University of Cincinnati
04/28/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Accessibility Assistant available in BearcatGPT AI platform
Accessibility Assistant available in BearcatGPT AI platform
3 minute read April 28, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print Story Like
The University of Cincinnati's private and secure generative AI platform BearcatGPT now includes an accessibility assistant to help faculty and staff create more accessible course and work materials.
This AI-powered assistant uses agentic workflow to convert existing documents into accessible content in multiple file formats. The BearcatGPT Accessibility Assistant also generates alternative text descriptions for images, making it a valuable tool for content creators across the university.
What's New
The Accessibility Assistant is a specialized AI tool in BearcatGPT that can help with document conversion and image descriptions/alt text.
Document conversion right arrow down arrow
Turn documents into a more accessible format. Upload a PDF or Word Doc to return a more accessible Word Doc, HTML file, or Markdown (MD) file. Note that PDFs currently have a 30-page limit.
Sample prompts:
- "Please convert this PDF into a Word document with proper headings and reading order."
- "Turn this scanned PDF into accessible HTML that works well with screen readers."
- "Convert this document into Markdown with clear headings and lists."
Image descriptions/alt text generation right arrow down arrow
Generate image descriptions and alternative text to make content more accessible. Upload an image or other visual to get a detailed image description to use for alternative text. Note that support for PowerPoint presentations is coming soon!
- Input: Image (or visual) to describe for accessibility
- Output: Detailed image description and alt text (short and/or long), focused on the visual's purpose and key information (not decorative details), suitable for documents, handouts, and web pages.
- Note: PowerPoint support coming soon
Sample prompts:
- "Describe this image in detail for a student who cannot see it."
- "Create a short description and a longer, more detailed explanation of this infographic."
- "Write alt text for this chart that explains the key trend in one sentence."
- "Provide alt text for these three images used in an online module."
How to Access
Sign into BearcatGPT with your UC username and password and select "Accessibility Assistant" from the dashboard to get started.
Need help?
- For accessibility guidance and support, contact Accessibility Network at UC.
- For technical help with the agent, submit a BearcatGPT AI Request and Support Ticket.
- For more information about Accessibility Assistant or AI at UC, visit: ai.uc.edu.
About BearcatGPT
BearcatGPT is UC's private and secure generative AI platform. BearcatGPT provides the UC community a UC-only environment that aligns with university data and privacy standards. Information entered into BearcatGPT is not used to train external public models.
Related Stories
1
UC launches AI Enablement Community of Practice
September 12, 2024
UC Digital Technology Solutions is launching the AI Enablement Community of Practice (AICoP) at the university to advance AI innovation and application across the institution and the broader community.
2
UC kicks off BearcatGPT OpenAI Service pilot
November 14, 2024
The University of Cincinnati's Digital Technology Solutions recently kicked off the university-wide BearcatGPT Microsoft Azure OpenAI Pilot..
3
UC invites students, faculty and staff to present at AI & Emerging Tech Symposium
October 10, 2024
UC Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Bharath Prabhakaran invites current UC students, faculty, and staff to share their knowledge and perspective as part of the Digital Technology Solutions (DTS) AI and Emerging Technology Symposium, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in TUC. Submit your breakout session presentation proposal form by Friday, Nov. 8. DTS will notify selected presenters by Monday, Nov. 25.
University of Cincinnati published this content on April 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 01, 2026 at 07:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]