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Abstract

Online education has become an important channel for extensive, inclusive and flexible learning experiences. However, significant gaps persist in providing truly accessible, personalized and adaptable e-learning environments, especially for students with disabilities, varied language backgrounds, or limited bandwidth. This paper presents AccessiLearnAI, an AI-driven platform, which converges accessibility-first design, multi-format content delivery, advanced personalization, and Progressive Web App (PWA) offline capabilities. Our solution is compliant with semantic HTML5 and ARIA standards, and incorporates features such as automatic alt-text generation for images using Large Language Models (LLMs), real-time functionality for summarization, translation, and text-to-speech capabilities. The platform, built on top of a modular MVC and microservices-based architecture, also integrates robust security, GDPR-aligned data protection, and a human-in-the-loop to ensure the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated outputs. Early evaluations indicate that AccessiLearnAI improves engagement and learning outcomes across multiple ranges of users, suggesting that responsible AI and universal design can successfully coexist to bring equity through digital education.

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1. Introduction

E-learning platforms are increasingly becoming a transformative tool to meet modern educational demands. Due to the rapid growth of digital technologies and Internet access, online education has become a practical solution to provide diverse resources to students and to serve different needs.

1.1. Context and Motivation

The importance of online education has become especially manifest in times of crisis such as public health emergencies, economic recessions, armed conflicts or natural disasters, all of which can disrupt the conventional education system. During crises, virtual learning environments contribute to the continuity of education, allowing students to access educational content without being constrained to be present in a specific location (Mukherjee & Hasan, 2022). In addition, the e-learning paradigm is particularly important in the process of continuous professional training, as it allows workers to acquire/to update the knowledge and skills needed in the labor market (Arredondo-Trapero et al., 2024).

In the context of online platforms, education is not limited to specific geographical areas or time zones; therefore, students have the opportunity to choose from a range of practical subjects that would otherwise be unavailable. Also, asynchronous study opportunities and the availability of recorded courses make it possible for students to personalize their learning experiences in a way that is adaptable to their learning speed and availability.

In addition, online learning fosters inclusion by providing different learning approaches, such as audio material, transcripts, subtitles and adaptive tests, all of which address personalization of content and/or disability-related needs. Inclusive education is an approach that ensures all learners, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance, can fully participate and succeed in the same learning environment (Wray et al., 2022). It emphasizes transforming the education system to meet the diverse needs of students, rather than expecting students to adapt to a standard model. This includes addressing the needs of those with disabilities, language barriers, or socioeconomic disadvantages.

Central to inclusive education is the principle of equity and access. It promotes removing barriers to learning through flexible teaching methods, adaptable materials, and supportive technologies. Closely tied to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (CAST, 2024), inclusive education encourages varied ways of presenting information and engaging students, ensuring content is accessible from the start.

The goal is not only academic success but also social inclusion (Khamzina et al., 2024). By fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that all students are valued, inclusive education builds more equitable and effective learning environments where diversity is seen as a strength.

Despite their importance, conventional face-to-face teaching practices tend to confront challenges in terms of diverse learning needs, different curricula, physical abilities, and cognitive profiles. Traditional school-based learning approaches rely largely on standardized learning, while e-learning environments can use adaptive learning technologies to personalize content based on the learner’s level of proficiency and preference (Shafique et al., 2023). This is particularly helpful for students with disabilities, where the traditional system cannot always meet their specific needs. To address these challenges, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, speech recognition tools, and alternative input devices, can enhance accessibility and empower individuals to interact more effectively with educational content.

Similarly, working adults and parents often face obstacles if they want to follow a rigid study schedule. Online education is their opportunity to earn degrees and certifications and participate in various professional development courses, even with a busy work or personal life agenda. The freedom and opportunity to learn at their own pace, view materials whenever they want, and take part in online discussions serves as proof that the educational process continues, regardless of the difficulties a person may face. As e-learning continues to expand, it is important to realize its potential and create more inclusive, accessible, and personalized learning experiences that can provide equal access and learning conditions for students from all demographic categories.

