User Agency

The degree to which users maintain control over their interactions with a system, including the ability to make choices, adjust system behavior, override automated decisions, and understand what the system is doing on their behalf. In accessibility and AI-powered tools, user agency is critical because fully autonomous systems may make errors that are difficult for users to detect or correct, especially when using assistive technologies. Research shows that users prefer tools that enhance their capabilities while keeping them in control, rather than autonomous agents that act without transparency.