There are a lot of ways you can use generative AI (GenAI) to ensure the accessibility of your course materials. For example, when used early in the content creation process, GenAI can provide guidance on how to create and assess accessible course materials. This can help to save time, improve quality, and reduce late-stage remediation.
Whether you’re creating your own materials or assessing the accessibility of third-party materials, here are just a few ways that you can use GenAI for accessibility assistance:
- Before you create content, ask GenAI for the best practices for creating accessible content for a specific format.
- Prompt: List the best practices for designing an accessible PowerPoint presentation for low-vision and colour-blind students.
- While creating content, ask GenAI to review the accessibility of your document, web content, or media and suggest improvements.
- Prompt: Evaluate this PDF lecture handout’s accessibility based on the attached results from the PAC PDF accessibility check. Prioritize the most important remediation steps, briefly explain why they matter, and provide guidance on how to fix them.
- Note: using GenAI as an accessibility checker has limitations, whenever possible use a built-in or third-party accessibility checker to certify your content (e.g., Microsoft’s Accessibility Assistant or PAC Checker for PDFs).
- Use GenAI to generate alternative text for images, create diagrams or infographics from text, or produce an audio version of written content.
- Prompt: based on UDL principles, provide a flow chart to accompany the attached research process. Ensure the flow chart is as accessible as possible, include text-based labels for nodes and connections and ensure proper use of colour, high colour contrast, and concise, readable text.
Writing prompts for best results
For best results, use the tips below to create successful prompts:
- Be explicit about target learners (e.g., low-vision, neurodiverse).
- Prompt: How do I create an accessible document?
- Better prompt: I need to create an accessible Word document that can be read by blind and low vision students using a screen reader. What are some things I need to plan for and consider when creating my document?
- Ask for examples of any highlighted issues, such as revised headings, alt text, or plain-language rewrites.
- Prompt: Review this document for accessibility issues.
- Better prompt: Review this syllabus draft and identify all accessibility issues. For each issue, provide two examples of a revised heading, alt text, or plain-language rewrite that fixes it.
- Request a summary of best practices after review.
- Prompt: What are the best practices for reviewing online tutorials for accessibility?
- Better prompt: After reviewing linked online tutorial on [platform name], summarize the best practices for ensuring the included tutorial is WCAG 2.2 AA compliant and accessible to users of assistive technology.
- Clearly specify how you want the feedback structured.
- Prompt: Point out any accessibility issues in this slide deck.
- Better prompt: Analyze this PowerPoint deck for accessibility. Provide a numbered list of every issue found, then include a table with two columns: ‘Issue’ and ‘Step-by-Step Fix’ for each.
- Always be willing to iterate, the first output is rarely the best output.
Post-AI review tips:
- Manually review all outputs for accuracy (e.g., ensure alternative text is accurate).
- Always conduct a final pass with an automated accessibility checker (e.g., Microsoft Accessibility Assistant).
A practical example
When creating content, share drafts of slides, documents, or outlines by uploading documents, pasting text or providing links, then use a prompt such as:
- Review this [slide deck outline / lesson plan / document draft] for accessibility. Identify issues related to structure, language, alt text, colour, and interaction. Recommend specific improvements and best practices to ensure WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.
