Aphantasia

Aphantasia is a neurological condition in which a person is unable to voluntarily create mental images or visualize objects, people, or scenes in their mind. It affects an estimated 2-5% of the population and exists on a spectrum from reduced imagery to complete absence. In accessibility contexts, aphantasia is relevant because design and communication that relies heavily on visualization or spatial imagination may exclude people with this condition, and generative AI image tools can provide alternative ways for people with aphantasia to externalize visual concepts they cannot mentally picture.