Events & Activities

Fronta11y.org Accessibility Article Series (Virtual)

15 Mar 2025 – 15 May 2025 | 08:00 AM-07:00 PM CET (Germany)

(german below)

Since 2018 the accessibility working group of the German UPA (professional association of german usability and user experience professionals) publishes a series of articles to raise awareness of digital accessibility and make existing knowledge and information accessible for UX professionals. All articles (including those from previous years) are publicly accessible all times at www.fronta11y.org The CfP open until April 1st: https://forms.gle/9tPVcTFpkpN2y8oV6 join us! —

(Deutsch:) Seit 2018 veröffentlicht der Arbeitskreis Barrierefreiheit der German UPA (Berufsverband der deutschen Usability- und User-Experience-Professionals) eine Artikelserie zum GAAD, um das Bewusstsein für digitale Barrierefreiheit zu schärfen und vorhandenes Wissen und Informationen für UX-Professionals und Interessierte zugänglich zu machen. Alle Artikel (auch die aus den Vorjahren) sind jederzeit unter www.fronta11y.org öffentlich erreichbar. Der Aufruf zur Einreichung von Beiträgen läuft bis zum 1. April: https://forms.gle/9tPVcTFpkpN2y8oV6 Mach mit!

Learn more about Fronta11y.org Accessibility Article Series German UPA, IAAP D-A-CH, ovau design studio

Planned inside the ‘Voice for All’ European project, the webinar will train participants in how to design and implement different kinds of accessible communication campaigns that contribute to the democratic process, including the relevance of different media for reaching specific target groups and the importance of tailoring language to the audience. Promoted by Cerebral Palsy Europe, curated by Fightthestroke Foundation.

As the European Union ushers in a new era of digital governance, researchers and developers face a burgeoning “Accessibility Paradox.” On one hand, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that digital services and public infrastructures be proactively inclusive, often requiring systems to adapt to the specific needs of users with disabilities. On the other, the EU AI Act introduces stringent prohibitions on “biometric categorisation,” strictly regulating or banning the use of AI to infer sensitive characteristics, such as disability status, for the purpose of data harvesting or model training.

This webinar explores the critical tension between these two landmark regulations. While the EAA pushes for “smart” environments that recognise and respond to human diversity, the AI Act seeks to protect citizens from being “labelled” or profiled by automated systems. This creates a complex landscape for those working in urban planning and digital co-creation: How can we build AI-driven tools that provide seamless accessibility without infringing on biometric privacy? In practice, this paradox is intensified by institutional data deserts, where the lived accessibility needs of vulnerable groups are poorly captured, forcing designers to choose between inference, exclusion, or human mediation.

Drawing on research, this webinar will dissect the legal “gray areas” of AI-mediated outreach. Key discussion points include:

• The distinction between prohibited biometric profiling and legitimate assistive personalisation.
• Strategies for designing privacy-preserving accessibility that prioritise user-led declarations over autonomous system-led detection.
• A clash of rules: Why fixed AI laws and ‘one-time’ consent don’t work for the diverse and changing needs of neurodivergent people
• The challenges of maintaining “human-to-human” connection in digital co-creation tools, such as chatbots, while ensuring they do not become barriers for older or digitally excluded populations.
• Governance tensions and the role of civil society: How can accessible, rights-based AI systems be meaningfully designed and implemented if civil society organisations representing marginalised communities are structurally excluded from regulatory deliberations and co-creation processes?

By reframing these regulatory hurdles as design opportunities, this webinar provides a roadmap for “Double Compliance”, ensuring that the next generation of AI tools is not only technologically advanced but also ethically grounded and universally accessible.

Webinar Outline

Total time: 90 minutes

• 11:00 – 11:05: Welcome Address by Sarah Anne McDonagh (UAB)
• 11:05 – 11:20 When Inclusion Meets Prohibition: The Accessibility Paradox in EU AI Law (Daphne, DBC diadikasia, ALFIE)
• 11:20 – 11:35 Civil Society and the AI Governance Paradox (Alexandros Minotakis, University College Dublin, FORSEE)
• 11:35 – 11:50: The road to Paradox Hell may be paved with the best of intentions (Haris Shekeris, Catalink, ALFIE)
• 11:50 – 12:20 Debate & Open Discussion (Q&A)
• 12:20 – 12:30: Wrap up Sarah McDonagh (UAB)

Javított változat: Az akadálymentesítés szervezeti kudarcának oka többnyire a felelősségi és döntési struktúrák tisztázatlansága, a szerepkörök elmosódása és a „másikra mutogatás”. Bebizonyítjuk, hogy sem a marketing, sem a fejlesztés, sem bármely más szakterület nem felelhet ezért önállóan. Behatároljuk a kompetens területeket, és útmutatót adunk az együttműködésük kereteinek kialakításához. Mindezt nemcsak saját, hanem a világ vezető akadálymentességi szakértőinek tapasztalatai alapján.