UNICEF launched the Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADT) initiative in 2014. These curriculum-aligned books are designed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles: they offer content in multiple formats, such as audio narration or simplified text, and give students flexible ways to learn.
Using AI to create Accessible Digital Textbooks helps to reduce the time it takes to create the ADT. The process is still led by people – but now they can spend less time on initial, repetitive tasks and more time improving the final product.
In Uruguay, a pilot was launched in 2025 to see how schools used these newly created ADT. In the classroom, students and teachers were learning together. Both teachers and students also had ideas for enhancements. Students imagined voice commands, mini-games and emojis in the glossary. Teachers suggested ways to better meet their students’ needs – like font toggles, different types of questions and making sure activities match the level of the simplified content.