Bridging Visual and Auditory Worlds: Comparing ViT and TTS in Assistive Tech

Assistive technologies increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to help individuals with visual impairments access both their surroundings and digital information. This work compares two key AI components-Vision Transformers (ViTs) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) systems-to highlight how they address different aspects of accessibility. ViTs interpret visual scenes, enabling functions such as object recognition, environmental awareness, and image-to-text description. TTS systems, in contrast, convert written content into natural speech, offering an auditory pathway to digital information. By examining their capabilities, limitations, and complementary roles, this paper outlines how integrating ViT-based perception with TTS-based communication can create more responsive and intuitive assistive solutions. The comparison underscores the potential of combining visual understanding with spoken output to enhance independence and user experience for people with vision impairments.