
In November, Access Technology Specialist Jim Denham of the Council presented a webinar on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify everyday tasks. AI can streamline and assist with some computer tasks that are particularly challenging for people who are blind or low vision. Whether you’re writing a paper for a class or figuring out a new recipe, here are some tips on using AI responsibly and effectively to make your lfe a little easier.
One of the most popular AI tools on the market today is ChatGPT. By typing a prompt into the chat window, the program will scour massive amounts of data in an instant to provide the response you are looking for. For instance, if you type “recipe for chocolate chip cookies,” the program will instantly search the web and display a recipe to you.
And ChatGPT can do much more than answer questions on virtually any topic. It can even help you write an email (though it’s important that any text written by AI be reviewed and edited by a human before being shared).
ChatGPT can be free to use, but the free version only allows a limited number of questions each day. A paid, unlimited version of ChatGPT is available for $20 per month. If you prefer using a mobile device, ChatGPT has a free app for both iPhone and Android. One of the app’s features is voice mode, which allows users to speak to ChatGPT and receive spoken responses, almost like talking to a human being. The app is accessible and works well with access technology. You can read more about using ChatGPT with vision loss in this 2023 article.
Ask Microsoft Accessibility is a free AI tool that can answer questions about any Microsoft product, such as Office or the Windows operating system. Similar to ChatGPT, you simply type your question into the prompt box and the AI will walk you through how to use the accessibility tool you’re asking about. Ask Microsoft Accessibility is a great tool for people who are learning how to use accessibility features like Narrator and Magnifier on their Windows computer.
If you use JAWS screen reader software, the program now features FS Companion, an AI tool that can help you troubleshoot almost any problem you might encounter. Using JAWS 2025, pressing Insert + Space, then pressing F1 will bring up the FS Companion feature. You can then ask questions about how to use JAWS features and how to use JAWS to access common apps on your computer. For example, if you have heard of the JAWS Skim Reading feature but are unsure what it does or how to use it, FS Companion will describe the feature and give you basic user instructions.
Finally, Google Gemini is similar to ChatGPT but is connected directly to your Google account. That means you can access Google Gemini through your different Google products, like Google Drive, Calendar and Docs. Like ChatGPT, Google Gemini allows you to ask questions about almost any topic you can think of. It also has an app that is available on both iPhone and Android phones that allows you to have a spoken conversation directly with Gemini. One way that you could use Gemini is to ask it “what is on my schedule for next Tuesday?” If there is something on your Google Calendar for that day, it will read it back to you as if you were talking to a personal assistant.
If you have a basic question about AI, contact Jim at JDenham@WCBlind.org or at 608-237-8104. You can also contact Jim if you would like to schedule a one-on-one training session to explore AI, or any other access technology skill, in more depth.