Artificial Intelligence, Accessibility, and Inclusion

While forms of artificial intelligence have existed for decades, the rapid growth of generative AI specifically in recent years has expanded opportunities to support individuals with intellectual and physical limitations and make learning environments more inclusive. Early applications, such as AI-generated captions, opened doors for greater content accessibility. Today, large language models (LLMs) add more responsive and interactive capabilities that extend into higher education and beyond. These include course design support, accessibility assessment, social skills training, personalized learning, responsive image captioning, and art collection access. This evolution demonstrates AI’s growing role as a tool for inclusion, independence, and equity.