The urgency of embedding accessibility in digital learning has sharpened because the European Accessibility Act (EAA), Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Union, 2019), became fully enforceable on 28 June 2025 (AccessibleEU, 2025). From that date, any new consumer-facing ICT product or service placed on the EU market, including e-learning platforms, learning-management systems (LMSs) and the digital course materials they deliver, must meet the Act’s functional accessibility requirements or face fines, withdrawal orders, or reputational damage (Recite Me, 2025).

Beyond mere compliance, the EAA positions accessibility as a design baseline rather than a charitable add-on, acknowledging that around 87 million EU residents have some form of disability and that an aging population will soon make accessible interfaces the norm (European Commission, 2025).

1.2. Proposed Solution and Contributions

This paper presents AccessiLearnAI, a novel AI-enhanced e-learning platform that was designed and developed to improve accessibility, personalization, and adaptability of the content. Our contributions address key gaps in existing e-learning systems by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), and progressive web application (PWA) technologies (Google Developers, 2025a), in compliance with web accessibility standards. The main contributions of our work are:

Accessibility-Driven Content Structuring: We propose an AI-powered content organization system that automatically incorporates HTML5 semantic elements and ARIA attributes (World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], 2025b) to improve accessibility. Unlike many current e-learning platforms that incorporate accessibility support into the system as an afterthought, our system ensures from the outset that content is organized and structured for screen readers and adaptive technologies. A “human-in-the-loop” validation system allows teachers to optimize accessibility improvements generated by AI, thus ensuring high-quality implementation and usability.

AI-Based Personalization and Adaptive Learning: Our framework uses AI-based techniques to generate multi-level summaries, automatic alternative text for images, real-time text-to-speech (TTS) (Reddy et al., 2023), and dynamic translation. This set of features enables personalized learning experiences that adapt to students’ cognitive preferences and accessibility needs. Unlike previous studies that focus on isolated applications of these technologies, we integrate them into a unified system that improves student engagement and comprehension.

Semantic Enhancement and Offline Accessibility: We adopted Progressive Web Application (PWA) technology to provide seamless, offline access to educational content while maintaining optimal interactivity. Our platform ensures that accessibility features, such as screen reader support and AI-enhanced content structuring, remain functional and available even in offline mode. This contribution is particularly relevant for students in low-connectivity environments, enabling uninterrupted learning experiences.

Ethical Data Handling and Privacy Compliance: Our platform incorporates strong privacy measures aligned with GDPR (European Parliament & Council, 2016) and other data protection regulations. We address concerns about student data security, transparency around AI decisions, and bias mitigation by ensuring ethical implementation of AI. The system provides explainable AI (XAI) (Dwivedi et al., 2023) feedback mechanisms that allow students and teachers to understand and control how AI-based adaptations are used.

Through these contributions, our research addresses current gaps in AI-based e-learning by providing an integrated, accessible-first approach that improves student inclusion and engagement. Our new unified and combined approach of AI-based content adaptation, accessibility enforcement, and PWA-based offline support creates a novel enhancement for inclusive digital education.

1.3. Research Questions

To make the aims of this study explicit, we set the following research questions (RQs):

RQ1 (Architecture & Feasibility). Can an accessibility-first, AI-augmented e-learning platform integrate semantic HTML5/ARIA scaffolding, AI-generated alternative text, multi-level summarization/translation, text-to-speech, and offline PWA capability into a cohesive, usable system for the higher demands of academic education?

RQ2 (Accessibility & Usability in Practice). To what extent does such an integrated approach improve practical accessibility and user experience for diverse learners—including blind/visually impaired users—relative to mainstream LMS baselines, as reflected in screen-reader compatibility, keyboard-only navigation, and perceived ease-of-use?

RQ3 (Pedagogical Utility of AI Outputs). How useful and reliable are AI-generated summaries and image descriptions when mediated by a human-in-the-loop workflow for teachers?

RQ1 is addressed through the system design and implementation analysis (Section 3); RQ2 through the formative accessibility/usability testing and the comparative benchmarking against established platforms (Section 5 and Section 6); and RQ3 through the two-step expert review of AI-generated outputs (Section 6).

