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AI-Learners: Accessible online math for young students
Discover how AI-Learners is making math games more accessible for young students with visual impairments—combining fun, learning and inclusive design.
AI-Learners is an inclusive educational platform designed to meet the needs of students with a broad range of learning differences by providing personalized instruction in foundational math and literacy. Through a combination of interactive games, adaptive content, and built-in learning analytics, the platform delivers engaging, customized experiences for students with visual impairments, autism, multiple disabilities, and other cognitive or developmental challenges. In a previous post, Nick Leon provided a guided tour of the platform’s dashboard, settings, and an introduction to gameplay features. This post highlights the accessibility features built into AI-Learners’ math games, focusing on how they support visually impaired learners who use a screen reader.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What grade levels does AI-Learners cover?
AI-Learners offers state-aligned math and literacy content for Pre-K through Grade 2.
What subjects does AI-Learners cover?
While this post focuses specifically on math, AI-Learners also covers literacy (including reading stories and decodable text) and social skills.
Which devices work with AI-Learners?
The platform is compatible with all devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones.
The developer recommends using the website with a computer and a tablet with the app.
- Note: I only had access to the website when creating this post, so some of the accessibility issues mentioned here should be resolved if using a tablet with the app or a computer with the website.
What assistive technology tools are supported?
AI-Learners supports a wide range of tools, including eye-gaze systems, switches, screen readers and other assistive devices.
- The developer shared that there are additional settings for various assistive technology including screen readers, dual switch and single switch scanning for the website. This further improves the accessibility experience there!
- Note: I did not test with a braille display.
Are there visual adaptations for students with low vision, CVI or other needs?
Yes—features include high contrast mode, realistic images and a visually simple, uncluttered design to support accessibility.
Is there a cost to use AI-Learners?
AI-Learners is a subscription-based platform, but a free trial is available.
For the best experience, we recommend using the Chrome web browser.
Overview of AI-Learners
AI-Learners 90 second demo video created by AI-Learners:
AI-Learners game list
AI-Learners has an extensive list of math content. See the AI-Learners Math Games List.
Note: The game hides some areas for students based on their academic level. So, if you are not seeing a section of games (e.g., multiplication), it is probably because it is turned off. You can see all the areas on the logged out version (just sign out of your account).
Screen reader accessibility
AI-Learners is designed with accessibility at its core, offering compatibility with popular screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. The platform includes clear navigation, descriptive labels for buttons and links, and keyboard-accessible features to ensure students who are blind or have low vision can fully engage with math and literacy content. Interactive games provide spoken feedback, and visual elements are paired with meaningful text descriptions to support comprehension through auditory cues. These features make AI-Learners a supportive and inclusive option for screen reader users working on foundational skills.
AI-Learners offers educators a range of customization options within each game, allowing them to tailor the learning experience to meet individual student needs.
AI-Learners is continuously enhancing its accessibility features to better support all learners.
Most games on the platform are fully compatible with screen readers, incorporating essential elements such as labeled buttons and alt text descriptions. While these foundational features are in place, some areas still have room for fine-tuning to further optimize the experience for students who rely on screen readers.
The videos below highlight math skills that are often more challenging to make accessible in digital formats. Each demonstration showcases how AI-Learners has made these games screen reader-friendly, while also pointing out small adjustments that could make the experience even more seamless for users who depend on assistive technology.
Full Screen option
The Full Screen option eliminates the web browser tabs at the top of the page. If Full Screen is not selected, each time the screen changes, the focus is on the web browser tab and the screen reader will announce the URL in that tab.
- When you first select a game and that game’s options appear, in the bottom right of the screen is an option to turn Full Screen on or off.
- When actually playing the game, go to Settings icon to open the Settings popup menu, then turn on Full Screen.
The first video highlights the Full Screen feature—why it matters, how to activate it, and a minor screen reader bug where hidden elements are still announced. It also showcases one of the Shape games, demonstrating how alt text descriptions are used to describe visual elements (shapes) without revealing the correct answer, supporting both accessibility and meaningful engagement.
AI-Learners Full Screen and “What shape is this?” Game video:
Interactive equations
I’m really excited about the interactive features in some of these games! Check out this example of an engaging interactive subtraction game:
What is 7 – 5?
Use the interactive tools to subtract and find the difference!
AI-Learners Subtraction video:
Keep in mind that while some games meet standard accessibility guidelines, they may not fully assess a student’s math understanding. For example, in one of the Clock games, students are asked to identify the image that shows “8:00,” but the alt text reveals the correct answer, removing the need for actual problem-solving.
Developers comment: Generally, we recommend that users use the website on a computer and the app on the iPad.
Note: The videos in this post were created using the website on an iPad. The developer shared that using the AI-Learners app on the iPad resolves some of the accessibility issues. These also work correctly with the website on a computer. The issue with the clock has been resolved when using the website with a computer, but has not yet been applied fixes for the app.
AI-Learners Clock video:
The same is true for a money identification game that asks students to select the image of a $10 bill—if the alt text simply states, “ten dollars,” it provides the answer without requiring the student to apply their knowledge.
AI-Learners Choose a Bill video:
Remember, there are numerous games available under each math topic! One great example of an accessible money game is the Dollar Exchange game, which encourages students to actively apply their money knowledge to find the right answer.
AI-Learners Dollar Exchange video:
Additional comments
AI-Learners offers an extensive library of interactive math activities, along with a range of literacy games that build early reading and comprehension skills. While this post highlights only a few of the available math activities, the full platform includes dozens more. AI-Learners also tracks each student’s progress with built-in analytics, helping educators and families monitor growth and personalize instruction. Be sure to check out AI-Learners free trial!
Adele Smolansky, AI-Learners CEO & Founder, is very responsive to questions and suggestions! Contact her at [email protected]
Conclusion
AI-Learners is making meaningful strides in creating an inclusive, engaging and accessible learning environment for students with diverse needs. With its growing library of customizable games, screen reader compatibility and thoughtful design features, the platform supports both skill development and independence in math and literacy. While there is still room for refinement in some areas, the commitment to accessibility is clear—and continually improving. For educators, families and accessibility advocates, AI-Learners offers a promising and practical tool to help all students succeed.
Resources
This post was created as part of the TEAM Initiative to support Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVIs) by identifying and reviewing accessible math applications that introduce young students to digital math, helping them build the foundational technology skills needed for success in this environment. Written by Diane Brauner. If you would like more information about the TEAM Initiative, contact Leslie Thatcher at [email protected].
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