to users in a more accessible way. AI tools can automate checks for common structural accessibility errors across your website's code — some AI tools can resolve those issues automatically.

AI tools can verify crucial semantic issues such as: 

• Correct heading structure (proper nesting and semantic tags, not just the visual styling).

• Accessible names for interactive elements like buttons (via text content or ARIA attributes).

• Associated labels for form controls (<input>, <select>, etc.).

• Appropriate use of landmark regions (<nav>, <main>, etc.) for page navigation.

By quickly scanning code, AI significantly speeds up technical audits. Still, automated checks flag potential issues; human developers still need to confirm certain types of barriers and implement the most effective solutions.

5. Write Accessibility Markup (When Tested)

For complex web components like custom widgets, interactive menus, or dynamic content updates, standard HTML may not provide enough semantic information for assistive technologies. This is where WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative – Accessible Rich Internet Applications) comes in. 

AI tools can help find issues with existing ARIA and may be able to write basic ARIA when instructed — but if you’re using ARIA, you need to make a commitment to test your markup.

Poor ARIA can make a website less accessible for people who use AT. Any AI-generated ARIA must be rigorously reviewed and tested by developers knowledgeable in accessibility. Ideally, it should also be tested by users with disabilities to make sure that it genuinely improves the on-page experience.

Advantages of AI-Led Automation with Expert Audits

Remember: The goal of accessible design is to improve user experiences for real users. You don’t want to simply check off issues — you want to create a better website. 

Automation isn’t a perfect tool for achieving that goal. AI cannot simulate human experiences. That’s especially true for the complex, frustrating, and fundamentally human experience of navigating the internet with a screen reader or another assistive technology. 

However, AI can quickly find and fix certain issues at scale. Using AI alongside expert-led audits will help to ensure that those fixes are performed the right way. This is known as a hybrid approach — and it yields a myriad of benefits: 

• By pairing AI with expert-led audits, a hybrid approach provides the highest level of accessibility at the lowest possible cost.

• When your website works better for users with disabilities, it works better for everyone. 

• Accessible websites tend to have cleaner code, which can lower the long-term costs of web development.

• Accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand. If your website has a clear structure and machine-readable content, you can expect higher search engine rankings and increased organic traffic.

• Inclusive design can boost your brand. 33% of global consumers buy from brands(opens in a new tab) that they believe are aligned with their social or environmental values.

An accessibility icon surrounded by a number of design tools — an eyedropper, a cursor, and an anchor point tool.

What to Look for in AI Accessibility Tools

As you’re looking at different AI accessibility tools for your website, mobile app, or other digital content, remember this: efficiency is key. You want a solution that automates processes where appropriate while still ensuring compliance with accessibility laws. Look for tools that provide:

• Compliance coverage: This is arguably the most important feature to pay attention to. Look for tools that align with the accessibility laws or regulations in your area. For example, if you’re a Canadian-based business, the solution should align with AODA requirements as this helps keep your legal risk low.

• Automated scanning and monitoring: Look for solutions that can identify accessibility issues in real-time and continuously monitor for new problems. This helps you maintain compliance across your digital interfaces even as they change.

• Auto-remediation features: Tools that can fix common issues like missing alt text, incorrect headings, or low-contrast text without manual input can be a game-changer. 

• Human expertise integration: As mentioned above, some accessibility errors require human review, so look for tools that provide automation alongside human guidance and support.

• CMS and workflow integration: Opt for accessibility solutions that work within your existing systems (e.g., WordPress, Shopify, or customer development environments) as this can streamline accessibility checks.

• Actionable reports and dashboards: AI accessibility tools should include clear, easy-to-understand insights into your compliance status and progress over time, allowing you to make adjustments as needed.

• API and developer tools: Finally, look for solutions that allow integration into your development pipeline, so accessibility becomes a natural part of your content creation process.

Using an AI accessibility tool that includes these capabilities enhances your accessibility, streamlines your path to compliance (which lowers your legal risk), and expands your potential audience.

Achieve Compliance with AudioEye: Best-in-Class AI Accessibility with Expert Oversight

AI-powered accessibility tools can be a game-changer, helping you improve digital accessibility while streamlining your path to compliance with accessibility laws. When used correctly, AI can rapidly identify and address common accessibility issues. But automation alone isn’t enough — human expertise is essential to increase accessibility, fully meet compliance standards, and create a more accessible digital world.

However, to unlock these benefits, you need the right tool — one that combines AI technology with human expertise and integrates seamlessly into your existing workflows. That’s where AudioEye comes in.

At AudioEye, we take a three-pronged approach to accessibility using AI-driven automation technology, audits from accessibility experts and members of the disability community, and testing throughout the development process to achieve industry-leading compliance with accessibility standards. 

We start with our free Website Accessibility Checker, which detects 30 WCAG violations (more than any other tool on the market) which our Automated Accessibility Platform then automatically fixes. AudioEye goes a step further — supplementing our automated testing with Expert Audits from accessibility experts and individuals from the disability community. We also bring accessibility tools directly into your development process via our Developer Tools, allowing you to incorporate accessibility into your content creation process from the beginning. 

The result: accessible, compliant digital content in half the time and at 90% less cost than traditional fix-at-source approaches. 

Ready to get started? Scan your content with our free Website Accessibility Checker. Or address one of the most common barriers — poor color contrast — with our easy-to-use Color Contrast Checker.

Want to see AudioEye in action? Schedule a demo to see how we combine AI-driven automation with trusted guidance from human experts.