Enhancing E-Commerce Accessibility with AI-Powered Chatbots: Integrating Accessibility Tools and Navigation Assistants

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of AI-powered accessibility tools and navigation assistants within a chatbot to enhance the accessibility of e-commerce websites. Despite advancements in AI, users with disabilities still face significant barriers on online shopping platforms, particularly in the areas of alt text generation and video captioning. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Google Vision API for alt text and the Whisper API for video captions in addressing common accessibility issues. Our experimental results indicate substantial improvements in video captioning, though alt text generation still faced challenges, particularly for images that involved complex visuals and embed- ded text, as seen in fashion and product-oriented e-commerce sites.
To address these challenges, we integrated an AI navigation assistant with the accessibility tools, enhancing the chatbot’s ability to provide more accurate and context-aware assistance. The results showed that this combination led to a significant im- provement in user experience, particularly by improving alt text accuracy and providing more intuitive navigation. Our findings suggest that combining AI accessibility tools with a navigation assistant can offer a more comprehensive solution for improving accessibility on e-commerce platforms. This AI-powered chatbot not only enhances the online shopping experience for users with disabilities but also provides businesses with the opportunity to meet accessibility standards, expand market reach, and increase customer satisfaction. This research highlights the potential of AI to bridge critical accessibility gaps and create more inclusive, efficient, and personalized digital marketplaces.