Scheduled at 8:30 in Mattie Silks on Friday, November 20.
#43357Speaker(s)
- Kristin Juhrs Kaylor, Senior Accessibility Instructional Designer, The University of Alabama
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
Explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance document and web accessibility through assistance and automation. This session demonstrates practical AI tools for generating alt text for images, charts, tables, graphics, and math, and for streamlining document remediation. Learn how content creators, faculty, staff, and students can use AI to independently and confidently create accessible materials.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of digital accessibility. Traditionally, making documents and web content accessible has been time-consuming, highly technical, and reliant on specialized staff. Recent advances in AI tools now make it possible for anyone—faculty, staff, or students—to participate more confidently and independently in creating inclusive materials. This session, AI for Document and Web Accessibility: Assistance and Automation, explores how AI can assist with and automate many aspects of accessibility work while maintaining the human oversight needed for quality and accuracy.
Participants will see demonstrations and have opportunities to follow along on their own devices using AI to generate meaningful and compliant alternative text for complex content, including images, charts, tables, graphics, and mathematical equations. Attendees will receive proven AI prompts and learn best practices for generating AI alt text.
The session also demonstrates how AI can check and automatically fix document accessibility issues using tested workflows. Examples show how accessibility professionals can integrate AI into remediation processes, and how faculty and staff can use AI responsibly to improve course materials.
Additionally, participants will learn how to embed simple instructions in online discussions and assignments so students can use AI to make their own discussions, presentations, and shared projects accessible. The session also explores how students with disabilities can use AI to independently remediate inaccessible materials that they find.
By leveraging AI, institutions can empower content creators, faculty, staff, and students to independently and confidently create accessible materials that support all people.
Keypoints
- Apply AI prompts to generate accurate and meaningful alternative text.
- Apply AI tools to identify and automatically fix accessibility barriers in documents.
- Construct strategies for faculty, staff, and students to create accessible materials.
Disability Areas
All Areas, Cognitive/Learning, Mobility, Psychological, Vision
Topic Areas
Accessible Course Design, Alternate Format, Artificial Intelligence, Assistive Technology
Speaker Bio(s)
Kristin Juhrs Kaylor
Kristin Juhrs Kaylor, M.A. is the Senior Accessibility Instructional Designer at The University of Alabama, Office of Teaching Innovation and Digital Education. She has over 29 years of experience in education accessibility, over 18 years of experience as an educator (online learning, publications, and teaching), and over 14 years of instructional design experience. For the past 8 years, she has led The University of Alabama’s digital accessibility efforts, establishing and directing UA Online’s course accessibility initiative and contributing to the University’s recognition as a national leader in online course accessibility. She is a Certified Adobe PDF Accessibility Trainer. She holds Section 508 web standards and authoring accessible documents certificates through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She authored “Chapter 11: Six Keys for Accessible Online Course Development” for the Quality Matters book, A Guide to Digital Accessibility: Policies, Practices, and Professional Development.