From Lecture to Learning: How AI Brings Instant Accessibility to the Classroom

Presented at 4:15 pm in Colorado F on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Speaker(s)

• Nicholas Bowen, Product Manager, Benetech

Session Details

• Length of Session: 1-hr
• Format: Panel
• Expertise Level: All Levels
• Type of session: General Conference

Summary

Students with learning differences depend on accessible materials—but faculty often lack the time or expertise to create them.

Bookshare+ is Benetech’s new AI-powered platform with a goal to instantly remediates all course content. Building on 20+ years of accessibility work, we’ll share pilot insights, common ADA Title II barriers, and how DSOs and faculty can partner with us to deliver inclusive materials without delay.

Abstract

While textbook accessibility has improved significantly, the materials created by faculty — lecture slides, PDFs, and readings — are often not accessible. This remains a major gap for students with learning differences, who would wait for the DSO to convert content into accessible formats.

Bookshare+ aims to close that gap. Building on top of 20 years of accessibility experience, Benetech is developing an AI-powered platform that instantly remediates instructional content into accessible formats. Students can upload a file or take a photo and immediately read it with text-to-speech, dyslexic-friendly settings, or on-the-fly image descriptions.

In our 2024 pilot, 95% of users reported comfort using our remediation feature. However, we also uncovered critical gaps—such as limited faculty awareness of Title II requirements and the need for stronger collaboration between instructors and DSOs.

This session will share key findings, demonstrate early versions of the platform, and outline how DSOs and faculty can partner with Benetech to deliver real-time accessibility. Together, we can make inclusive learning the norm—not the exception.

Keypoints 1) Discover pilot results and feedback from Bookshare+ implementation in higher education

2) Learn how AI can convert lecture content into accessible formats in real time

3) Explore how DSOs and faculty can collaborate to reduce delays and improve access for all students

Keypoints

1. Discover pilot results and feedback from pilot studies
2. Learn how AI can convert lecture content into accessible formats in real time
3. Explore how DSOs and faculty can collaborate to reduce delays and improve access for all students

Disability Areas

Cognitive/Learning, Psychological, Vision

Topic Areas

Accessibility and Accommodation in the Current Political/Legal Environment, Accessible Course Design, Artificial Intelligence, Assistive Technology, Faculty Development & Support, Teaching about Accessibility in Curriculum, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Nicholas Bowen

Nick Bowen is the Product Manager at Benetech, where he leads the ongoing development of Bookshare.org—one of the world’s largest accessible digital libraries—and spearheads Bookshare+, an innovative initiative leveraging AI to make classroom materials universally accessible for students with disabilities. With nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, Nick combines deep technical insight with a steadfast commitment to equity and inclusion. His work bridges the gap between technology and human-centered design, ensuring that educational tools serve all learners, regardless of ability.