Summary
We know there’s massive opportunity for AI to be used for greater speed, growth, and insights, but how can we avoid the pitfalls? Head of Accessibility Innovation at Fable Kate Kalcevich will share how to best leverage current AI tools in your day-to-day work with inclusion in mind.
Key Insights
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AI-generated images often lack accurate disability representation, showing whitewashed, stereotyped, or incorrect depictions like guide dogs with leashes instead of harnesses.
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Using AI to create personas for disabled users can yield implausible combinations of assistive technologies and devices, limiting their usefulness.
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AI-generated design mockups may include accessibility issues such as low color contrast and non-unique button labels, requiring human review.
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AI tools like Stark Sidekick can enhance design productivity by automatically identifying some accessibility problems but are not replacements for expert audits.
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AI scheduling apps can support neurodivergent individuals by optimizing daily tasks and time management, improving inclusion through productivity aids.
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Prompt engineering to refine AI outputs about disability requires deep subject matter expertise, otherwise bias and inaccuracies persist.
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AI can help detect bias in accessibility automation projects, suggesting the importance of multi-disciplinary collaboration and careful validation.
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Human-centered user research and testing remain essential for understanding disability needs, as personas and AI-generated content provide limited insight.
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Voice interfaces in AI tools must align visible labels and accessible commands precisely to avoid usability issues for assistive technology users.
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The AI design space is evolving with pattern libraries and growing interest in integrating AI inclusively, but challenges around prompting accessibility remain widespread.
Notable Quotes
"I wear hearing aids in both of my ears and identify as disabled, so I rely on captions when I’m in meetings."
"If you have questions, I will take them throughout, so please use the Q and A."
"All the images generated of blind people using guide dogs had very inaccurate representations, like leashes instead of proper harnesses."
"AI-generated personas often mix incompatible tech like JAWS on MacBook, which just doesn't happen in real life."
"Personas tend to lack the depth you get from user research and testing, especially for people with disabilities."
"AI tools can be great productivity hacks but you still need expert review and real user feedback for accessibility."
"Scheduling tools powered by AI are helpful for people with neurodivergence to stay organized and on task."
"The button labels on AI-generated mocks were all the same, which would be confusing for screen reader users."
"If the visible button label and the code don’t match exactly, people using voice commands might not be able to activate it."
"The pattern for AI interfaces is still very open-ended and can exclude people who don’t know how to prompt well."
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