May 20 2025

Digital Accessibility Training – AI in Accessibility: Emerging Tools Survey

UIC Digital Accessibility Training

May 20, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM America/Chicago

Zoom link

https://uic.zoom.us/j/87932717907?pwd=mKes5zFMU4XH2k9hPGVkeH92fBDYbI.1

Cost

Free

Calendar

Download iCal File

Overview

Join us for a presentation on how AI is transforming digital accessibility in higher education, led by Blake Bertuccelli-Booth, with guest speakers Michael Armstrong and Michael Fu.

Explore how AI is reshaping digital accessibility in higher education. This session will highlight emerging tools that support PDF remediation, transcript generation, image alt text, and website accessibility—featuring practical examples from Adobe, AWS, Yuja, OpenAI, AltText.ai, Otter, PREP, Deque and SiteImprove. We'll break down the underlying technologies like computer vision, speech recognition, and rule-based checkers, and discuss when it’s best to use raw AI services (such as GPT-4 Vision, Whisper, or Azure OCR) versus black-box tools. The session will close with a discussion on the trade-offs between speed, accuracy, and control—and how institutions can leverage AI to build more effective, sustainable accessibility strategies.

Target Audience

Web Designers, Developers, Accessibility enthusiasts, and anyone who is interested in how AI is
shaping web accessibility would be interested in this discussion.

Learning Objectives

Participants will engage with interactive demonstrations and hands-on examples, including:

A demo of AI captioning tools
A demo of AI-based PDF remediation
A demo of accessibility-focused chatbots
A demo of automated alt text creation using AI

These activities will provide practical insight into how AI can support digital accessibility workflows.

Accessibility Information

This Zoom training will feature automatic captions. Electronic copies of the presentation will be provided.

For any additional access requests or questions, please reach out to the DASE team using the contact information below.

Contact

Technology Solutions - Digital Accessibility Services and Engineering Team

digital-a11y@uic.edu

Date posted

Apr 16, 2025

Date updated

May 9, 2025

Speakers

Blake Bertuccelli-Booth (He/Him) | Assistant Director of Web Accessibility Engineering | University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) - Technology Solutions

Blake is UIC’s Assistant Director of Web Accessibility Engineering. In addition to passionately working to advance the rights of people with disabilities, Blake is the creator of Equalify – an open source web accessibility platform – and leads accessibility testing for WordPress. He has spoken at numerous conferences, including HighEdWeb, WordCamp, and WPCampus. Blake is passionate about raising the bar for digital inclusion through open tools, community-driven standards, and real-world impact.

Michael Armstrong | Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist | University of Illinois at Chicago - Technology Solutions

Mike Armstrong is a seasoned technology leader with a strong commitment to collaboration and creating inclusive digital experiences. In his most recent role at Allstate Insurance, Mike led a digital marketing development team and played a key role in defining company-wide accessibility standards and production strategies. He is also a proud father of two daughters—one in high school and one in college—and is excited to join UIC to help advance our shared accessibility goals.

Michael Fu | Junior Digital Accessibility Specialist | University of Illinois at Chicago - Technology Solutions

Michael Fu is a Digital Accessibility Specialist at UIC dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible digital experiences. He has advanced accessibility initiatives at NYU and led research and design projects for the United Nations, Google, and the Humboldt Forum Museum, applying human-centered design and compliance strategies to improve digital inclusivity. As a problem solver and AI enthusiast, Michael is passionate about bridging technology and accessibility to drive innovative and equitable solutions.