# AI and Accessibility

AI can expand access for people with disabilities and language barriers. This sub-article is an application-domain article under [Recent Topics](../recent.md).

## Assistive Technologies
- Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and image descriptions aid users.
- Multimodal models interpret scenes and documents.
- Screen readers and navigation improve with AI.

## Language Access
- Translation and simplification make information available across languages and reading levels.

## Risks
- Bias and errors can harm accessibility.
- Privacy and consent matter when AI observes users.

## Design Principles
- Accessibility must be built in, not bolted on.
- User control and clear feedback are essential.

## Why It Matters
AI can reduce or widen the disability and language access gap depending on design.

## Sources
- W3C. *Web Accessibility Guidelines.*
- Disability rights organizations. *AI accessibility statements.*

*Back to [Recent Topics](../recent.md).*