As AI systems are increasingly deployed to support decision-making in critical domains, explainability has become a means to enhance the understandability of these outputs and enable users to make more informed and conscious choices. However, despite growing interest in the usability of eXplainable AI (XAI), the accessibility of these methods, particularly for users with vision impairments, remains underexplored. This paper investigates accessibility gaps in XAI through a two-pronged approach. First, a literature review of 79 studies reveals that evaluations of XAI techniques rarely include disabled users, with most explanations relying on inherently visual formats. Second, we present a four-part methodological proof of concept that opera-tionalizes inclusive XAI design: (1) categorization of AI systems, (2) persona definition and contex-tualization, (3) prototype design and implementation, and (4) expert and user assessment of XAI techniques for accessibility. Preliminary findings suggest that simplified explanations are more comprehensible for non-visual users than detailed ones, and that multimodal presentation is required for more equitable interpretability.

The ability to apply artificial intelligence (AI) to ophthalmology is gathering pace, a consequence of remarkable collaboration between eye specialists and technologists whose forte is the ability to process vast amounts of data quickly. Irish ophthalmologist Dr Pearse Keane – based in Moorfields Hospital, London – has been the chief catalyst in developing AI software to detect 50 sight-threatening eye diseases. It operates by interpreting optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the back of the eye, which soon will be routine when going for an eye check. Automation in analysing scans for diseases such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the main cause of blindness in Europe, and diabetic retinopathy, is about to revolutionise patient outcomes with faster results affording earlier diagnosis and prompt treatment, and ultimately preventing avoidable sight loss. Since that initial breakthrough, the Keane team has developed an alert system for a third of people with AMD who later get it in their good eye and, potentially, an early-warning system for onset of neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer's.

Amazon and the UK's Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) have worked together to make Alexa more useful to those suffering from visual impairment conditions. Thanks to this collaboration, the AI-powered personal assistant can offer advice on living with sight loss, obtained directly from RNIB's Sight Loss Advice Service. "Voice assistant technology is playing an ever-increasing role in transforming the lives of blind and partially sighted people," said David Clarke, director of services at RNIB. "Voice assistants can enable independence, helping to break down accessibility barriers to a more inclusive society. By using this technology to increase the reach of our own resources, we are ensuring that people can immediately get essential information about sight conditions, their rights, and the support available, simply by asking out loud." RNIB is a charity established in 1868, originally to provide better quality literature for the blind. Today, it offers information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK, under the patronage of the Queen.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of software to think and solve problems in a human-like way, and to perform or act in a human-like manner. AI has potential to make a valuable contribution to various fields including space, education, sports, finance, construction, healthcare and many more. The healthcare AI industry has been receiving a great deal of attention--scientists and experts are very interested in the prospect of machines which can copy human intelligence. AI has already given some undeniably great performances, in some cases even better than a human. One such example is the DeepMind project at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Sight, the precious sense that brings us perspective and wonder, is under unprecedented attack. Despite huge clinical and technological advances, record numbers of people are suffering from avoidable blindness. The economic burden of sight loss has been estimated at £28.1 billion a year in the UK, yet more than 50 per cent of blindness is avoidable. These stark statistics are made even more disturbing by the fact that, while health and longevity profiles across all disabilities are improving, sight loss is becoming worse. Research projects are bringing us bionic eyes, stem cell regrowth and artificial intelligence (AI) that can combat the ravages of eye disease. But they are ranged against formidable harbingers of darkness in obesity, outmoded systems, poor funding and ageing populations.

An artificial intelligence (AI) programme has the potential to prevent irreversible sight loss by spotting the key signs of eye disease as well as world-leading experts can, a study has found. The system, which draws on data from thousands of NHS patients, could ensure patients with serious eye conditions receive vital early treatment. Early trials of the programme, developed by scientists at Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London, and Google's DeepMind AI research centre, have been so promising it could be rolled out at 30 UK hospitals within three years. "The number of eye scans we're performing is growing at a pace much faster than human experts are able to interpret them," said Dr Pearse Keane from Moorfields. "There is a risk that this may cause delays in the diagnosis and treatment of sight-threatening diseases, which can be devastating for patients. "The AI technology we're developing is designed to prioritise patients who need to be seen and treated urgently by a doctor or eye care professional.

DeepMind Health, working in collaboration with Moorfields Eye Hospital, has used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse and detect a range of eye diseases. The research, which appears in Nature Medicine, applied deep learning techniques to thousands of historical anonymised retinal scans. Following this training, the AI system was able to recommend the correct referral decision for over 50 eye diseases with 94 per cent accuracy, matching the performance of the top medical experts in the field. With nearly 300 million people around the world living with some form of sight loss, it is hoped the work could help doctors and eye professionals spot serious conditions earlier and prioritise patient treatment. "The number of eye scans we're performing is growing at a pace much faster than human experts are able to interpret them," said Dr Pearse Keane, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and National Institute for Health Research clinician scientist at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.

Machine-learning technology has been used to identify signs of eye disease and recommend how patients should be referred for treatment. The breakthrough is the result of a partnership between researchers at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, DeepMind Health and the University College London Institute of Ophthalmology. The collaboration is looking at whether artificial intelligence (AI) technology can aid clinicians when it comes to improving care for patients. Founded in 2010, DeepMind was acquired by Google in 2014 and is now part of the Alphabet Group. Based in London, it undertakes research in AI.

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google's DeepMind, poses with late physicist Stephen Hawking. Hassabis, Hawking and Tesla CEO Elon Musk all endorsed a set of guidelines last year for ethical AI development that will benefit humanity. AI has been a buzzword in Korean society ever since. As AlphaGo retired from competitive gaming in March 2017, the company has instead been concentrating on tackling "a very wide range of problems" that humans find difficult to resolve. "The majority of the AlphaGo team now devotes their time to new projects with the intention of using these general-purpose algorithms to help solve some of the world's most complex challenges in science and medicine," said Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind, in an email interview with the JoongAng Ilbo to mark the two-year anniversary of the high-profile match.

A demo of the Orcam MyEye 2.0 was one of the highlights at the AbilityNet/RNIB TechShare Pro event in November. This small device, an update to the MyEye released in 2013, clips onto any pair of glasses and provides discrete audio feedback about the world around the wearer. It uses state-of-the-art image recognition to read signs and documents as well as recognise people and does not require internet connection. It's just one of many apps and devices that are using the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the lives of people who are blind or have sight loss. Last week, we took a look Microsoft's updated free app Seeing AI and its amazing new features for people who are blind or have sight loss, including colour recognition and handwriting recognition.