Accessible AI Use
AI can support fairness if designed well, but it can also amplify biases or create new forms of discrimination. The main risks arise when AI systems assume:
- a “typical” body, voice, or cognitive pattern
- uniform career histories
- standard modes of interaction
Disabled applicants and employees may therefore face barriers at the application, assessment, training and career‑development stages unless accessibility and reasonable adjustments are built into AI design from the start.
Many organisations now rely on AI‑based training modules that adapt content dynamically.
Potential barriers:
- Auto‑generated learning materials may lack captions, audio descriptions, or accessible layouts
- Systems may penalise employees for slower module completion times
- “Interactive” tasks may not work with screen readers or speech‑to‑text
- AI‑driven assessments may not accept non-standard formats (e.g., speech‑based answers, alternative input methods)
Top Tips:
- AI should support, not make the final decision (always maintain human oversight)
- Tell employees when and how AI is used
- Allow employees to request a non-AI alternative
- Consider accessibility in your learning modules (captions, transcripts, screen-reader-friendly formats)
- Use structured, job related criteria rather than behavioural/gestural signals (e.g. reliance on facial expressions, reaction speed, or eye contact)
- Review your AI tools for bias and accessibility (use Equality Impact Assessments to make sure your systems don’t create barriers)
- Test tools with disabled people or seek feedback from Disabled People’s Organisations and SUSE
- Remove a tool if it creates barriers
- Follow Scotland’s AI standard for fairness, transparency and accountability as part of Fair Work values
Caution: Some AI tools intended to “fix” accessibility automatically can actually cause barriers. They may claim compliance while still leaving essential functions inaccessible.
To help you get started we have created templates for you to develop your own approaches to AI use in recruitment and training:
