Generative Artificial Intelligence for Students with Disabilities: Applications, Benefits and Challenges

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has emerged as an important technology in education. Unlike traditional software that mainly provides predefined functions, GenAI can generate text, explanations, summaries, examples, questions, feedback and other learning content in response to user instructions. These capabilities may provide valuable support to students with disabilities who experience difficulties in reading, writing, communication, comprehension, organization and access to conventional learning materials. Recent research shows that students with disabilities are already using chatbots, rewriting applications and translation tools to support academic work. However, the use of GenAI also presents challenges related to accuracy, privacy, academic integrity, affordability, digital inequality, over-dependence and the need for human guidance. This paper reviews the major applications, benefits and challenges of GenAI for students with disabilities. It discusses the use of GenAI for personalized learning, academic writing, reading support, communication, learning-material development, feedback and teacher assistance. The paper also highlights the importance of accessibility, responsible use, teacher training and institutional policies. The review concludes that GenAI can become a useful educational support tool for students with disabilities, but it should complement rather than replace teachers, established assistive technologies and human interaction.

Introduction

The text discusses the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in inclusive education for students with disabilities. It argues that GenAI can extend traditional assistive technologies by providing flexible, interactive, and personalized educational support.

Key applications

• Personalized learning: GenAI can simplify explanations, provide examples, adjust content difficulty, and break complex tasks into manageable steps.
• Academic writing: It can assist with brainstorming, organization, grammar, rewriting, and language development, particularly for students who experience writing difficulties.
• Reading and comprehension: Students can use GenAI to summarize complex texts, explain difficult concepts, define terms, and reorganize information.
• Communication: AI can help students express ideas, generate alternative wording, translate information, and support communication.
• Visual accessibility: GenAI can potentially describe visual information and provide conversational assistance for students with visual impairments, while complementing established tools such as screen readers.
• Neurodivergent learners: Students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and related needs may benefit from task organization, simplified explanations, personalized activities, and step-by-step guidance.
• Accessible learning materials: Teachers can use GenAI to create summaries, alternative explanations, questions, examples, and different versions of instructional content.
• Feedback and academic assistance: GenAI can provide immediate explanations, practice, and preliminary feedback.

Major benefits

GenAI may provide:

• Greater accessibility to educational content.
• More personalized and flexible learning.
• Increased student independence and participation.
• Support for academic writing and communication.
• Learning assistance beyond normal classroom hours.
• Reduced routine workload for teachers through material and activity generation.

Major challenges

The text emphasizes that GenAI also creates significant risks:

• Inaccurate or misleading information can affect learning.
• Privacy concerns arise when students enter personal or disability-related information.
• Academic integrity may be threatened if students use AI to produce work rather than support their learning.
• Digital inequality may increase because devices, internet access, and paid AI subscriptions are not equally available.
• Overdependence on AI could weaken independent thinking and problem-solving.
• Algorithmic bias may disadvantage particular disability, language, cultural, or socioeconomic groups.
• Limited disability-specific research means that many claims about effectiveness remain exploratory.
• Insufficient teacher training may prevent effective and responsible implementation.

Role of teachers and institutions

The paper strongly argues that GenAI should assist rather than replace teachers. Teachers are needed to evaluate AI-generated information, understand individual student needs, provide emotional and educational support, and determine whether AI is appropriate in a particular situation.

Educational institutions should establish policies covering privacy, accessibility, academic integrity, responsible AI use, teacher training, and equitable access. Students with disabilities should also participate in decisions about how GenAI is introduced and governed.

Research gaps and future directions

The literature is still developing, so future research should examine:

• Actual learning outcomes rather than only theoretical benefits.
• Long-term effects and possible AI dependency.
• Different disability groups, including sensory and physical disabilities.
• GenAI use in developing countries and diverse educational contexts.
• Teacher preparedness and institutional implementation.
• The accessibility of AI systems themselves.
• Greater involvement of students with disabilities in research and technology design.

Future systems are expected to become more multimodal and personalized, combining text, speech, images, and other forms of interaction. The paper recommends a human-centred, accessible, ethical, and collaborative approach involving students, teachers, disability specialists, researchers, and technology developers.

Conclusion

Generative Artificial Intelligence is creating new possibilities for inclusive education. For students with disabilities, GenAI can provide personalized explanations, writing support, reading assistance, communication support, accessible learning materials and immediate academic assistance. The technology can potentially improve accessibility, flexibility and independence. Recent research already shows that students with disabilities are using GenAI tools for academic writing and other educational tasks. Research involving visually impaired learners also indicates potential for personalized adaptation and improved access to educational content [1], [4]. At the same time, significant challenges remain. Inaccurate information, privacy concerns, academic integrity, digital inequality, bias, over-dependence and limited disability-specific evidence must be addressed. The future success of GenAI in inclusive education will therefore depend not only on technological development but also on responsible implementation. Teachers need appropriate training, institutions need clear policies, and students need AI literacy. Most importantly, students with disabilities should be included in decisions concerning the technologies designed to support them. GenAI should not replace teachers, assistive technologies or human relationships. Instead, it should be used as an additional support that helps students access information, participate in learning and develop greater independence. The overall evidence suggests that Generative AI has significant potential to support disability-inclusive education, but its value depends on accessibility, responsible use, human oversight and equitable access

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Subharun Pal, Dr. Parul Chhabra. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.