The European Accessibility Summit (EAS) 2023 is just around the corner taking place on June 8th in Brussels and online, and it promises to be one of the most exciting and informative events of the year.
Bringing together stakeholders from various sectors, the summit will provide attendees with the latest insights on accessible technology in work, education, and leisure for persons with disabilities in Europe and valuable networking opportunities.
EAS 2023: speakers and sessions
The event will feature an impressive line-up of speakers, including some of the biggest names in the European Disability Movement and accessibility specialists in the industry.
Following the opening remarks by Catherine Naughton, Director at the European Disability Forum (EDF) and Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice President of European Government Affairs at Microsoft, Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, will share the Commission’s priorities and accomplishments for the disability movement, particularly on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market.
Among the panellists, we will hear from:
- Tommy Zonnekein, Accessibility Program Manager, SNCB
- Radha Gohil, Data Ethics and Digital Standards Lead, Shell
- Gurpreet Kaur, Vice President, Accessibility and Inclusive Design, Mastercard
- Ali Dehganpour, Design Lead, Zettle by PayPal
- Anna Drabarz, Board member, European Disability Forum (EDF)
Zonnekein, Gohil, Kaur, Dehganpour, and Drabarz will be exchanging on the latest trends in accessibility and how industries can incorporate accessibility into their products and services.
Other notable speakers include:
- Bianca Prins, Global Head of Accessibility, ING
- Tom Van Den Bosch, Chief Product Officer, itsme
- Jan-Jaap Hamers, Project Leader Digital Inclusion, KPN
- Lidia Best, President, European Federation of Hard of Hearing
- Laura Davis, Chief Executive, BASE
- Bárbara Martín Muñoz, Vice President, European Blind Union (EBU)
- Daphne Nathalie Ahrendt, Senior Research Manager, Eurofound
Prins, Van Den Bosch, Hamers and Best will discuss seamless and accessible communication and information, while Davis, Ahrendt and Martín Muñoz will explore how to enable an accessible digital work environment.
Conversation and demo sessions
There will also be a conversation on Standards and the AccessibleEU Center with:
- Susanna Laurin, Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Funka
- Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion, European Commission,
- Jesús Hernández Galán, Director for Global Accessibility and Innovation, Fundación ONCE
- Shadi Abou-Zahra, Principal Accessibility Standards and Policy Manager, Amazon
From Microsoft, Hector Minto, Accessibility Evangelist, will also walk us through the latest AI innovations, including ChatGPT, and impact on accessibility, while John Helmes, Senior Designer, will demo the new Adaptive Accessories.
Registrations
So mark your calendars for June 8th, and join us for what promises to be an informative and inspiring event. Register now in-person or online participation to secure your spot at the European Accessibility Summit 2023!
Would you like to attend the event in person? Let us know and we will get back to you.
What’s on the agenda for the European Accessibility Summit 2023?
Find out from Catherine Naughton, European Disability Forum and Hector Minto, Microsoft what’s coming up at this year’s European Accessibility Summit.