CHAT – AI and Accessibility: Innovation & Inclusion
TU Dublin Grangegorman
CHAT – AI and Accessibility: Innovation & Inclusion brought the CHAT community together at TU Dublin Grangegorman for a hybrid event exploring how artificial intelligence can support accessibility, inclusion, and independence, while also addressing the ethical, legal, and practical risks associated with its rapid adoption.
The event combined in-room speakers, live online contributions from services across Ireland (including Cork-based organisations), and a technology showcase where participants could see and try tools in real time. A consistent message throughout the day was clear: AI can be liberating, but it must be used responsibly, transparently, and with accessibility designed in from the start.
Welcome and Context
Sarah: FreedomTech / CHAT
Sarah welcomed participants both in the room and online, outlining CHAT’s role as a space for shared learning, honest discussion, and cross-sector collaboration. She framed the theme of the day AI and accessibility around practical impact: what is already working, what still creates barriers, and what needs stronger governance and oversight.
Human-Centred AI and Accessibility in Research
Dr Dymphna O’Sullivan: TU Dublin
Dymphna O’Sullivan welcomed attendees to TU Dublin and introduced the university’s approach to human-centred, interdisciplinary AI research, grounded in ethics, inclusion, and real-world relevance. A key emphasis was that accessibility must be built in from the outset and shaped through partnership with people with lived experience.
Access to Computer Science
Mariana: Access to CS Project, TU Dublin
Mariana introduced the Erasmus-funded Access to CS project supporting deaf and visually impaired students to access computer science education. She outlined the project’s focus on inclusive teaching resources, educator guidance, and institutional readiness so barriers are reduced before students even arrive.
Co-Designing AI for Dementia and Cognitive Health
Harish: Postdoctoral Researcher, Smart Self-Care for Dementia
Harish shared early work exploring how wearables (including Meta glasses) could support people in later-stage dementia particularly prompts for hydration and medication, and potential navigation and safety supports. He highlighted practical challenges too, including limitations in integration due to closed platforms and restricted access to developer tools, while noting emerging “workarounds” and future possibilities.
Age-Friendly AI and AI Literacy
Patricia O’Connor and Team: TU Dublin
Patricia introduced Age-Friendly AI, a national initiative supporting older adults to build confidence and understanding around AI. The project was framed as a rights-based approach to ensure people are not excluded from AI-enabled services and information. The work includes co-creation, community delivery, and library-based training pathways.
Co-Design in Practice
Dr Emma Murph
Patrick Fitzgerald – Co-Researcher
Emma shared examples of co-design practice and the importance of lived experience shaping technology development. Patrick reflected on how accessibility and AI tools can support participation and contribution in research activities when used thoughtfully and with the right supports.
Sponsor Showcase: Everyday AI for Vision
Stuart Lawler: Sight and Sound Technology
Stuart shared practical examples of how AI is already changing everyday access for blind and low-vision users, especially in social communication:
“The exclusion in something like a WhatsApp group, where somebody posts a photograph… that’s no longer an issue, because you can use AI to get a description.”
He explained how photos can be shared from WhatsApp into Be My Eyes to generate descriptions quickly, while noting the importance of Recognising AI limitations and accuracy.
Stuart also highlighted the value of small, everyday supports—such as using AI to confirm clothing colour and showcased tools including an AI-enabled reader that can both read and summaries text:
“The little things are the liberating power of AI… you can go into summary mode… and ask AI to summaries that for you.”
He pointed to the increasing role of wearables, including the potential for glasses to help users filter information in real time (e.g., “just read the vegetarian options,” “tell me the cheapest item”).
Wearables in Practice
Jade – DigiCoach, Fighting Blindness
Jade shared hands-on reflections on Meta glasses and how mainstream tech can have unexpected accessibility value—such as identifying signage, recognising documents, and reading menus. She also reinforced the importance of caution:
“It is AI. It is not human. It does make mistakes.”
Stuart noted that Meta did not anticipate how valuable this product would be for blind and low-vision communities, and that accessibility improvements may follow due to its uptake.
