Summary
On the occasion of GAAD 2025, some of the global tech giants showcased AI accessibility tools designed to support persons with blindness. These innovations include Braille notetaking, smart glasses, AI-powered screen readers, and inclusive shopping apps. This post highlights how these tools are enhancing digital access and independence.
Yesterday was the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), and on that occasion, several technology companies reaffirmed their commitment to inclusive innovation by announcing cutting-edge AI accessibility tools. A recent review of patent databases in the United States, European Union, and India reveals that between 2020 and 2025, over 2,000 patent applications have been filed in relation to technologies addressing accessibility for persons with blindness. These filings cover a broad range of innovations from Braille interfaces and AI-powered screen readers to object recognition systems and sensory augmentation tools. In this post, we have captured some of those AI and technology developments.
Apple’s Accessibility Developments
As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance digital inclusion, Apple introduced a suite of AI-driven accessibility features in 2025 specifically aimed at improving the user experience for persons with blindness. These innovations are grounded in Apple’s philosophy of inclusive design and are seamlessly integrated into its ecosystem of devices. Among the most notable updates is the enhanced Magnifier app for Mac, which now offers AI-supported object recognition, navigation assistance, and intuitive zoom controls to help users perceive their environment more effectively. Apple also unveiled a Braille Notetaking feature, which allows users to input, organize, and review notes using digital Braille on iPads and iPhones.
In addition, Apple enhanced its VoiceOver screen reader with AI-generated image and layout descriptions, enabling users to receive more comprehensive insights into visual content. The new Sound Actions feature provides a hands-free method of device interaction by responding to specific sound cues, offering a valuable alternative to touch-based controls.
Meta and AI Glasses
Meta has announced substantial enhancements to its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses on Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025. Designed to deliver hands-free digital access, the glasses integrate advanced AI features that cater not only to mainstream users but also offer distinct value to persons with blindness. With built-in Meta AI, users can capture and share photos, initiate calls, translate speech in real time, and receive contextual information about their surroundings through voice commands and wearable convenience.
A key development this year is the ability to customize Meta AI for detailed environmental responses. This new feature allows the AI to describe what’s in front of the user with greater specificity-providing an auditory window into the visual world. Expected to roll out first in the U.S. and Canada, and subsequently across other regions, this enhancement is especially beneficial for persons with blindness.
Another advancement is the global expansion of the “Call a Volunteer” feature, developed in collaboration with Be My Eyes. Scheduled to launch across 18 countries, this service connects persons with blindness to sighted volunteers in real time, offering human support for tasks such as identifying products, navigating spaces, or reviewing documents.
Microsoft’s AI and Accessibility
Microsoft announced a range of accessibility-focused advancements, several of which hold particular promise for persons with blindness. Among the most notable is the expansion of Narrator on Copilot+ PCs, which now provides rich, AI-generated image descriptions using the command Narrator key + Ctrl + D. This feature allows persons with blindness to access detailed contextual information about visual content-including charts, photographs, and user interface elements-making digital environments more informative and navigable. Voice Access has also been enhanced with natural language support, enabling users to control their PCs and applications using conversational commands.
Furthering its commitment to inclusive productivity, Microsoft also extended the Accessibility Assistant to the web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as to OneNote and Visio. This tool streamlines the process of identifying and resolving accessibility issues in documents, empowering professionals and students with blindness to independently create content that meets accessibility standards. In the open-source space, GitHub has made its command line interface (CLI) more accessible.
Freedom Scientific, JAWS, and AI Accessibility Tools
Freedom Scientific’s 2025 updates to its flagship screen reader JAWS include a range of intelligent features aimed at simplifying digital interaction for persons with blindness. Among them is FSCompanion, an AI-based virtual assistant integrated into JAWS that allows users to ask natural language questions about how to operate JAWS and mainstream applications such as Word, Outlook, and Excel. Whether a user needs to learn a new task, locate a specific setting, or recall the right keystroke, FSCompanion provides step-by-step answers-reducing reliance on dense manuals or external help. Importantly, this tool is accessible directly through a keyboard shortcut and supports fast, offline access to relevant training and documentation, improving both the learning curve and daily workflow of persons with blindness.
Another critical enhancement is Automatic Language Detection, which enables JAWS to intelligently recognize and switch between spoken languages while reading multilingual content-whether or not proper language tags are present. This ensures a more natural reading experience across documents and web pages without manual intervention. Additionally, JAWS has also improved its navigation facilities for EPUB formats
Be My Eyes and Online Shopping
On Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, Be My Eyes unveiled a transformative addition to its platform in the form of an AI-enhanced online shopping experience designed specifically for persons with blindness. Developed in partnership with Innosearch AI, this integration brings intuitive, screen reader-optimised browsing directly into the Be My Eyes app, eliminating common barriers in the digital retail space. Users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia can now shop for millions of everyday products, book travel and flights, and even earn 2% cash-back on all purchases made through the platform. The experience is frictionless by design, requiring no additional steps or fees, and marks a major step forward in making e-commerce independently navigable for persons with blindness.
Complementing this advancement, Be My Eyes also announced an updated version of its Windows application, now featuring user-requested enhancements such as chat history and a series of interface improvements aimed at streamlining day-to-day use.
Conclusion
This post presents recent AI and assistive technology updates relevant to accessibility for persons with blindness. The examples cover developments across consumer electronics, productivity software, and digital platforms, and are based on tools currently used or reviewed by BananaIP’s associates and collaborators. These developments are indicative of ongoing efforts by technology companies to integrate accessibility into their products and services. Numerous developments are underway in the accessibility space promising greater digital independence and autonomy for persons with blindness.
