Applause Report Shows 78 Percent Organizations Use AI Yet Apps Still Fail Accessibility

Applause Report – states 78% of organizations now use AI tools to run accessibility tests on their digital products, marking a sharp rise in AI adoption for inclusion, including large enterprises and startups, reflecting a broad industry shift.

App Performance – despite the high AI usage, the report finds that many applications continue to fail when paired with screen readers and other assistive technologies, indicating persistent gaps, especially for users relying on voice control or magnification, where errors remain common.

Industry Response – the findings prompt accessibility experts to call for blended testing approaches, combining AI automation with human evaluation to catch nuanced barriers. Experts stress that manual testing can identify context‑specific issues AI alone misses.

Future Outlook – analysts predict that ongoing AI improvements and stricter compliance standards could reduce failure rates, but the report warns that without manual oversight, full accessibility remains out of reach. They recommend regular audits and updated training data to keep AI models effective.