1.4. Paper Organization

The following sections of this paper are organized as follows: Section 2 reviews related work on AI-based personalization, accessibility, and e-learning, and identifies the research gap that motivates this study. Section 3 presents the architecture and implementation of the AccessiLearnAI platform, including its accessibility-focused front end, modular back-end, integrated AI services, offline PWA capabilities, and privacy and security measures. Section 4 describes the workflows for different user roles, showing how teachers and students interact with the system and how AI features enhance accessibility and personalization. Section 5 provides a comparative analysis between AccessiLearnAI and existing e-learning platforms, highlighting its advantages in accessibility, adaptability, and AI-driven features. Section 6 discusses the broader pedagogical and design implications of combining accessibility-first software development with real-time AI personalization. Section 7 outlines current limitations, including the limited scale of evaluation, reliance on third-party AI services, and partial support for diverse disability profiles. Section 8 concludes the paper and proposes directions for future development, such as large-scale validation, integration of additional accessibility features, and domain-specific extensions.

2. Related Work and Research Gap

The evolution of e-learning systems has given rise to numerous innovations in personalization, accessibility, and AI integration. However, most current platforms address these aspects in isolation, without combining them into a unified and inclusive learning experience. With inclusive education emerging as a key objective in global digital learning environments, there is increasing pressure to go beyond mere technical compliance and develop platforms that intelligently adapt to the diverse needs, abilities, languages, and contexts of learners. The following sections review existing work related to personalization, accessibility, AI-powered tools, and scalable architectures, highlighting where current solutions fall short and where new approaches, such as the one proposed in this study, can contribute.

2.1. Personalized E-Learning and AI-Driven Accessibility

In e-learning platforms, personalization has been identified as a key research element. Sanchez-Gordon et al. (2021) introduced a new model for profiling users with disabilities in e-learning in order to adapt interfaces for e-learning systems, highlighting the importance of meeting these diverse needs. Digital learning systems such as DreamBox Learning (DreamBox, 2024) and Smart Sparrow (2025a) demonstrate the benefits of machine learning algorithms that adapt content and difficulty based on performance values (Airaj, 2024). Kazimzade et al. (2019) present the intersection of adaptive learning technologies and inclusion, highlighting the fact that these areas are often not combined. Extensive accessibility elements are rarely incorporated into online learning platforms or are only incorporated through static processes and integrated later in their development. The comprehensive learning frameworks described in articles (Chen et al., 2020; Sri Ram et al., 2024) highlight the need for e-learning platforms to seamlessly integrate advanced AI-based personalization with universal design principles (such as text simplification, TTS, or alternative text generation) to achieve a truly inclusive experience.

At the same time, accessibility and inclusion perspectives remain underexplored in most current e-learning platforms. Although compliance with standards such as WCAG 2.1 (World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], 2018) and Section 508 (U.S. General Services Administration, 2025) exists, they are often only partially implemented in learning management systems (LMS) and are often tested as checklists. Tiwary and Mahapatra (2022) present a study on generating alternative text for images in e-learning platforms using AI, presenting their solutions and challenges with a focus on visually impaired users. Tools such as Blackboard Ally (2025) or specialized plugins for the Moodle platform (Moodle, 2025a) have capabilities to automatically check alternative text or color contrast, but rarely integrate AI to optimize the context of the alternative text or to dynamically adapt to the reading levels of users (Murtaza et al., 2022). This scenario is not optimal and can be problematic for students who require more than minimal compliance, especially those who require TTS or real-time speech synthesis (Liu et al., 2023).

Recent work has begun to operationalize AI-driven descriptive enrichment directly inside user interfaces, demonstrating how automated generation of semantically rich, context-aware descriptions can lower cognitive and perceptual barriers for visually impaired users in complex data environments. Stelea et al. (2025a) showed that AI-generated descriptions can significantly improve accessibility in complex interfaces for visually impaired users. Their approach demonstrates how such features can be integrated from the start, rather than treated as optional add-ons. Building on this insight, our platform incorporates alt-text suggestion, validation, and caching directly into the authoring workflow, ensuring accessibility evolves alongside content personalization. This alignment of AI-driven adaptation and inclusive design sets the foundation for a more responsive and equitable e-learning experience.

