Policy Statement on Artificial Intelligence
The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is committed to ensuring that federal policies and targeted investments in artificial intelligence (AI) consider key factors crucial to ensuring equity and access to assistive technology (AT) and digital accessibility for people with disabilities in elementary and secondary/post-secondary education, employment, and independent living. While the use of AI in education is relatively new, recent advancements underscore the need to also ensure that all federal policy adheres to, supports, and does not undermine the protections and accessibility requirements of federal disability and civil rights lawsi and also promotes innovation in K-16 education to benefit students with disabilities.
AI technology has great potential for assistive technology, offering new opportunities in communication, visual aids, mobility, and rehabilitative support for students with disabilities. However, the innovations in AI development platforms (i.e. generative AI and large language models (LLM)) and implementation platforms (i.e. ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot etc.) are accompanied by critical challenges related to equity, accessibility, bias, discrimination, and data privacy. Federal, state, and local policymakers as well as education leaders are increasingly focused on how to integrate AI into education while ensuring that these advancements align with best practices in supporting diverse learners, particularly students with disabilities. Yet, many remain unfamiliar with the technical design, application, and ethical use of AI in this context.
To effectively support ongoing policy discussions, ATIA offers the following policy framework to ensure AI can be harnessed to improve AT and can make educational environments more accessible and inclusive for students with disabilities. When considering policies to invest in, utilize or promote AI in education, such policies must consider the following:
Key Factors in Promoting AI in K-16 Education in Support of Students with Disabilities
- Bias and Discrimination: AI must be created using algorithms inclusive of disabled people to promote good outputs as well as prevent and reduce bias and discrimination.
- Equity and Transparency: Ensure that AI technologies do not create barriersii for people with disabilities and must comply with all federal disability and civil rights laws. Establish and uphold clear guidelines for ethical AI development and deployment, transparency, accountability, and user privacy. This includes engaging the disability community for input and integrating disability awareness within mainstream technology conversations, policies, and practices.
- Accessibility: As with any new technology development, AI-driven development and implementation platforms must be developed and designed accessible, must incorporate the principles of universal designiii, and must include accessibility features as a standard (not merely optional). If education-centric AI does not adhere to these essential requirements, the challenges we have today for web and app-based accessibility will only be exacerbated and people with disabilities will be left behind. Finally, all federal investments in AI must meet the required accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.iv
- Ethical Impact: AI should augment human decision-making, not replace it, especially in critical areas affecting the lives of people with disabilities. The ethical use of AI must be considered in the decision-making processes that determine which students have access to AT
and the technology offered. Such decision making must always support federal disability and
civil rights laws and protect the privacy and data security of AT users. - Innovation: New and existing sources of federal research and development funds should be made available through a variety of programs both public and private to develop new AT models that leverage AI and to support the integration of AI into existing AT products to maintain continuity and interoperability for users of existing AT. Policy and funding must also encourage innovation in AI that addresses the diverse needs of the disability community. To do so, investments must support cross-disciplinary research and development to drive innovation in AI including in developing AT solutions.
- Collaboration and Community Engagement: Investment must foster collaboration and partnerships between AI developers, AT providers, disability advocates, and end-users. Individuals with disabilities must be included from the outset to understand their needs and preferences, and gather insights and feedback on AI-driven AT solutions.
Date: October 21, 2024