AI is not only restricted to presenting futuristic developments like robots, humanoids, and holograms, but it is also expanding its reach to help differently abled people. Through AI, people with disabilities can now thrive in their everyday lives.
AI is viewed as a societal good. Accessibility is heavily influenced by technology in general and artificial intelligence in particular. It is not only about discovering the most recent developments, but also about putting a solution at the service of a specific group of people in order to enhance their lives. This is a significant step forward for the world’s approximately 1 billion handicapped individuals who stand to benefit from AI.
AI can help in removing various accessibility barriers through different solutions, for example, Image recognition and facial recognition can be the solution for people with visual impairment, similarly lip-reading recognition for hearing impairment, text summarization for people with mental impairment, etc.
Let’s have a look at some of the advantages that AI provides in terms of accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Communication and Connections
- For Visually impaired
- Voice Over: It is directly integrated on iPhones and its main function is to articulate emails and text messages, it also uses AI to describe app icons, battery levels, and even partial photos.
- Cortana: created by Microsoft and available on Windows, it is virtual assistance that helps navigate users with visual disabilities through their computer systems by simply using voice commands. It is somehow similar to the virtual assistant Siri, which is available on iPhones.
- For deaf or hearing impaired
- Ava: Fast and easy transcription software that applies AI to instantly transcribe a group chats Its algorithm inserts punctuation, the speaker’s name, and the appropriate words from the user’s dictionary. A simple technique for people with hearing disabilities to participate in and engage in conversations with people without using lip-reading.
- For Physically Impaired
- Virtual assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, and Google Voice Access allow people with limited mobility to utilize their smartphones using voice commands. Google Voice Access was designed specifically for persons with difficulties in adapting.
- IFTTT: It is an app that integrates with other applications so that a user with less agility and capability may utilize all of his smartphone’s functions without difficulty. It combines programs to accomplish things such as reading an email aloud and posting a tweet automatically.
Ways to Get Around
- Google Maps: The most used and trusted GPS app around the globe. People with visual and physical disabilities can plan their trips ahead of time with the help of google maps by visualizing their route and getting the suitable mode of transportation. Wheelchair users can find ramps and elevators with the “wheelchair accessible” mode and with the “accessible places” option, users can find information about various premises like parking spot, entry/exit, restrooms, etc., this option is also beneficial for people with vision impairment, as it allows them to pinpoint the exact location of a building’s entrance.
- Moovit: This app is suitable for users who use public transportation as it provides them with information on real-time traffic and the best routes. Its voice announcement features make it the best choice for people with visual disabilities.
- Soundscape: This app uses 3D audio technology to interpret the environment to blind people. With the help of this app they can now easily be aware of their surroundings and places of their interest. This way people who are visually impaired can enjoy the city to their fullest.
Accessing services
- Braille AI Tutor: A brilliant way to cope with the scarcity of braille teachers, as blind students can now learn braille more independently with AI-based voice recognition and gamification.
- Accessible documents: People with different impairments can now access information with Microsoft Accessibility checker or Adobe Accessibility checker.
- Seeing AI on IOS: App suitable for the visually impaired that can read and explain all sorts of documents placed beneath the smartphone camera, such as banknotes or letters. It can even distinguish photos, colors, and faces, delivering information about people’s emotions.
These are just a handful of the AI technologies that are being utilized to enhance the lives of differently abled people. New solutions are being developed by startups as well as the biggies like Google and Microsoft with the intention to improve the lives of people with any impairments.
Author- Toshank Bhardwaj, AI Content Creator