2.2. AI Tools for Summaries, Translation, and TTS

Summarization: Recent advances in deep learning have made content summarization more context-aware (Crompton & Burke, 2023; Acosta-Vargas et al., 2024a), which is essential for supporting and aiding diverse reading styles. However, many e-learning platforms still rely on either user-generated summaries or simple, rudimentary summaries.

Translation: Neural machine translation (NMT) can be used to convert entire lessons or just sub-sections of a lesson in real time, although technical language specific to certain domains or languages with fewer resources still present challenges (Klimova et al., 2023). The synergy of translations using LLM with teacher supervision can address inaccuracies or domain jargon.

Text-to-Speech (TTS): TTS systems encourage inclusion by removing visual or reading barriers by offering multilingual support and adjustable pacing (Liu et al., 2023; Liew et al., 2023; Hillaire et al., 2019). These studies confirm the ability of TTS to improve engagement of mobile learners or those who prefer auditory learning.

2.3. PWA-Based E-Learning

Unlike native apps, PWAs rely on offline caching mechanisms, push notifications, and near-instant installability across multiple platforms, factors that e-learning systems can significantly benefit from (Nugraha et al., 2022). This type of approach is favorable for learners with low bandwidth or who are located in rural areas, allowing them to store AI-generated lessons and course sections (such as summaries or TTS files) offline. After the device reconnects to the Internet, the automatic synchronization mechanism manages updated content, such as new or revised alternative text or extended teacher notes. This type of design helps to achieve more inclusive, robust, and device-independent solutions for large-scale deployment (Huber et al., 2021).

In conclusion, while significant progress has been made in terms of personalization, content transformation, and accessibility, these advances have not been thoroughly combined and experienced in a cohesive and coordinated manner. The following section outlines the specific gaps identified that continue to persist when these elements remain decoupled and not used in a unified manner.

2.4. Identified Gaps

Although e-learning platforms have greatly improved the ability to deliver education from anywhere, at anytime, there are still many obstacles that prevent a comprehensive and inclusive digital learning experience. Based on the analysis presented above, we have identified four main gaps: limited personalization, poor accessibility, language barriers, and unfulfilled AI potential, which need to be addressed in a system-wide and comprehensive way.

Limited Personalization. Many current e-learning platforms still offer static and uniform content to learners without taking into account their environment, level of prior knowledge, or different learning speeds (Murtaza et al., 2022; Gligorea et al., 2023). Therefore, beginning learners may be overwhelmed by the level of the material, while advanced learners may feel disengaged. Such a one-size-fits-all approach often fails to optimize learner engagement and can frequently lead to high dropout rates.

Deficient Accessibility. Acosta-Vargas et al. (2024b) highlight major accessibility deficiencies in generative AI tools, citing poor screen reader support, inadequate keyboard navigation, and low contrast as basic impediments to the inclusion of users with disabilities. They also highlight challenges such as the lack of transparency regarding AI and inclusive training data, calling for the need to develop proactive development strategies to ensure compliance with ethical and regulatory standards for digital inclusion. Despite the existence and promotion of W3C guidelines and legal mandates such as Section 508 or EN 301 549, e-learning platforms still have many gaps in inclusive design. Common deficiencies include the lack of alternative text for images, inadequate ARIA roles, limited text resizing, or insufficient keyboard navigation (Acosta-Vargas et al., 2024a). Because students with disabilities (visual, auditory, or motor impairments) require more than superficial compliance, these gaps often reduce participation and increase dropout rates among them. The lack of or limited implementation of additional features, such as sign language overlays or real-time TTS for any text, significantly reduces the level of inclusive education.

Language Barriers. The globalization of online education has increased the demand for multilingual courses, but many online learning platforms still offer, sometimes only partial, translation capabilities (Jónsdóttir et al., 2023). Students from non-English speaking backgrounds often face major obstacles in understanding domain-specific terminologies or examples that are embedded in different cultures. Although machine translation technologies are improving every day, they rarely adapt to the nuances of the local language in specialized domains—e.g., medical or engineering jargon—failing to generate optimal clarity and understanding of the content (for instance, instead of “electromagnetic field” machine translation could produce “electromagnetic plain”).

