Events & Activities

Public sector services need to work for everyone. Unlike private sector businesses, public organisations cannot exclude anyone or focus on a narrow user group. German accessibility law, the Basic Law – also known as Grundgesetz – and EU legislation demand this. Various public sector organisations have been building significant capacity and capability in-house. In the May edition of the ‘Öffentliches Gestalten’ meetup, we want to hear from representatives of several German public sector organisations about their efforts to design and develop the most inclusive products and services:

• Danny Koppenhagen, Deutsche Bahn/DB Systel
• Marion Couesnon , DigitalServices des Bundes
• Susanne Henatschel, DigitalServices des Bundes

The federal government’s DigitalService is hosting the meetup at its Kreuzberg office’s top floor with rooftop access. All presentations will be given in English. Questions in the later discussion part can be raised either in English or German. The event is jointly organised and hosted by CityLAB Berlin and DigitalService.

Beginner friendly webinar for those getting started with Website Accessibility. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your website more inclusive, this session is for you. You’ll learn how simple changes — like clearer text, better image descriptions, and more mindful design choices — can open up your content to more people, grow your audience, and reflect your values.

Creemos firmemente que la tecnología debe estar al servicio de todas las personas, sin excepciones, y que la accesibilidad debe ser un pilar transversal en cualquier iniciativa. Es por ello que el próximo día jueves 15 de mayo, Día Mundial de la Concienciación sobre la Accesibilidad, desde Fundación hiberus junto al área de Accesibilidad de hiberus organizamos una jornada para visibilizar la importancia de la accesibilidad digital. No te pierdas la mesa redonda en la que generaremos un espacio de diálogo para compartir buenas prácticas y retos de la accesibilidad para todas las personas.

What’s this session about?

We’ll be celebrating the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day!

How will we be doing that?

We’ll be joined by accessibility expert Nichole Browne, who’ll be running a hands-on empathy lab experience created specifically for designers and product managers who are passionate about building accessible and inclusive products.

About the session

The Empathy Lab Experience is an award-winning workshop that will take you beyond theory—allowing you to step into the real-world challenges faced by people with various disabilities and impairments. Through interactive simulations you’ll gain insights into accessibility issues from a fresh perspective.

Attending this session, you will…

• gain practical skills and simple, actionable strategies you can bring back to your team
• explore the positive impact accessibility can have on your products, brand, and bottom line
• learn how the European Accessibility Act coming into effect in June 2025 will impact your organisation

This is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding, enhance your design process, and make a real difference in users’ lives.

Come ready to learn, engage, and transform your approach to accessibility!

Anything else?

There’ll be plenty of time for drinks, nibbles, and conversations.

About Nichole

Nichole Browne is the heart and mind behind accessibility at the Empathy Lab Experience, where she passionately leads programs that make inclusivity a reality.

With over 30 years in user research, UX design, and digital accessibility, Nichole brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience from her work at the University of Nottingham, the Department for Transport, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Known for her genuine commitment to accessibility, Nichole has a knack for turning ideas into impactful, real-world initiatives. In her role today, she continues to champion a world where every product, service, and digital experience is thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of all users.

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we’re doing things a little differently this month. No panel. No slides. Just time together. Join us for a relaxed, in-person social at the Firkin on Yonge. This is a chance to reconnect with the community, meet new folks, share a few stories, and have some meaningful conversations. As part of the evening, we’re inviting anyone who’s interested to take part in mini lightning prompts. These are three-minute, opt-in moments to share something from your own accessibility journey — a small win, a helpful tool, a learning moment, or something you’re thinking about. Whether you’re new to the space or a longtime practitioner, everyone has something valuable to contribute. The goal is to keep things casual and welcoming. No need to prep slides or have a big polished story. Just come as you are and be part of the conversation.

