Events & Activities

On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025, B-SCAN organized a Facebook Live discussion on Thursday, May 15, from 8:00 PM to 9:30 PM, titled “Challenges of Accessibility in Employment and Our Way Forward.” The discussion highlighted that in the current context of Bangladesh, the lack of accessibility—particularly in transportation, infrastructure, digital platforms, and access to information—is one of the major barriers to employment for persons with disabilities. Despite having the necessary skills, these barriers significantly hinder their ability to achieve economic independence, affecting their role in family, society, and the state. While several national policies, such as the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) 2020, the Road Transport Act 2018, and the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013, emphasize the importance of accessibility, the implementation remains slow. The speakers stressed that beyond policy formulation, effective implementation, increased awareness, budget allocation, and institutional accountability are crucial. The discussion offered valuable insights and recommendations for stakeholders across sectors and served as a platform to promote collective action for improving accessibility in the workplace and beyond. Dhrubo Alam, Deputy Transport Planner of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Shegufta Newaz, Architect and Urban Designer Sharlin Akhter, Assistant Program Manager, Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) & Salma Mahbub, General Secretary of B-SCAN was present as discussant. The program was moderated by Mahfuzur Rahman Raqeev, Assistant Coordinator, B-SCAN

We invite you to Szeged, where we will hold our free Law Innovation and Accessibility Conference on the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 16th. The first provisions of the AI ​​Regulation have entered into force, and based on experience so far, the “translation” of the interpretation into technological, IT and cybersecurity requirements is often only possible if we trace the rules of the Regulation back to the underlying ethical principles. In the meantime, the big language models are still hallucinating, and the positions of responsibility are still open. Digital and accessible? Accessibility rules for the digital economy will come into force in the summer of 2025. The spread of computing devices and interactions between users brings issues such as digital design of interfaces and services, legal communication without loss of content, or the role of assistive technologies into the focus of law. We must look for solutions in addition to the questions! What will you be when you grow up? The legal profession is undergoing a revolutionary transformation: artificial intelligence, automation and digital innovations are presenting lawyers with new challenges and opportunities. But how will this affect the legal market? Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Lawyer research and other legal market research help us track the transformation of the legal market: how legal work is changing and what new skills will be needed by lawyers of the future.

Microsoft ASEAN celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This year’s theme, “Building a Culture of Inclusion: Making Accessibility Foundational to Technology and Digital Innovation,” reminds us that accessibility isn’t just a feature—it’s a mindset, a responsibility, and a catalyst for innovation.

You’ll hear from:

🎙️ Andrea Della Mattea, President, Microsoft ASEAN
🎙️ Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft
💬 Followed by a powerful panel moderated by Paul Carvouni with trailblazers including:

• Nina Alag Suri, Founder & CEO, X0PA AI
• Aditi Nawani, Accessibility Practice Head, HCL Tech
• Ryan Gersava, Founder & Chairman, Virtualahan
• Shriram Parthasarathy, Social Media Ops Lead, Microsoft Asia

We’re coming together to celebrate progress, share ideas, and reaffirm our commitment to a future where technology includes everyone. This is more than an event—it’s a movement.

Join us on Friday, May 16th for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) —a day dedicated to sparking conversations, expanding knowledge, and driving action around digital access and inclusion. Designing with everyone in mind is so important, and this meetup is an opportunity to connect with others, learn, and contribute to a more inclusive digital world. Join us in the back Garden on Friday, May 16 at noon, at New Holland Brewing in Battle Creek, MI. Come for lunch, and great conversations.

Join us on May 16th at 15:00 (GMT+2) for 5 hours with the leading experts and influencers from the Spanish-speaking sector at this event where they’ll share their knowledge through completely free talks and workshops. This is the first event organized by weAAAre, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best in accessibility and inclusion.

Through the absence of light, a Reading in the dark cancels any distinction between those who read with their eyes, those with their hands, and those with their ears. Famous writers and blind or visually impaired readers alternately read the same book, revealing the different ways of using it.

How is the digital accessibility of your company’s web platforms? Can you answer this question? Have you ever carried out an analysis that characterizes, based on evidence, the current status of digital accessibility of your company’s most important and used web platforms? This is precisely what this free workshop is about. Aimed at design leaders currently working on digital transformation, regardless of their responsibilities, this practical workshop can help, through a series of very simple analyses, to understand the current status of the digital accessibility of each company’s web platforms.

Agora is a conference on information and communication technologies (ICT) for both experts and users with visual impairments. It has been organised by the Teiresias Centre at Masaryk University since 2015. In recent years, the rapid development of ICT—alongside efforts to make these technologies accessible—has significantly expanded the range of tools and services available to users with severe visual impairments. Today, many of these solutions are easily accessible and offer valuable support in everyday life. However, users do not always know how to use these tools effectively, may be unaware of their full potential, or simply lack information about what is currently available on the market. Agora provides a unique platform for experts, technology providers, and users to come together and exchange knowledge, experience, and feedback. This direct connection with the user community is highly valued and rarely found elsewhere. The Agora program includes: Plenary sessions, where participants are introduced to the latest developments in the field through short expert presentations; An exhibition area, where they can explore products and services offered by a range of assistive technology vendors; Hands-on workshops, where experienced tutors guide participants in learning how to use selected tools effectively.

Step into the shoes of people with disabilities and experience digital barriers firsthand at the Suarise Empathy Lab Pop-Up—a traveling, interactive exhibit from Indonesia that brings accessibility awareness to life. As part of our GAAD 2025 celebration, the 12th Empathy Lab will feature hands-on activities, assistive technology demos, inclusive design showcases, and immersive experiences like simulated screen reader navigation and low-vision usability testing. Visitors—from students to professionals—will walk away with a deeper understanding of why accessibility matters and how they can be part of the solution. Organized by Suarise, a social enterprise championing digital inclusion in Indonesia through community-driven programs like A11yID.

🌐 Open to the public | In-person event

Let’s move from awareness to action—one empathetic experience at a time in a fun and interactive way!

As part of the Suarise GAAD celebration 2025, Suarise in collaboration with Visinema invite you to experience Bioskop Bisik (Whispering Cinema) Jumbo—a unique, inclusive movie screening designed for people with and without disabilities to enjoy together. The event will gather volunteers as whisperers, and pair them with The Blind and Low Vision to enjoy the newest ayet most succesful animation film in Indonesia. Dalam edisi khusus ini, kami menciptakan ruang yang ramah di mana aksesibilitas bukan sekadar renungan—tetapi fitur utama untuk menikmati hiburan bersama secara inklusif. All chosen volunteers will get quick training about audio description.