An Ask Mona Academy training day led by Valentin Schmite, designed to turn AI into a practical support tool for content adaptation and description work, helping apiDV support more people on their path to independence.

"We believe AI can be a real accelerator and help our teams in their work. If we can do more in less time, we'll be able to meet more requests and support more people."
— Sandrine Perreve, Head of Sales, apiDV

A several-hundred-page textbook that needs to be transcribed. A biology diagram that must be translated into words so a blind reader can understand it. A book urgently needed by a student preparing for exams.

This is part of the daily reality for the teams at apiDV. It is also their challenge: adapting content is meticulous work that takes time. While one team is transcribing a book, new requests continue to arrive.

On April 27, 2026, apiDV brought its teams together for a full-day training session on artificial intelligence delivered by Ask Mona Academy. The goal was not simply to add another tool to the organization's toolkit. It revolved around a simple question: how can we do more, so we can help more people?

A Public Interest Organization Facing Growing Demand

apiDV (Accompagner, Promouvoir, Intégrer les Déficients Visuels) is a French nonprofit organization recognized as serving the public interest. Founded in 1949 under the name GIAA and officially recognized as a public-interest organization in 1959, it helps blind and visually impaired people achieve greater independence in their daily lives.

Its work spans access to culture, education, employment, leisure activities, and technology. To deliver on this mission, the organization relies on 500 volunteers, 21 employees, and seven regional offices across France.

An increasing share of this mission involves adapting content: transcribing complex publications, describing images, and converting diagrams into accessible formats. Demand continues to grow, but time remains limited. Every additional hour spent adapting one document is an hour that cannot be spent on another.

This is the equation apiDV wanted to change by exploring AI as an accelerator capable of reducing the most time-consuming tasks and freeing up more time to support more people.

A Tailor-Made Training Day Led by Valentin Schmite

The training consisted of a full seven-hour in-person session led by Valentin Schmite, Co-founder and CEO of Ask Mona.

The program was designed specifically for apiDV and its day-to-day activities. During the morning session, participants explored the fundamentals of generative AI: how it works, where it excels, and where its current limitations lie. They also learned practical skills, such as how to structure prompts to obtain useful results and how to refine outputs through conversation with AI tools.

The teams even discovered small but impactful details that can make a difference in everyday work, including the ability of AI systems to learn and adapt to a user's writing style.

The afternoon focused on hands-on workshops built around apiDV's real-world use cases.

Ask Mona Academy's approach is not about showcasing as many tools as possible. It is about helping each participant learn through practice, regardless of their starting point. Some attendees were completely new to AI, while others were already experimenting with it. The training enabled everyone to progress from their own level by explaining not only how to use AI, but also why certain methods work.

When Image Description Meets the Core Mission

One capability resonated particularly strongly with apiDV's teams: AI-powered image description.

While some organizations may see image description as a secondary feature, apiDV immediately recognized it as a direct extension of its core mission. Describing visuals, translating diagrams into words, and making visual information accessible are exactly the tasks its teams perform every day.

The training demonstrated how AI can support this descriptive work and create a more direct path toward adapting highly visual documents.

This immediate relevance is what stood out most to Sandrine Perreve, Head of Sales at apiDV:

"The approach is pragmatic, operational, and highly practical. The training does more than provide information. It explains both the why and the how, allowing everyone to move forward from wherever they are."

Training at a Glance

• One-day, seven-hour in-person training session
• Led by Valentin Schmite, Co-founder and CEO of Ask Mona
• Held on April 27, 2026, at apiDV's offices
• Fully customized program, including research, instructional design, tool selection, and workshop preparation by the Ask Mona team
• A follow-up feedback session scheduled after the training

What the Training Really Changes

For an organization like apiDV, the impact of AI training cannot be measured solely in productivity gains.

It is measured in reach.

Every hour saved on adapting a publication is an hour returned to the mission itself: one more document made accessible, one more person supported on the path to independence.

That is where the true value of the training lies. Not in introducing AI into an organization, but in putting AI to work in service of the mission the organization exists to fulfill.

Ready to Explore AI for Your Mission?

Do you lead a nonprofit, foundation, or public-interest organization and want AI to strengthen your impact?

Ask Mona Academy designs tailor-made training programs delivered by experienced practitioners and built around your specific activities, challenges, and objectives.

Let's discuss what AI could make possible for your teams.

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