Online Contributions: Services Using AI in Practice
Paige Parker: Digital Accessible Technology Team, Brothers of Charity (West Region)
Paige described how AI supports accessibility, productivity, and inclusion within a diverse workforce, including neurodiverse staff and team members with intellectual disabilities:
“It’s been a bit of an equaliser… adapting tasks for everyone on the team.”
She outlined practical uses such as drafting training outlines, supporting funding applications, and checking the tone of tricky emails—improving clarity and reducing misunderstandings.
Paige also shared examples of AI-enabled Assistive Technology supporting privacy and independence, including OrCam for reading personal letters without relying on staff or family members, and translation tools to support communication when people enter services without shared language.
She noted the tension between organisational caution and real-world benefit, describing the productivity gains when AI is used with clear guardrails:
“It tenfold how productive I can be… which means we can focus on the stuff that’s really important.”
Gemma Leo: The Crann Centre, Cork
Gemma shared a concrete service innovation: integrating Whisper AI and ChatGPT into a Microsoft Power App to support intake documentation. This reduced time in the intake process and improved both staff efficiency and the quality of client interaction:
“Our staff don’t write a single thing anymore… it allows them to really dive deeper in conversations… because they’re not busy taking notes.”
Gemma explained that strong governance and privacy safeguards were built in, and that future approaches could include on-premises solutions. She also highlighted the value of early adoption to shape accessibility-by-design:
“Early adoption is really important… to make sure it is truly accessible by design.”
Emma M. Smith: WHO Regional Office for Europe (online)
Emma reinforced the value of AI for workforce support—freeing professionals to focus on what they are trained to do:
“To reduce time, to reduce cost… and provide opportunities… to do the things they’re trained to do.”
She acknowledged privacy concerns while emphasising that the key challenge is shaping how AI is used:
“AI’s here to stay… it’s a question of how we use the tool, not if we use the tool.”
Julie Silke Daly – CEO, Ability West (online)
Julie spoke about the organisational reality of governance and cybersecurity (including learning from cyberattacks), while recognising that AI will transform working practices. She shared how Ability West is using Copilot for internal work such as SOPs, policies, and especially meeting minutes by combining Teams transcription and Copilot summarisation.
Vision Ireland: Innovation, Verification, and Advocacy
David Redmond – Vision Ireland
David described AI as a step-change in access to information for blind and visually impaired people, comparable in impact to screen readers. He highlighted the importance of disabled people and disability services staying ahead of developments:
AI has been “one of the greatest advancements for access to information… since screen readers.”
He shared examples of how AI supports his work, including visual verification tasks—while emphasising safeguards such as human verification when accuracy matters. David also discussed emerging projects and the value of more natural text-to-speech (e.g., ElevenLabs) for people new to Assistive Technology.
A further discussion explored concerns about AI voice replacing human audio description and narration, with participants highlighting that audio description is an art form and that regulation and advocacy are needed to protect quality and inclusion.
Regulation and Standards
Dan Eames: National Disability Authority / Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (online)
Dan discussed ongoing work in the NDA and the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, including exploration of the intersection between the European Accessibility Act and the EU AI Act. He highlighted work underway to share guidance and updates in an Irish context, with a focus on opportunities and challenges for disabled people.
Critical Discussion: AI Must Not Become a Shortcut for Accessibility
A strong and constructive theme emerged in open discussion: concern that AI is increasingly used to “patch” inaccessible systems instead of fixing accessibility properly at source. Participants highlighted that accessibility should be built in, not outsourced to AI overlays or retrofitted “solutions,” and that transparency, accountability, and enforcement are essential.
Sustainability and infrastructure impacts were also raised, alongside the need for stronger AI literacy—particularly for students and developers—so that accessibility and usability become non-negotiable foundations for future technology.
Closing and Next Steps
The event concluded with thanks to all contributors—both in person and online—and an invitation to continue discussions during the technology showcase outside the room. The session reinforced CHAT’s role as a space where research, services, industry, and lived experience can meet to share practical innovations.