Last month I attended Dreamforce, where the transformative power of AI at work took center stage. I had the unique opportunity to discuss how AI can help level the playing field and share insights from Grammarly on a panel titled “Bridging the Gap: The Power of AI and Accessibility.”
Moderated by Catherine Nichols, Salesforce’s VP, Office of Accessibility, the panel included Sarah Bernard, Co-Founder and COO of Inclusively, and Derek Featherstone, Salesforce’s VP of Accessibility and Inclusive Design. During our discussion, we shared our perspectives on leveraging technology to create a more inclusive work environment.
Here are some of the panel’s insights about how Grammarly approaches accessibility in the era of AI innovation.
The Curb-Cut Effect and Grammarly’s Approach to Accessibility
Grammarly is committed to making digital communication accessible to everyone, and we design features to meet diverse needs. The curb-cut phenomenon inspires our approach to accessibility. Originally designed for wheelchair access, curb cuts also benefit parents with strollers, individuals with suitcases or shopping carts, people with canes or crutches, and even kids on bikes. An inclusive approach to product design and development improves the experience for all users.
Here are some examples of how this manifests at Grammarly. While our features are designed to help everyone show up as their best selves, we often hear from users with dyslexia that Grammarly enables them to write more quickly and confidently. Instead of second-guessing their writing, they can spend more time on impactful work. Additionally, when dealing with the complexities of asynchronous communication, our users rely on us to help them convey the right tone. Many of our features, such as tone rewrites, tone detector, and strategic suggestions, can assist everyone in navigating communication subtleties, including users on the autism spectrum.
We view accessibility as an ongoing, iterative process focused on increasing the usability of Grammarly rather than a task to be marked as completed. It is essential to ensure that our product evolves holistically, with all users in mind, as it changes.
Integrating Responsible AI and Accessibility in Product Development
At Grammarly, any discussion about AI development and accessibility always comes back to the concept of responsible AI. We consider accessibility, responsibility, privacy, and security as integral parts of our approach to product development; they serve as the foundation of everything we do.
Our Responsible AI and Accessibility teams are fully integrated into every stage of the development process, from product conception and design to engineering and customer support. The Responsible AI team ensures that potential biases in our datasets are mitigated and evaluates all our models and feature releases for bias and fairness, enabling us to provide inclusive and empathetic communication assistance. Grammarly’s internal Accessibility team collaborates with external specialists and customers who use assistive technologies to ensure that our products meet the needs of all users. We believe developing AI with responsibility and accessibility in mind can equalize opportunities and foster a more inclusive global community.
An AI-Enabled—and Accessible—Future for Us All
Finally, we highlighted the importance of partnerships, like Grammarly’s collaboration with Salesforce, in supporting professionals with disabilities with AI tools that can help them do their best work. These alliances not only advance the cause of accessibility but also demonstrate the business value of investing in inclusive technology solutions.
Looking ahead, AI-enabled innovations have the potential to offer more personalized and accessible products and experiences. As AI technology evolves, there is a significant opportunity to enhance support for diverse users, further democratizing access to digital platforms and tools.
At Grammarly, we believe that AI, when built and used effectively, has the potential to enhance and elevate our capabilities. It can amplify the excellence in every employee, manager, and executive through every communication they engage in, regardless of the platform, application, or time. That’s a future I’m excited about for all of us.
