Teachers in Muntinlupa are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can make learning more accessible for students with disabilities, from helping nonverbal learners communicate to providing real-time captions and creating engaging visual materials for young children.

Through “AI for Accessibility,” a training initiative under PLDT and Smart’s #KonektedforInclusion program, Special Needs Education and general education teachers from schools and institutions across Muntinlupa learned how AI-powered tools can address everyday challenges in classrooms and communities.

“Technology becomes more meaningful when it responds to real needs,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart. “By working with teachers who understand the day-to-day realities of students with disabilities, we can help bring digital tools closer to the classroom and, ultimately, to the students and families who can benefit from them.”

Conducted by PLDT and Smart with ATRIEV, in partnership with The Birthright Educators Foundation Inc., the workshop introduced participants to assistive technology and applications such as Seeing AI, Live Transcribe, Speech Assistant AAC, Avaz AAC, and Gemini Notebook. These tools can support communication, learning, and daily activities for people with different accessibility needs.

AI Tools Address Real Classroom Challenges

Rather than treating AI as another technology to learn, participants explored how specific tools could respond to the individual needs of their students.

Mary Ann Dalo, a Special Needs Education teacher, saw potential in Speech Assistant AAC for a nonverbal student who has difficulty communicating. The application could offer the learner another way to express their thoughts and needs.

She also highlighted Live Transcribe, which converts spoken words into text in real time. The tool could support students who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly in situations where teachers or classmates may not know sign language.

The workshop also expanded participants’ understanding of accessibility beyond visual disabilities. Zenith Gofredo of the Department of Education’s Inclusive Learning Resource Center in Muntinlupa recognized that AI can support anyone experiencing barriers to learning or communication.

“One of the things I learned is that AI is not only for people who are blind. It can also help anyone who is struggling and needs additional support,” she said. Gofredo plans to share the lessons with fellow teachers and stressed the importance of involving parents in discussions about accessible technology.

Making Lessons More Engaging And Accessible

For preschool teacher Danielle Abrasaldo, AI offers practical ways to create visual learning materials for young children, including those without special educational needs.

“I realized that we can really use AI to teach children, not just children with special needs, but children in general. Preschoolers are very visual learners, so these tools can help us make our lessons more engaging and accessible,” she said.

Abrasaldo also noted that AI-generated templates can be saved and reused, reducing the need to repeatedly draw and photocopy classroom materials.

Other participants explored applications beyond daily lessons. Jb Alexis Alambro, who works in early childhood education in Muntinlupa, looked into how NotebookLM could help create visual materials for young learners. Live Transcribe, meanwhile, could provide real-time captions during meetings with parents and families.

For Kimberly Raye Fernandez of The Birthright Educators Foundation Inc., the workshop highlighted how assistive technology can help build awareness and understanding among students.

“I was amazed by the tools we learned, especially Seeing AI, because I saw how it can help people with visual disabilities in their daily lives,” she said. “I want to explore these tools further and introduce them to my students so they can become more aware of technology that can also help their classmates.”

Advancing Inclusion Through Technology

The training encouraged educators to explore the tools further, determine which applications best serve their students, and share their experiences with fellow teachers and parents. Participants also recognized that successful AI adoption in schools begins with educators understanding how the technology works and how it can be applied responsibly to meet learners’ needs.

The initiative forms part of PLDT and Smart’s #KonektedforInclusion program, which uses technology to help underrepresented sectors gain greater access to learning and livelihood opportunities.

It also supports the PLDT Group’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, by promoting more inclusive access to education and digital opportunities.