Students - AI and Accessibility

AI and Accessibility

Bridging the Gap: AI Solutions for Accessibility. A resource created for students at Queen's University, Belfast.

Start

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility is about creating inclusive environments that accommodate the diverse needs of all individuals, promoting equity and participation across all areas of life. In educational settings, accessibility ensures that all students, including those with disabilities, have equal opportunities to learn and participate. By fostering inclusive environments through supportive learning tools and AI-driven accessibility solutions, society can better empower all students to thrive in education, work, and daily life.

Use the top right and left arrows to navigate through this resource.

Menu

This resource showcases a range of AI powered assistive tech and tools available to students, including those designed to support neurodivergent individuals. It highlights how these tools can promote inclusivity, and cater to diverse cognitive needs within the educational environment. To start, select a button below or use the top right arrow above.

Introduction

Microsoft AI Tools

AI Tools for Neurodivergence

Other Accessible Tools

Find Out More

As you move throught this resource, remember to always check with your module convenor before using AI in your studies.

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming accessibility by breaking down barriers and creating more inclusive experiences for individuals with diverse needs. From real-time speech-to-text transcription for those with hearing impairments to AI-powered screen readers for visually impaired users, these technologies are enhancing independence and engagement. As AI continues to evolve, it holds the potential to improve digital accessibility, ensuring that technology serves everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Microsoft AI Tools

Students at Queen’s University Belfast have free access to Microsoft 365, which includes a range of AI-powered accessibility features designed to support learning. These features can assist those with disabilities affecting vision, hearing, mobility, and other aspects of interacting with technology.

With built-in support for reading, writing, communication, and navigation, these tools help create a more inclusive and accessible learning environment.

Copilot

Microsoft's AI Tools for Accessibility

Click on any of the icons below to explore how Microsoft's AI features can support students with disabilities in their studies.

Text Readability and Writing Assistance

Visual and Image Accessibility

Speech to Text and Voice Assistance

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is a generative AI chatbot that can be used for a wide range of tasks. A study involving over 300 disabled employees from 17 organisations determined that Copilot is being used to 'break down barriers for neurodivergent and disabled employees', (Microsoft Accessibility Blog).

LLMs (Large Language Models) can be especially useful for for neurodivergent students as results can be completely personalised to suit learner variability.

Microsoft Copilot for Neurodivergence

Below, explore the different ways that Microsoft Copilot can assist neurodivergence.

Communication

Independence

Clarity

Inclusion

Organisation

Focus

AI Tools for Cognitive Accessibility

Choose and click on a cover below to explore some tools that can assist neurodivergent students with their university and personal life. Each example includes a short video, along with a link to the AI tool if you'd like to try it yourself.

Goblin Tools

NotebookLM

ReclaimAI

Gnothi

More Tools for Accessibility

There are a variety of other useful AI and non-AI tools available that enhance accessibility. To explore some of these, select and click on an icon below.

Be My Eyes - An app that connects visually impaired users with sighted individuals to provide visual assistance.

Speechify - A text-to-speech reader for documents, apps, websites, scanned content, and more.

Click2Speak - An easy-to-use, on-screen keyboard for users with motor disabilities.

Ava - Live captioning designed to empower deaf and hard of hearing users.

ColorVeil - A screen colour filter that can be applied to all applications for those with dyslexia.

Focus Writer - A distraction-free word processor that allows users to write without disturbance.

Find out more

AI has the potential to enhance inclusivity across university life. By personalising learning experiences, providing assistive technologies, and supporting diverse needs, AI can help create a more equitable and accessible educational environment for all students. The links below will direct you to relevant sections of the Queen's AI Hub, and to key information and guides from the University's Assistive Tech Hub, created by Accessible Learning Support.

Accessibility and AI

What is Assistive Tech?

Student Support Page

Study Tools and Resources

Remember, AI is here to help, not take over. Always speak to your lecturers before using AI tools in their module and always use AI responsibly.

Using Copilot for Inclusion

Microsoft Copilot can assist by adjusting tone, format, and phrasing to support a more inclusive experience, whether in group work, written tasks, or everyday interactions. To support inclusion, Copilot can:

• Rephrase content to suit different communication styles
• Adjust tone in emails or messages for greater inclusivity
• Format documents for sensory-friendly reading.

