The information presented within this guide is aimed at website owners seeking to learn the ropes of web accessibility and to create a more inclusive online environment for people with disabilities. Technical elements are described in layman’s terms, and, as a rule, all topics pertaining to the legalities of web accessibility are presented in as simplified a manner as possible. This blog has no legal bearing, and cannot be relied on in the case of litigation.
The last few years have seen one major technological trend explode in popularity:
Artificial intelligence.
Yet, whereas most of us were really exposed to its potential with the release of platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini, AI has been at the heart of many other revolutionary platforms and technologies, dating back to the mid 2010s.
One industry that has been completely revamped by the transformative power of AI is web accessibility.
Just a few years ago, the process of assessing a website’s level of accessibility - let alone remediating the issues found during an accessibility audit - would have taken weeks or months.
Today, thanks to the power of AI, there are a number of tools that greatly expedite this process, cutting costs and allowing for hundreds of thousands of people to embark on their accessibility journey where they otherwise may not have.
AI at the heart of web accessibility’s rising adoption rates
A decade ago, those interested in presenting accessible websites and digital environments would have had to rely entirely on manual methods.
Simply assessing a website’s accessibility status using only that approach takes weeks, and requires significant resources. Remediating the issues detected during an accessibility audit, and maintaining the accessibility status reached during the process, is equally as labor-intensive and expensive.
Unfortunately, this led precious few to pursue web accessibility for many years.
However, things changed in the latter part of the 2010s.
Web accessibility solution providers began realizing AI’s potential to accelerate key areas of the testing and remediation process.
A growing understanding quickly emerged:
Where the road toward optimal accessibility would require a certain level of manual intervention, significant stretches could be dealt with more efficiently using AI-driven automation.
Today, more than 4% of all websites are accessible, a significant rise from a mere 1.9% in 2020. This positive trend is likely to continue, as more and more website owners join the hundreds of thousands already leveraging AI-powered solutions to present accessible websites.
What parts of the web accessibility journey are most elevated by AI?
1. Web accessibility auditing
AI-driven platforms, like accessWidget, can scan an entire website, analyzing components such as menus, dropdowns, pop-ups, forms, and validations. By comparing these elements and their usage across thousands of other websites, AI can understand their roles and whether they pose accessibility threats.
Two highly-interesting AI-driven processes deployed by these tools during the auditing phase are Object Recognition and Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
What this means is that website s are automatically scanned to detect missing or insufficient alternative text. As descriptive alt text for meaningful s (i.e., the kind that convey useful, important information), is a critical component of an accessible website, these processes are key to determining whether a web page can be considered accessible or not.
2. Web accessibility remediation
AI transforms accessibility remediation by automating many common tasks using advanced algorithms and machine learning.
For example, elements such as menus and buttons often stand in the way of a website being navigable entirely via keyboard. After running an audit, AI-driven tools can automatically tackle these elements on a code level by either removing inaccessible attributes or adjusting the code so that it enables proper keyboard navigation.
Furthermore, website forms often lack proper labeling, which is essential for users relying on screen readers. AI can automatically add or correct labels, ensuring each field is properly identified and described to screen readers. AI can also provide real-time feedback and error messages, guiding screen reader users through the form completion process more effectively.
Finally, AI manages dynamic content, such as pop-ups and modals, by recognizing when these elements appear, and ensuring they are properly announced to screen readers, handling focus management to prevent user disorientation.
AI’s transformative role in remediating online documents
AI significantly enhances the testing and auditing process for online documents. Tools like PAVE (PDF Accessibility Validation Engine) and PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker) use AI to detect issues such as missing tags, incorrect reading orders, and inadequate alternative text for meaningful images.
Beyond identifying these accessibility issues, AI-powered tools can also assist in remediating them.
These tools are capable of automatically adding the elements identified as missing during the auditing process, and adjusting those that have been applied inaccurately.
It is important to note, however, that full and complete document remediation requires a certain level of manual involvement.
Online document remediation tasks are typically conducted by web accessibility experts. Uniquely capable of understanding the results of an audit, expert service providers leverage these AI-driven testing and remediation platforms while inspecting the suggestions offered and/or the adjustments carried out by these tools, to ensure they are accurate and complete.
3. Ongoing maintenance
Every new page, feature, or element introduced to a website can bring with it new accessibility issues. If these arise, they need to be identified and swiftly addressed.
AI-driven tools can do just that, as they:
- Continuously monitor a website for accessibility issues
- Identify accessibility issues as they emerge
- Remediate the issues in a timely manner (good AI-driven tools can fix issues within 24 hours of detecting them)
This is perhaps the process most elevated by AI, as manual inspection, by its nature, will never truly be continuous.
You can have experts review your website (and, in some cases, you are legally required to do so, such as when filling out a VPAT to comply with Section 508), yet only automated solutions can keep an eye out for new accessibility issues, 24/7.
4. Accessible code development
Developing websites and web-based platforms so that they feature accessible code used to be a very challenging task. Understanding when and how to apply elements such as ARIA attributes, for example, requires an intimate understanding of the technical elements of web accessibility. While some set aside time to master this field, the vast majority of developers did not.
Today, AI-powered platforms such as accessFlow help all developers write accessible code; even when they lack prior experience doing so, or know little about web accessibility as a whole.
While they work on creating a website or app, developers can have their code scanned for accessibility issues in real-time. Then, when the AI detects code that will result in an inaccessible feature or experience, developers will be given tips and instructions on how to solve the issue, which they can deploy on the spot.
These types of solutions dramatically reduce the efforts traditionally tied to developing accessible code. Offering developers a simple, sleek user experience, these tools make it far easier for team and department leaders to naturally incorporate accessibility throughout the development lifecycle.
Future trends in AI-driven web accessibility
Along with the AI-driven platforms that already contribute to web accessibility’s growing pervasiveness, there are several emerging technologies set to further this trend.
Here are two of the most exciting ones:
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are a groundbreaking trend in AI-driven web accessibility, creating direct communication pathways between the brain and digital devices, allowing users with severe physical disabilities to control computers using their thoughts.
AI interprets neural signals, enabling BCIs to enhance web accessibility by bypassing traditional input methods. Advancements in BCIs focus on improving signal accuracy and learning times, promising seamless integration with web platforms for efficient and intuitive navigation, form completion, and digital interaction.
This technology has immense potential to minimize digital barriers for individuals with significant physical challenges, such as those with ALS or spinal cord injuries.
Augmented reality (AR) for navigation
Augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing web accessibility by overlaying digital information onto the physical world, making it particularly beneficial for individuals with vision impairments.
AI-driven AR can assist users by magnifying text and s, providing audio descriptions, and highlighting important web page elements.
Additionally, AR offers real-time guidance for navigating complex web forms or interactive elements, allowing users with cognitive or motor impairments to interact with digital content more effectively.
Closing thoughts
For the internet to truly become an inclusive and welcoming space to everyone, including people with disabilities, website owners will need to take action. AI birthed a variety of tools and platforms that make such a thing far more likely to happen.
Today, AI-driven tools assist website owners, large scale companies, and developers in testing and remediating accessibility issues swiftly and efficiently.
If you are interested in learning more about accessiBe, and how it helps you harness the power of AI to properly address web accessibility issues, press here.
