Accessify – AI Accessibility (Local Chrome AI)

On-device AI summaries, narration, image descriptions, and voice commands.

Comment

Accessify – AI Accessibility Extension

Introduction

Accessify is a Chrome extension that makes the web more inclusive by adding on-device AI accessibility features: smart narration, AI-powered summaries, automatic image descriptions, and voice/keyboard controls — all running locally with privacy in mind.

Problem

The internet is not equally accessible to everyone.

  • Screen readers are blunt tools
    They often read everything on a page — including ads, menus, and navigation bars — which frustrates visually impaired users trying to get to the actual content.

  • Missing or poor image descriptions
    Millions of websites still publish images without alt-text. A visually impaired user hears only "image" or nothing at all, missing essential context.

  • Information overload
    Articles, reports, and blogs are long and overwhelming. Low-vision users relying on text-to-speech have to sit through entire documents just to find key points.

  • Fragmented accessibility solutions
    Current tools are scattered: one extension for narration, another for summarization, another for translations. They rarely integrate AI or run privately on-device.

The result: online information is slower, harder, and less inclusive for millions of people.

Solution

Accessify — a Chrome extension that brings AI-powered accessibility into one simple, privacy-friendly tool.

  • Smart Narration
    Reads only the main content of a page, skipping ads, sidebars, and clutter.

  • AI Summarization
    Converts long articles into concise spoken takeaways.

    • Brief mode → 3–4 bullet points.
    • Detailed mode → paragraph-level summaries.

  • AI Image Descriptions
    Uses vision models and context analysis to generate meaningful alt-text.

  • Voice Commands
    Hands-free interaction: say “Play”, “Pause”, “Summarize page”, or “Describe images” to control the extension.

  • Accessible UI
    Floating toolbar with large, high-contrast buttons.
    Full keyboard shortcuts.
    Settings for pitch, speed, and voices.

In short: Accessify makes the web speak smarter, summarize faster, and describe better — all on-device.

How We Built It

Accessify combines Google Gemini Nano with the new Chrome AI APIs to deliver real-time, local accessibility features.

  • Google Gemini Nano

    • Runs directly on-device (via Chrome on Pixel or future desktop support).
    • Powers summarization of long-form content.
    • Provides lightweight language understanding for commands and context.

  • Chrome AI APIs (Summarizer + Prompt API)

    • Summarizer API → creates local summaries of any webpage text.
    • Prompt API → generates contextual alt-text for images.
    • These APIs ensure data never leaves the user’s browser — keeping private content safe.

  • Web Speech API

    • Text-to-Speech for natural narration.
    • SpeechRecognition for listening to voice commands.

  • Manifest V3 Chrome Extension

    • Popup UI built in React + Tailwind.
    • Content scripts that inject the floating toolbar and extract main content.
    • Background worker + offscreen document to support global voice commands.

This architecture gives us the best of both worlds:
AI-powered intelligence + local-first privacy and speed.

Impact

  • Accessibility: Empowers visually impaired and low-vision users with richer, AI-driven web experiences.
  • Privacy: Runs on-device with Gemini Nano and Chrome AI APIs, no cloud servers involved.
  • Efficiency: Saves time by summarizing, narrating, and describing content instantly.
  • Scalability: Built with modular APIs — future-ready for new Chrome AI capabilities.

Stretch Goals

  • Multilingual translation and narration.
  • Reader Mode with simplified, large-text layouts.
  • Bookmarks with saved audio notes.
  • Fully offline support with Gemini Nano and WASM models.

Why Accessify?

  • Accessibility is not an afterthought — it is a core web experience.
  • We leverage the latest AI infrastructure inside Chrome to build something fast, private, and practical.
  • Hackathon-friendly: a clear, impactful demo that solves a real-world problem.

Accessify shows how AI can make the web more inclusive — not someday, but today.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates