Using AI Tools as Assistive Technology
This page is written jointly between the Disability Support and Inclusion team, and Library and Learning Services.
Disabled Students’ Allowance
A lot of assistive technology used in higher education is provided through Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) or for work through Access to Work. However, the university has lots of standard tools available to support you, and some specialist assistive technology licences available for students who are not eligible for DSA, or staff without Access to Work.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support and/or tools, software and/or equipment. This is a Government funded grant external to York St John University that supports disabled students. Whist Disability Support and Inclusion supports students with the application to and management of funding provided, for Assistive Technology, the university does not decide which software the DSA process provides. It’s the university’s role to support students to use these resources appropriately. This is also true for Access to Work.
AI and reasonable adjustments
While assistive technology can provide significant support, some students and staff have concerns about using tools that include Generative AI (GenAI) features. In some cases, it may not be immediately obvious that a tool relies on GenAI. Examples of where GenAI can appear in assistive technology are:
- Speech-to-text or text-to-speech software with AI assisted transcription
- AI-powered grammar, spelling, or writing support (e.g., Grammarly)
- AI study or note-taking or summary tools included in your DSA package of support
It’s important to understand that simply using assistive technology, even if it has GenAI capabilities, is not automatically considered poor scholarship or academic misconduct.
What matters is:
- How the tool is used
- Whether your assessment or module guidance allows or restricts its use
- Whether you have been transparent about your use when required
Following these principles ensures you can benefit from assistive technology safely and responsibly while engaging in meaningful learning and maintaining academic integrity. YSJ’s Meaningful learning, poor scholarship and academic misconduct webpage has more information about these.
Using AI as assistive technology
York St John University is committed to supporting students in using assistive technology to help with learning. However, to maintain academic integrity, any AI-enabled tools used for assessments must be applied in line with the rules set out in your module or assessment brief. Always check these instructions before using Generative AI (GenAI) features.
This guidance applies to all students, including those using DSA-funded assistive technology such as grammar checkers, translation tools, or other AI-enabled study aids.
We encourage you to use AI and assistive tools to support your learning; while making sure you meet the expectations of your assessment.
How to use the Assistive Technology safely
To ensure you use assistive technology responsibly and avoid unintentional poor scholarship or academic misconduct, follow the York St John University Guiding Principles on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (2025), in addition to these points:
Many assistive tools, such as grammar checkers or translation software, are now adding AI-powered functions like summarising, generating paragraphs, or giving advanced structural suggestions. Using these features beyond basic spelling, grammar, or translation support may conflict with your assessment rules.
YSJ’s Your Critical AI Toolkit has advice on how to spot or check if AI is being used: Identifying, enabling and disabling AI in tools you use
Your assessment instructions are your primary guide. If a brief states that a tool can only be used for basic grammar or spelling, you should avoid using any AI-driven content creation or paraphrasing features. When in doubt, ask your module tutor for clarification.
AI should not be used to generate full paragraphs or substantially reword your assignments, unless your assignment brief says otherwise. Tools can help with formatting, structure, or suggesting small changes to sentences or phrases, but make sure the meaning of your work stays your own.
Submitting AI-generated text directly in your assignments could be considered poor scholarship or academic misconduct. Always adapt and integrate suggestions into your own understanding and writing style.
You should be able to explain and justify all parts of your submitted work. Any AI-generated suggestions must be fact-checked and adapted to reflect your own understanding. Content you cannot fully attribute to yourself may be considered inappropriate and could lead to a poor scholarship or academic misconduct investigation.
If you have used AI features in your assessment, follow your School’s guidance for disclosure. This may involve completing a template or providing a brief explanation of how the tool was used. Your assignment brief will tell you what to do.
If you are unsure whether a particular tool or feature is allowed, or how to report its use, speak with your Module Leader before starting your assessment.
Examples of using AI in Assistive Technology
The following tools are commonly recommended through Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). They can support your learning when used appropriately, but they should support, not replace, your own thinking and work.
|
DSA Software |
How it can support |
You should |
|
| Order/Structure/Explore your ideas |
MindView MindGenius Inspiration |
Helps you map out thoughts visually, break down topics, suggest related ideas, and organise your thinking before writing. | Tell AI everything you have already learned, understood, considered etc. and ask it to help you order/structure/explore. Avoid relying on AI to do the mind-mapping for you, or compose paragraphs automatically. |
| Planning your work |
Global Tasks Mindview Booost |
Helps break tasks into manageable steps, set deadlines, and keep track of progress. | Make sure your plan reflects your own goals and priorities; don’t use these tools to produce written assessment content directly. |
| Finding sources and collating information |
Genio Notes Scholarcy Tailo |
Helps collect, organise, and review lecture materials and research notes. | Always verify the credibility of sources and check with your reading lists or tutor guidance; assistive tools don’t replace critical evaluation. |
| Reading |
Read&Write ClaroRead |
Uses AI text-to-speech voices to read information aloud, supporting understanding, concentration, and reducing reading fatigue. | Make sure you still read critically and reflect on what you are hearing, rather than relying on the software alone to process the content for you. |
|
Summarising |
Read&Write ClaroRead Scholarcy Genio Notes |
Can highlight and summarise text passages, making it easier to digest longer readings. |
Check summaries against original texts to ensure accuracy and that key ideas are retained; don’t copy tool outputs directly into your work. |
| Editing and proofreading |
Read&Write Grammarly Microsoft Editor |
Support spelling, grammar, clarity, and sentence structure. | Use these tools to identify and correct errors, but make sure the final wording reflects your own understanding and voice. |
|
Generating feedback |
Read&Write Genio Present |
Can provide suggestions on clarity, structure, or organisation. | Use suggestions as a learning aid; you should be able to explain any changes made rather than relying solely on automated comments. |
|
Testing your knowledge |
Scholarcy Present Pal Booost Genio Notes |
Tools can create quizzes, flashcards, or prompts to help you review key concepts. | Use these tools to reinforce your understanding rather than submitting tool-generated answers as part of your assessments. |
Where to get help
Students
- If you do not feel confident with the competencies noted above, such as finding sources, planning your work and summarising information, please find help from the library with your Library, Study or Digital Skills, or access your DSA funded support.
- If you have any issues with your Disabled Students Allowance in relation to software you’ve been supplied, please first contact Disability Support and Inclusion through the Student Hub.
Staff
- If you need to discuss the interaction between AI as a reasonable adjustment in teaching, learning and/or assessment, please contact Jenny Anderton, Head of Disability and Inclusion: j.anderton@yorksj.ac.uk
- If you need to discuss AI and teaching, learning and/or assessment not in relation to reasonable adjustments, you should discuss this through your usual channels of support.