Unfulfilled AI Potential. Although research in the field of artificial intelligence in education (AIED) has produced advanced techniques and methods (Chen et al., 2020), such as automatic question generation, real-time text summarization, or adaptive reading level adjustments, commercial LMSs typically do not integrate them at scale. As a result, many students cannot benefit from AI-based dynamic personalization, multilingual content summarization, or advanced assistance tools.

When we consider personalization, AI-based transformation, multi-language support, TTS, semantic markup, and even offline use as factors that must be present jointly, we notice that typical e-learning systems do not implement them or implement them in a fragmented manner (Ingavelez-Guerra et al., 2023; Timbi-Sisalima et al., 2022). A unified, fully integrated approach capable of combining advanced personalization with accessible and robust design remains elusive. Although some platforms have incorporated either accessibility features or AI capabilities, few have sought to integrate both in order to deliver a truly inclusive educational experience for all learners.

To our knowledge, it seems very likely that no other existing system addresses all these issues together, which defines the gap our work fills. The platform combines proven methods (knowledge tracking, recommendations, LLM-based tasks) with strong accessibility features and offline support through PWA. This ensures that tools like summarization, text-to-speech, and alt-text generation are available even in areas with limited Internet, making the platform usable by all learners—beginners, advanced students, and those with disabilities.

3. Architecture and Implementation

AccessiLearnAI is an AI-enhanced e-learning platform designed to make online education more accessible, personalized, and adaptable. The system architecture is built prioritizing accessibility, ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities such as visual, hearing, or cognitive impairments, can use educational content in the most effective way.

3.1. System Overview

The platform enables teachers to create and adapt course material with AI assistance, while students benefit from on-the-fly content transformations such as summaries, audio files, and translations. Key features include automatic structuring of content for screen readers, AI-generated image descriptions, text summaries at different difficulty levels, real-time translation, and offline access through Progressive Web App (PWA) technology. By using AI to adapt both content creation and delivery to user needs, the platform improves accessibility and student engagement compared to traditional e-learning systems.

From a technical point of view, the AccessiLearnAI platform is developed using a layered architecture, which separates responsibilities into separate components (Stelea et al., 2025b): a responsive front-end user interface (with offline PWA support), a back-end application layer built on an MVC (Model–View–Controller) web framework, an AI integration layer (connecting to external AI services), and a data storage layer (relational database with caching), as shown in Figure 1.

The front-end interface supports accessibility-first rendering, integrating HTML5 landmarks, ARIA roles, and real-time toggles for text-to-speech, language translation, or contrast adjustments. Content authored or uploaded by teachers is parsed and automatically enhanced with structural and semantic annotations, reducing the burden on educators who may not be accessibility experts. This aligns with universal design principles, ensuring that content adapts not only to user preferences, but also to assistive technology requirements.

The AI integration layer plays a central role in providing dynamic personalization. For example, students can request summaries tailored to different reading levels or have complex paragraphs simplified. Image uploads are scanned and matched with context-aware, AI-generated alt text. In multilingual environments (Kirss et al., 2021), AI-based translation services allow students to consume materials in their preferred language. All AI interactions are designed to be transparent, with fallback mechanisms and manual override options to maintain pedagogical control.

The architecture is scalable, secure, and flexible, allowing institutions to adopt it fully or step by step. Unlike traditional LMSs that use static checklists or manual adjustments, AccessiLearnAI builds accessibility and personalization into the system itself. This reduces exclusion and promotes equity in digital learning.

3.2. Core Architectural Components

The platform architecture is organized into multiple layers and modules, each responsible for specific aspects of the system’s functionality. Using this modular design (illustrated in Figure 1), the main goal is to ensure clarity in the separation of responsibilities and that the system can be maintained, scaled, and improved in the future. Below we detail the core components of the architecture.

3.2.1. Front-End (User Interface & PWA Layer)

The front-end is the layer of the platform that users interact with, implemented as a web application, emphasizing responsive design and accessibility compliance. It was developed using the HTML5 and WAI-ARIA semantic standards (World Wide Web Consortium [W3C], 2025c) to shape and structure content in a way that allows assistive technologies (such as screen readers) to navigate through it appropriately. Content pages must use proper semantic tags (

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