Using AI for Individualized Accommodation

ChatGPT from OpenAI is a popular AI based work enhancement tool for all people to individualize their own workflow. This presentation examines personalized development of an accessible work environment for one person (Wayne Dick) with low vision to address one workflow problem: research in combinatorial mathematics. It is idiosyncratic in that only addresses the accommodation for one person with one disability performing one task. However, is this not the goal of accessible workflow: To remove the operational overhead caused by incomplete accommodation for a given individual with one disability to perform specialized tasks. The person with their own disability may be an accountant, lawyer, librarian or any other person who needs accommodation to perform the duties of their employment. Thus, this study of workflow using ChatGPT provides a model for other disabilities and professions to follow.

The session will begin with an overview of my process to develop a professional paper using the ChatGPT assistant. It will identify key components like supporting applications, operational overhead encountered, solutions to communication issues and modifications to the ChatGPT UI that enhanced my personal accessibility. It will emphasize the limitations of my method. Specifically, it is for me. It may not even work for a person with low vision who has a different presentation of the problem. However, a person who follows this process with ChatGPT may create useful accommodation for their own needs.

Participants should bring their own computers so they can take their discoveries home. ChatGPT should already be loaded in your browser. However, we will help people load Chat on their machine.

The problem will be this. Identify your disability: low vision, blindness, dyslexia. A print disability will probably be the best choice. If you do not have a personal disability pick one. One of your neighbors will probably be familiar with the needs of some print disability.

Next pick a domain of discourse. What subject area do you want to support: law, accounting, programming. That choice is up to the student.

Next get ChatGPT to help you solve a problem with your disability of choice taken from your domain of discourse. I will roam around and help. You may work alone or in groups. For example, you may have a group with a disability service professional who is the disability expert. Another member may work in an interesting domain. This person may identify the problem. Another member may be a programmer and that person may address Chat more algorithmically. Together you can start on a system like mine for me.

It took me months to get where I am not. So, don’t be frustrated if you only scratch the surface. However, ChatGPT is so sharp that many of you will get something special you can take home.