The AI Quagmire: Preparing Educators to Teach, Troubleshoot, and Critically Engage AI with Students with Disabilities

Presenter(s)

Event Details

Topic:

research

Format:

lecture

Subject Level:

beginner

Age Span:

kindergarten - grade 6
grades 7-12
adult

Target Audience:

AT specialist
autism specialist
consultant
deaf / hard of hearing
educator
family member / caregiver
healthcare administration
K-12 administration
occupational therapist
paraprofessional
physical therapist
special educator
speech language pathologist
teacher of the visually impaired
university professor / personnel
vision impairment specialist

Professional Development Credits

IACET CEUs:

0.01

ACVREP CEs:

1

Presentation Length: 1 hour

Location:

Plaza 6

Description:

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how students access information and complete work. For students who are blind or have low vision and those with other disabilities, AI offers both access and risk. Drawing on a national survey of 1735 people, this session shows how adults with disabilities are using AI tools and the extra burden they face in verifying outputs, troubleshooting failures, and managing privacy trade-offs. Educators and other service providers will gain practical strategies to teach AI use, troubleshooting, and critical evaluation. The session emphasizes preparing students to use AI effectively, safely, and strategically in school, work, and daily life.

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Analyze current patterns of AI use among adults with and without disabilities to identify implications for K–12 instruction.

• Apply instructional strategies to teach students with disabilities how to effectively use, troubleshoot, and recover from failures in AI tools.

• Evaluate AI outputs and use contexts for accuracy, bias, accessibility, and privacy trade-offs to support informed student decision-making.

Disclosures:

Dr. Sarahelizabeth Baguhn is employed full-time by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) as a Research Specialist. She also receives a part-time salary from Western Michigan University (WMU) for coordinating the Assistive Technology graduate program and teaching within the vision programs. She receives royalties for books authored.
She serves as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors for the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), a nonfinancial relationship relevant to her professional role.