Celebremos el Día Mundial de la Concienciación sobre la Accesibilidad (GAAD) con un webinar gratuito donde hablaremos con Claudio Gregoire, Master en diseño universal, accesibilidad, y tecnologías de apoyo, Gestor en inclusión y consultor en gestión del cambio, quien nos contará sobre como crear una estrategia para desarrollar productos digitales accesibles, desde revisión de ciertas normas que deben cumplirse, el rol de un consultor de accesibilidad y formas de evaluar la accesibilidad de un producto digital. Incorporar accesibilidad en nuestros productos y servicios permitirá que una mayor cantidad de personas accedan a sus contenidos, interactúen con una interfaz comprensible y realicen cualquier tipo de transacción o trámite, especialmente personas con discapacidad y personas mayores, quienes se enfrentan día a día a las barreras generadas por un diseño no inclusivo. Este evento cuenta con la colaboración de Women TechMakers Chile y Ciudad Fácil.

Barrierefreiheit ist kein Nice-to-have. Sie ist Pflicht – rechtlich, strategisch und menschlich. Wer digitale Angebote barrierefrei gestaltet, schafft Zugänge. Für mehr Nutzer*innen. Für mehr Sichtbarkeit. Und für mehr Wirkung. Anlässlich des Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) zeigen wir konkret, wie ihr eure Website Schritt für Schritt zur BITV-Zertifizierung führt – und was ihr aus diesem Prozess lernen könnt. Die Veranstaltung findet in deutscher Sprache statt – es wird allerdings eine Aufzeichnung des Vortrags im Nachgang mit englischen Untertiteln veröffentlicht. Das Ende der Veranstaltung ist für circa 21 Uhr geplant – es konnte leider nicht im System korrekt ausgewählt werden.

O LE@D assinala o Dia Mundial de Conscientização sobre a Acessibilidade (Global Accessibility Awareness Day – GAAD) reforçando o seu compromisso com a promoção da inclusão e do acesso equitativo para todas as pessoas, em especial para aquelas com deficiência. Reconhecendo a importância da acessibilidade em todas as esferas da vida, incluindo a digital, o LE@D promove uma LE@D Talk dedicada às Boas Práticas de Acessibilidade no Moodle. A acessibilidade digital é um fator essencial para garantir uma educação verdadeiramente inclusiva no ensino superior. Nesta LE@D Talk, serão apresentadas boas práticas para a criação e disponibilização de recursos digitais acessíveis na plataforma Moodle, com base nos resultados de uma investigação aplicada realizada em duas unidades curriculares de uma instituição de ensino superior. Este é um convite à reflexão e à ação sobre o papel da acessibilidade no desenho de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem mais equitativos e eficazes para todos.

Falar sobre inteligência artificial é algo comum atualmente. E quando falamos de acessibilidade, isso não é diferente. Mas afinal, até onde podemos ir adiante com este tema? Até onde podemos chegar? Tudo o que vemos e ouvimos é de fato verdadeiro? Responder assertivamente essas questões exigem um alto grau de envolvimento com as novas tendências e tecnologias. E por isso mesmo é importante entender profundamente essas questões, para não corrermos o risco de falar algo que não condiz com a realidade. Ou que não seja possível ser feito. Compreender as limitações da máquina e as restrições do design são fundamentais pra entender “até onde podemos chegar” e é isso que vamos ver nessa masterclass.

English: Artificial Intelligence + Accessibility, How far can you REALLY go? Talking about artificial intelligence is common these days. And when we talk about accessibility, it’s no different. But after all, how far can we go with this topic? How far can we go? Is everything we see and hear really true? Answering these questions assertively requires a high level of involvement with new trends and technologies. And that’s why it’s important to understand these issues in depth, so we don’t run the risk of saying something that doesn’t match reality. Or that isn’t possible to do. Understanding the limitations of the machine and the design restrictions are essential to understanding “how far we can go” and that’s what we’ll see in this masterclass.

What is #TabThursday? Every Thursday, try exploring websites using only your keyboard
—no mouse or trackpad allowed 😏. Join us to explore your first step in auditing accessibility website in the easiest way. Just using the Tab button! Feel free to leave a website you want us to review in the comments column!