AI for Accessibility: Empowering People with Disabilities Through Technology

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) is very popular and recurrent in current conversations, we know a lot about how it can help us in our lives and improve certain aspects of our work, but have you thought about how it can benefit people with disabilities? 

Around 15% of the world's population has a disability, so AI can be of great help to them. Here we tell you about it.

AI offers valuable solutions for people with disabilities, such as:

Establishing augmentative and alternative communication, as AI exists to develop communication tools that allow these people to communicate more effectively.

• Accessibility, both web and physical spaces.
• To gain independence with the creation of prostheses.
• It favors accessibility to technological products with diverse applications.

Below, we will tell you in depth about accessibility applications available for iOS and Android.

Accessibility Suite for Android

Project Relate 

Google offers a technology that is able to communicate for the user. To make this possible, a million voice samples were collected to find a natural method of communication. It is currently in a Beta version available for Android.

This is useful because an estimated 250 million people in the world do not have standard speech, i.e. they cannot make themselves understood in a conventional way. 

What can it do?

One of its functions is that it can transcribe speech to text as subtitles for your voice. 

The application is able to repeat what you say in a clear, computerized voice to facilitate brief face-to-face interactions, such as ordering food in a restaurant or ordering a coffee.

It can also serve as a virtual assistant to perform your tasks, such as performing searches, setting a timer, asking for directions or playing a song.

How does it work?

• You will need to download the application and register.
• Then you will have to record 500 phrases so that the app can recognize your speech pattern.
• Wait for the data to be processed.
• And that's it! You can start using it.

In addition, they have a variety of functions, you can type any text or message with the speech-to-text function in any application using Relate's keyboard. You can also teach the application important names, phrases and locations.

Select to speak

This application describes or reads items on your screen for you once you select them.

How does it work?

You can select elements (text or images) on your screen so that the application can describe or read it for you.

If you point your camera somewhere that has text, the app will read it aloud for you.

You can also perform other activities while the app reads for you in the background.

Accessibility Menu

It is an installable drop-down menu to perform certain actions from the screen of your device.

What does it allow you to do?

• Take Screenshots.
• Lock your screen.
• Open Google Assistant.
• Open notifications.
• Turn up and down the volume.
• Raise or lower screen brightness.

Camera Switchess

It is an application that allows you to navigate the screen of your mobile device without having to use your hands.

How does it work?

You will have to configure the gestures that you want to work as a command to navigate your screen, as well as set their duration.

Once configured, your device's camera will help you navigate the screen.

NOTE: Please note that your camera must be clean. 

Talkback 

It is an Android application that works as a screen reader with which you can get a computerized voice description of the actions you perform on your device, as well as alerts and notifications that appear on the screen. So it is ideal for blind or visually impaired people.

What does it allow you to do?

You can scroll the screen of your device while the application describes the items that appear.

Open and close applications, to explore the installed apps, you will have to slide two fingers up from the bottom of the screen, and then double tap the selected app to open it. To close the app, simply swipe upwards and then to the left.

You can answer calls, for this when there is an incoming call, just place your finger on the lower half of the screen and slide it to the right to answer. To reject the call, swipe to the left.

You can say your passwords out loud to avoid mistakes.

Apple Accessibility

Magnifier + Door detection

It is an application that works as a virtual magnifying glass from your iphone or ipad to magnify the object you are pointing at. To make this possible it combines the functions of the camera, LiDAR scanner and machine learning that your device has to detect people, doors or describe images.

 What can you do?

• As a bonus you can get detailed descriptions of your surroundings:
• The door detector is very useful to walk the last meters to your destination without mishaps.
• It can also help you with symbol recognition, you can find out if there are signs for toilets, no smoking, or accessible entrances.

Display settings

This is a set of settings that are compatible with all platforms to customize the display of your screen.

 What can you do?

• Help make text easier to read, either with bold letters or larger text size.
• You can invert colors
• Increase contrast
• Reduce transparency
• Apply color filters so that your screen is adapted to your visual preferences.

This is possible across iOS and iPadOS. In addition, on macOS you can customize the fill and outline color of the mouse pointer to make it easier to distinguish the mouse pointer on the screen.

Zoom

You can zoom in on an area of your screen while you are navigating your screen.

What does this allow you to do?

It allows you to view the zoomed area in a separate window while keeping the rest of the screen at its original size.

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Sensory alerts

You can choose the sensory alert for notifications that works best for you.

 What can you do?

You can customize alerts for incoming Phone and FaceTime calls, new text messages, email messages, and calendar events via vibration on the iPhone or a quick flash of LED light on your iPhone and iPad. 

Sound recognition

Thanks to the intelligence of your devices it will help you recognize 15 types of sounds such as alarms, household appliances, knocks on the door, car horns or even a baby's cry. 

How does it work?

You can train your device to listen for and notify you of unique sounds in your environment.

When it detects those sounds you will receive a visible notification alert and vibration.

Subtitles

Currently, they are in their Beta version. It provides users with real-time transcriptions of voice, audio and video content.

How does it work?

Activate live captions during phone or FaceTime calls or with any media content in your apps or browser.

• Use them to stay connected during in-person conversations. 
• They can be customized by font, size and background color.
• They are generated on your device, so your conversations remain private and secure.

Siri + shortcuts 

Siri is a faster and easier way to do all kinds of useful things, like making calls, sending messages, and more. 

How does it work?

• Siri can read or answer what you need 
• It allows you to quickly perform everyday tasks in the apps you use most.
• Use Type to Siri to ask questions and give commands without speaking. 

Safari Reader

This setting helps you reduce the visual noise of your browser and allows you to read text only.

It is amazing how our mobile devices already have an accessibility suite that helps people with disabilities to use technology and most of the time it goes unnoticed. Did you already know about any of these features? 

Intelligent prostheses

Nowadays, artificial intelligence is also used in other types of products, not only in digital ones, but also in those that can improve our quality of life and that of people with disabilities. 

Pattern detection 

What some companies that develop prostheses are implementing is that AI has the ability to learn patterns.

In the case of the Myo Plus prosthesis from the company OttoBock, it recognizes movement patterns. Like drinking water, it is an automatic movement that people have, so when the prosthesis detects that the patient grabs a bottle of water, it is able to recognize the movement pattern and sends the order to execute the corresponding grip automatically.

The patient can also control his prosthesis through an application in which he can visualize the measured and recorded movement patterns, so the person can start the training of the device.

Automated 3D printing

Another example of AI is automated 3D impressions, this was tested in tooth printing by the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong. All the AI needs is a model of the patient's dentition and then it can generate the false tooth similar to the missing piece.

As we have told you in previous articles and in this one, Artificial Intelligence can be implemented in the daily life of any person and in any field. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, don't forget to stay tuned to our social networks.

At BluePixel we try to use AI to optimize our services, so we are always improving to provide an excellent service to our customers. If you are interested in our services contact us at hola@bluepixel.mx