Events & Activities

A11y Bytes is back for its fourteenth year celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This year, we’ll be hosting face-to-face events in Sydney and Melbourne. The heart of digital accessibility and inclusion is not about guidelines, codes or regulations. It’s about people, and life, and how we live, how we access information, and how our lives are affected by the technologies of today. As many as 500 people have attended online Bytes events, as well as physical events in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney, making this the largest community run accessibility event in Australia. The event has since branched out into parts of New Zealand and continues to grow. You don’t have to be an accessibility aficionado to attend. This event is about us all talking, thinking and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion together. Take part in A11y Bytes and connect, be inspired and have some fun as we talk, learn, grow and change the world. Places are limited, so please RSVP to register so you don’t miss out! A11y Bytes will be live captioned. Captioning information will be sent to people who register ahead of time. If you’re registering on behalf of multiple people, we would appreciate you forwarding on information to other attendees prior to the event. A big thank you to Bupa for being the Melbourne venue sponsor for this year’s A11y Bytes. More information is available on the A11y Bytes website. Presenters Scott Herschberger – From Insights to Action: Transforming Accessibility Through Data-Driven Mapping Balram Singh – AI and Accessibility Sam Sabour – Beyond Contrast: Rethinking Accessibility in Design Systems Ayesha Semfel – Where to Start (and Stop) with Screen Reader Testing Jamila Savoy – You Can’t Be Accessible if People Can’t Understand You Xavier Vella – Early Findings from an Accessibility Audit of Hiring Systems

“Disability Justice & Torah” Shavuot Holiday Evening of Study 🌾 Jewish text study, with speaker from Mass Fair Housing, with traditional Cheesecake reception. On Global Accessibility Awareness Day! https://accessibility.day/ Thursday, May 21, 2026, 6:30-9:00 p.m., Florence, MA Must register in advance zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/beit-ahavah-shavuot-disability-justice-and-torah-and-cheesecake For those joining virtually, Zoom link will be sent after registration.

O Dia da Acessibilidade no Itaú reforça a acessibilidade como uma premissa estratégica de experiência. A data é celebrada junto ao GAAD : Dia Global de Conscientização sobre Acessibilidade, ampliando a conscientização e mobilizando nossos times para criar experiências mais inclusivas.

GAAD is all about building awareness and momentum for digital accessibility. For me, it’s also become a great excuse to connect with smart, thoughtful people who are doing meaningful work (or just curious and want to learn more). For the past few years, I’ve kept a low-key tradition going around Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) here in Michigan. “Host” might be a better word than “organize,” because this isn’t meant to be formal. It’s a pause. A chance to get out from behind the screens, hangout, and have real conversations about accessibility, inclusion, and the work we care about. If you’re in Michigan and digital accessibility is anywhere on your radar, you’re invited. Looking forward to connecting with friends, and meeting a few new ones.

Special for GAAD, A11yID sharing session will hold two consecutives Sharing Session. Held on Friday night at 7PM, we will explore the realm of “assistive” and “experience” – both in digital and on ground perspective. How the right accommodation tackling accessibility challenge for Users with Disabilities.

A11yID Sharing Session #28 Dissemination of A11yID Research Part 2: Exploring Assistive Technology for Physical, Cognitive, and Sensory Disabilities Friday, 22 May 2026, 7 PM

Speakers: A11yID research team (Kenya, Tsabit, Yasmin, Erron)

An online sharing session presenting the latest findings from the A11yID research team on how assistive technologies support people with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities in overcoming digital accessibility barriers. Beyond permanent disabilities, the discussion also explores temporary, episodic, and situational limitations that can affect anyone in everyday digital interactions.

A11yID Sharing Session #29 – Lessons from Building Accessible Retail Solutions

Friday, 22 May 2026, 7 PM

Speaker: Larissa Rena – Global Senior Inclusive Design Researcher, IKEA

The session featuring insights from inclusive retail accessibility practices at IKEA. Participants will learn how accessibility research is translated into real-world retail experiences, including assisted shopping services and navigational accessibility solutions such as NaviLens. The session also highlights how inclusive design research shapes customer experiences at a global scale. All sessions are FREE. Sign language Interpreter (BISINDO) will be provided.

As part of our annual event, the One Accessibility Initiative will commemorate the 2026 GAAD event with a virtual meet-up. It will enable Local Guides, accessibility champions and enthusiasts assess our contributions on Google Maps and how to make more impacts across the world beyond awareness.

(EN) NTT DATA Barcelona is hosting an in-person event focused on digital inclusion as a key strategic driver, regulatory obligation, and source of business value.

Agenda:

• The current accessibility landscape in Catalonia
• The real business implications of the European Accessibility Act (EAA)
• Practical approaches to integrating accessibility into organizational strategy
• The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in inclusion

There will also be an opportunity to network with professionals involved in shaping digital experiences, maintaining regulatory compliance, and advancing accessibility and inclusion in a corporate context.

Location: Innovation Center, NTT DATA Barcelona (Av. d’Icària 211, Barcelona)

(ES) NTT DATA Barcelona organiza una jornada presencial sobre la inclusión digital como elemento estratégico, obligación normativa y fuente de valor para las organizaciones.

Agenda:

• Contexto actual de la accesibilidad en Cataluña
• Las implicaciones reales del European Accessibility Act (EAA) en el negocio
• Enfoques prácticos para integrar la accesibilidad en la estrategia de las organizaciones
• El papel de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en la inclusión

Además, se habilitará un espacio de networking con profesionales involucrados en el diseño de experiencias digitales, el cumplimiento normativo y el impulso de la accesibilidad e inclusión en el ámbito corporativo.

Ubicación: Innovation Center, NTT DATA Barcelona (Av. d’Icària 211, Barcelona)

To honor Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we are hosting a webinar on Accessibility Overlays, one of the most controversial issues in the field. Accessibility overlays or widgets are often promoted as a quick fix for accessibility, leading many to believe that a website without one is inherently inaccessible. This is not true. We often challenge organizations on this misconception because vendors aggressively sell overlays as quick compliance solutions. Unfortunately, many businesses buy into it, often neglecting the most important aspect: the user. Web accessibility is not only about compliance but also about the overall user experience.

In this webinar, we will discuss the following:

1. What do accessibility overlays actually do? How do they work?
2. What’s their real impact on your digital products’ accessibility?
3. What are their false promises?
4. What to do instead of using accessibility overlays

UXDX EMEA 2026 is Europe’s leading conference for product, UX, design, and engineering teams. In 2026, we’re coming to Berlin with a programme that includes dedicated sessions and a hands-on workshop focused on accessibility. Covering how to embed inclusive design practices across cross-functional product teams. Accessibility is a team sport. At UXDX, we bring together product managers, designers, researchers, and engineers to break down silos and build better products together. That means building products that work for everyone. This year’s agenda includes talks on designing for inclusion, accessibility in design systems, and how to make continuous discovery and delivery practices more accessible by default.

What’s included for accessibility:

• Sessions on inclusive design and accessibility integration in product workflows
• A hands-on accessibility workshop led by practitioners
• Broader themes around design leadership, engineering enablement, and user-centred practices

Past attendees have come from Google, Spotify, Booking.com, Zalando, JPMorgan Chase, and many more. Over 25,000 people have attended UXDX events worldwide.

📍 Berlin, Germany

🎟️ Tickets: https://uxdx.com/berlin/2026/tickets/

📅 Agenda: https://uxdx.com/berlin/2026/agenda/