Last Updated: March 7, 2025 by Michael Kahn. Published: March 7, 2025.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere – it’s helping us write emails, plan out itineraries, even give us ideas about what to do in daily life, but there’s a lot more to it than that – as well as being a very convenient tool when it’s used well, the fact is that AI is doing something a lot more important; it’s making the world more accessible for loads of people who would have struggled before. 

For people with disabilities, AI is so much more than just the next piece of cool tech – it’s something that can change their lives for the better in a variety of different ways. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about how AI is making the world more accessible – and why that’s such a good thing.

AI-Powered Speech Recognition

Have you ever tried using voice-to-text and ended up with something that doesn’t make any sense? Well, that issue is probably in the past these days because AI is getting so much better at ‘understanding’ speech, and that makes it easier for people with disabilities to communicate, do their work, and generally live their lives. 

For someone with a speech impairment, AI-powered apps can convert text into speech for example, or even predict words based on just a little bit of input. And for anyone who struggles with typing because of mobility issues, voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google mean they can be hands-free and get stuff done just by speaking, which is going to improve lives massively. 

AI And Hearing

Hearing loss affects millions of people, and it’s something that many of us are going to have to contend with as we get older (of course, it’s not just something older people have to deal with, but it is certainly an issue related to old age), so it’s great news that AI is going to be there to help us when necessary. 

One good example is how AI can now filter background noise in conversations, or how it can adjust hearing aid settings automatically depending on the noise level of where you are. Plus, it can do things like transcribe phone calls in real time, which could make all the difference. You can read the full discussion about AI and hearing care here, and it’s a fascinating deep dive. 

AI For Mobility And Independence

Although most of the time you’ll probably link AI and communication – and that does make sense because it can definitely make communication a lot easier for lots of people – there’s more to it than that, and AI is also there to help people move around more freely, and ensure they can go where they want when they want with as much freedom as anyone else. 

Not sure what we mean? Well, what about self-driving cars? Or how about AI-powered wheelchairs? Or even smart home technology that makes it easier to move around your own home? All these things will – or already do – allow people to move around much more independently using an app or voice commands, so no one has to miss out anymore.