IAAP EU and EDF proudly present the European Accessibility Summit hybrid side event hosted by Microsoft on Thursday 2 June 2022, at 09:00 – 17:00 CET. The event is free for IAAP and EDF members and non-members.
The European accessibility market is growing fast, and the need for qualified professionals has never been more evident. IAAP experts not only share knowledge and support each other around the globe, but they also contribute to innovation and make the world more inclusive. Focusing on the specific European content, this accessibility event includes subject matter presentations, policy discussions, and expert panels.
Agenda:
- 09.00-09.15 Welcome and housekeeping
- 09.15-09.45 Keynote
- 09.45-10.30 Results of the monitoring of the Web Accessibility Directive – what’s the status?
In this session, the results of the WAD-review are presented. What has worked well and what can be improved? Are the monitoring results comparable? How is testing done most efficiently?
- 10.30-10.45 Coffee break
- 10.45-11.45 End user involvement – how does the feedback mechanism work in real life?
The feedback mechanism is an essential part of the Web Accessibility Directive. But still, not all public sector bodies are taking care of the user feedback in a constructive way. This session includes a presentation of results from studies and research projects on how persons with disabilities are contributing to the enforcement of the directive. Good examples are presented, and a panel of key stakeholders discuss the current situation and how the process can be further improved.
- 11.45-12.45 Lunch break
- 12.45-13.45 Cognitive accessibility – the key to broader outreach?
In the last couple of years, the EU has been focusing on the “softer” parts of accessibility. Cognitive accessibility is still perceived as being rather “new”, as requirements claim to be hard to measure, user needs claim to overlap, and terms are not yet agreed on. However, when cognitive accessibility is presented as a way to reach older adults as well as “anyone” in specific situations, the use case becomes highly relevant for a much broader audience. The session presents the latest research on the topic and a panel of experts and end users discuss the user needs and market opportunities.
- 13.45-14.45 European Accessibility Act – “to maximise the foreseeable use”, but how?
As large and small market players prepare for the new legislation, the need for detailed requirements is increasing. A set of new and updated standards will be developed to support the act, but while we wait for that result, what can be done in the meantime? In this session, the upcoming standardisation work is presented, and practical use cases are discussed in a panel of industry representatives, policy makers and standardisation experts.
- 14.45-15.00 Coffee break
- 14.45-15.45 The role of IAAP
Despite ongoing harmonisation efforts, the European accessibility market is still quite fragmented. How can IAAP best support policy, standards, research and regulations? Can professional certification make a difference? This session contains an update from European chapters and a discussion among IAAP leaders and members.
- 15.45-16.45 The future of accessibility – innovation or back to basics?
New technologies make it easier to provide a high level of accessibility, no matter if it is based on AI or automation. At the same time, many users talk about technology fatigue and prefer to stick to gadgets they already know. The pandemic showed that there are still many basic accessibility barriers out there, and maybe these should be fixed first before we aim for more shiny things? A presentation of possible future solutions is followed by a discussion among distinguished researchers, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and end users.
- 16.45-17.00 Wrap up and goodbye