Which website accessibility tasks can AI assist with?

Use AI code assistants to help build accessible interactions during development, rather than leaving accessibility until the website is finished. A customised dropdown menu, for example, needs to work for mouse, keyboard and voice users. AI can help developers implement those interactions while keeping accessibility requirements part of the coding process. Image descriptions are another useful application: large language models can analyse an image alongside surrounding page content to draft context-aware alt text, rather than an uninformative placeholder such as "Image1.jpg". The practical aim is to support alignment with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from the start. Automating baseline tasks can leave designers and developers more time to consider how people experience and use the website.

Keep human designers, developers and accessibility advocates involved when AI produces interaction code or image descriptions. AI can misinterpret images, misunderstand cultural context and reproduce biases in its training data, potentially excluding the people accessibility work is intended to support. Review generated descriptions for accuracy and context, and retain accessibility evaluation rather than treating generated output as validated. A 2026 Level Access survey of professionals in the US, UK and Europe found that, among respondents using AI, 61% said it accelerated design and 58% planning, but only 30% said it accelerated QA and testing. The same 2026 Level Access survey found that 89% of professionals in the US, UK and Europe said people must remain closely involved in accessibility as AI use grows. Faster production should preserve time for human judgement about users' needs.