NotebookLM can make research more manageable by organising information, generating summaries, and offering tailored explanations - helping neurodivergent students engage with content in a way that suits learner variability.

Speech to Text and Voice Assistance

Microsoft's feature of turning speech to text can be used for those with both physical and cognitive disabilities. For some, physically typing long pieces of text is not an option and for others, transcripts are needed when listening to people speak. Microsoft features to assist with this are:

Dictate

Live Transcripts

Live Transcripts are a feature in Microsoft Teams that create a real-time transcript of spoken content in meetings.

Dictate is a speech-to-text feature that allows users to verbally write content, format document, and add punctuation.

Where to Find

Where to Find

Using Copilot for Independence

The ability to be independent is a necessary right that everyone should have access to, however everyday life is not always set up in a way that this is possible for those who are neurodivergent. For written work, dyslexia and aphasia can cause a reliance upon others to proofread even the smallest amount of work. Copilot eliminates this dependency and can assist with spelling, grammar, rephrasing and more.

Using Copilot for Communication

Communicating with peers, and lecturers is a primary part of university life. LLMs such as Copilot can ease the process of back and forth emailing much easier for those with language-based neurodivergence, or those needing support with digital communication. For communication, Copilot can be used to:

• Support users drafting emails
• Summarise long text.

Goblin Tools consists of eight AI-powered tools designed with neurodivergent users in mind. Offering assistance for both work and everyday tasks, Goblin Tools help make life more accessible.

Using Copilot for Organisation

Organising meetings, work, and tasks from different places can be overwhelming and prevent students from feeling accomplished in their day-to-day work. Copilot is built into many Microsoft 360 applications and can be a fantastic time saver when organising between your workspaces. Copilot can help you stay organised by:

• Summarising the content of meetings
• Setting reminders from your university emails
• Structure data or notes that are unclear.

Using Copilot for Focus

LLMs are often used for task based assistance. They can also be extremely useful for concentration and reducing mental load. If you find yourself overwhelmed with your tasks, Copilot can guide you through mindfulness exercises, suggest ways of decluttering your mind, and more. For focus, Copilot can be used to:

• Suggest ways to manage your time efficiently
• Assist with relaxation and mindfulness
• Optimise your workspace.

ReclaimAI is ideal for users looking for help with organisation, reducing overload, and prioritising tasks. The software integrates with Google Calendar to schedule events based on importance and includes features that support mental well-being and a healthy work-life balance.

Text Readability and Writing Assistance

AI tools designed to assist with text readability and writing can be useful for a wide range of disabilities. Students with visual impairments as well as those who struggle to focus on text can benefit greatly from these tools. The two main tools are:

Immersive Reader

Editor

Immersive Reader is a feature that provides users with options for the appearence of text, or even have text read aloud.

Editor is a writing assistant that helps users check their grammar, spelling, and overall writing style.

Where to Find

Where to Find

Gnothi is an AI journal and toolkit that helps you focus on your mental health. The journal allows you to track your mood and habits, identify patterns in your journal entries, and receive personalised book recommendations. While it’s not a substitute for professional mental health support, it can be a valuable tool for reflection and gaining deeper insight into your thoughts and routines.

Using Copilot for Clarity

For individuals who experience challenges with comprehension, navigating the clarity of assignments and communication in your studies can be difficult. Large Language Models (LLMs) are trained on vast amounts of text and are designed to recognise and adapt to various learning and communication styles, offering support in understanding complex information. To support clarity, Copilot can be used to:

• Detect the tone of an email
• Clarify the meaning of essay/assignment topics
• Provide actionable next steps from instructions.

Visual and Image Accessibility

Microsoft's accessibility features for vision and image recognition are some of the most innovative. It is vital that visually impaired users can still benefit from images used and shared in their studies. Microsoft have also developed apps to assist visually impaired users in the outside, as well as online. The main tools for this are:

Soundscape

Seeing AI

Image Analysis

Image Analysis uses AI to auto-generate alt text for images.

Seeing AI is a free app that uses AI to describe the user's surrounding environment.

Microsoft Soundscape uses 3D audio technology to provide descriptions of surroundings.

How to Use

How to Use

How to Use