Access Granted

August 2026
Issue No. 2

A Publication by Control Alt Access

In This Issue

• Welcome
• Accessibility Tip: Ask AI Follow-Up Questions
• Resource Spotlight: Alt Text Studio
• From the Help Desk: Can I Use AI to Help Format My Document?
• What's Going On at Control Alt Access?
  • Tech Club
  • Updated Discord Guide Coming Soon
• Closing

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to Access Granted, the monthly newsletter from Control Alt Access. I was on vacation in July, and I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer so far.

Since this is August, this is the Back-to-School Edition of Access Granted. I hope the following content will help you or someone you know have a more accessible learning experience.

Let's begin.

Accessibility Tip: Ask AI Follow-Up Questions

If you're blind or visually impaired, there's a good chance that you've uploaded a photo, graph, or chart to an AI tool to get a summary description. But did you know you can ask follow-up questions to get more insights?

Here are some questions you can ask:

• Are there any trends present in the data?
• How many bicycles are in this image?
• How much of the person in this image can actually be seen?
• Are there different colors in this chart? What do they represent?

Since AI can make mistakes, it is important to double-check your information. This is especially true in the classroom when grades are involved.

Send your accessibility tips to [email protected]. You may just be featured in a future issue.

Resource Spotlight: Alt Text Studio

If you're creating social media posts, documents, or presentations, one of the steps you need to take is to add alt text, or alternative text, to your graphics and images. This allows a screen reader user to hear a description of an image as their cursor passes over it, making that part of your content accessible to them.

The trouble is that describing what you see can be a daunting task for some, so this crucial part of accessibility is often missing. This is why I created the Control Alt Access Alt Text Studio. This GPT analyzes an image, then provides alternative text.

You can customize the length of the description, and you'll receive a report explaining why the GPT provided the results it did. You can also tell it the purpose of the image and have your description tailored accordingly. Finally, you can ask it for step-by-step directions for adding alt text on your platform.

Try the Control Alt Access Alt Text Studio.

From the Help Desk: Can I Use AI to Help Format My Document?

This month's Help Desk question comes from Ashley in Florida. She's a college freshman who is concerned about her ability to format her papers according to her professors' specifications. She asked me if AI could be used to help format documents.

Well, Ashley, the short answer is yes. AI can read many common file types and help determine whether formatting is correct and consistent with the requirements you've been given. You can also use AI to perform a grammar check. Once you have the information you need, you can make the necessary changes and have the document checked again.

This approach helps make sure that you are still doing the work while using AI to overcome an accessibility barrier. You can then make the case that you're using AI as an assistive technology rather than having it complete the assignment for you.

Do you have an assistive technology or accessibility question? Send it to [email protected]. I may just answer you in a future issue.

What's Going On at Control Alt Access?

Tech Club

Tech Club is a casual group that meets at noon on the first Saturday of every month via FaceTime. Each month has a topic, with 30 minutes of presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.

In September, Tech Club will be talking about steps iPhone users should take to prepare to upgrade to iOS 27. In October, I'll be taking a look at some of the new accessibility features in iOS 27. Whether you're an expert user or just getting started, you won't want to miss either of these sessions.

• Sign up for the September Tech Club session: Preparing for iOS 27.
• Sign up for the October Tech Club session: Accessibility Features in iOS 27.

Updated Discord Guide Coming Soon

If you use or have used Changeling's Guide to Discord for Screen Reader Users, you'll be happy to know that it is currently being updated. It will be rebranded as The Control Alt Access Guide to Discord and will be released later this year. There will also be a downloadable version available for purchase.

Closing

I hope you've enjoyed the Back-to-School Edition of Access Granted. I've taken a look at ways you can use AI to increase accessibility in the classroom and given you a peek at upcoming events and resources.

I look forward to connecting with you in September and sharing more information and resources with accessibility-minded readers like you.

Sincerely,
River