The Road to a More Accessible Web: Bridging the Inequality Gap with AI
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JEANELLA KLARYS PASCUAL & CHAD PATRICK OSORIO | ACADEMIC SUBMISSION
The Graduate Inequality Review, Volume II (July 2023) |
Abstract: The United Nations hailed the Internet as a catalyst for the promotion of human rights and a necessary component for theattainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, the “digital divide” still remains, highlighting existing inequalit ies within the greater social sphere. A key factor that excludes certain populations from accessing the wealth ofinformation available online is low web accessibility. Web accessibility refers to the ease of use of the Internet by persons with disabilities. This article proposes that this is an understudied dimension of inequality, both at the individual and societal level, potentially affecting 1.3 billion people in the world in varying degrees. It discusses how improving web accessibility can improve the lives not only of persons with disabilities, but also the general social welfare as well. In line with this, it explores a number ofartificial intelligence use cases which can be implemented to mitigate this pressing challenge. Finally, the article concludes that governments, industries, and academia should devote increased initiatives in how AI can be used towards improving web accessibility in order to bridge the digital divide and contribute to alleviating the global inequality gap. |
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