An Accessible AI Companion for Older Adults and Caregivers

Garrison?Care in partnership with Sheridan College’s Centre for Applied AI (CAAI) will develop Ask?SarAi, an AI powered tech support and home care companion that delivers plain language, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliant guidance through a web based conversational interface. Ask?SarAi helps older adults independently manage smart home and health devices, such as setting up blood pressure monitors, using voice assistants, and detecting potential scams, while safeguarding privacy under a Privacy by Design model. Co designed with caregivers, Personal Support Workers (PSWs), social workers, and older users, it combines a structured knowledge base, a high fidelity prototype, and a co created training manual to establish best practices in accessible conversational design, modular information architecture, and cognitive load sensitive interfaces. The deliverables include an AODA aligned design system, usability feedback report, style guide, and research white paper aimed at empowering end users, reduce caregiver burden, and generate replicable insights for scalable integration into both institutional and home care settings.

Faculty Supervisor:

Haruna Isah

Student:

Partner:

Garrison Care

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Program: