Accessibility & Inclusion Weekly AI News
April 14 - April 24, 2025This week saw exciting progress in AI-powered accessibility tools helping people worldwide. Microsoft announced new features like an Xbox Adaptive Joystick that uses AI to learn players' movement patterns. Their Teams app will soon highlight sign language interpreters automatically during video calls.
Schools are using AI learning platforms that change difficulty levels based on student needs. One study showed these tools help students with focus challenges complete homework 30% faster. However, experts warn about algorithmic bias in AI systems that might misunderstand people with uncommon speech patterns.
In Europe, new rules require companies to use accessible packaging designs (like easy-open tabs) for all products sold there. Microsoft shared a free guide explaining these requirements. Meanwhile, researchers at a US university created a voice database to train AI systems to better understand speech from people with disabilities.