A11y News brings you a curated look at the most impactful accessibility and disability‑inclusion events happening in May 2026.
If you know of any other events in the online or offline accessibility and disability inclusion space, please email them to me by replying to this newsletter or add them as a comment.
With GDG Vienna, I host a 6-month study group for the DHS Trusted Tester certification. We meet every other Friday at 4 pm CEST to study the topics covered in the Trusted Tester course and check in on participants' progress. The upcoming sessions this month are:
Session 7: Language + Page Titles, Frames, and iFrames
Friday, May 1, 4 PM CESTSession 8: Sensory Characteristics and Contrast, Tables
Friday, May 15, 4 PM CESTSession 9: CSS Positioning + Pre-Recorded Audio-Only, Video-Only, and Animations
Friday, May 29, 4 PM CEST
Friday, May 8, 13.30-14.00 CEST
Every button, link, and image on your interface must have an accessible name. Get it right and assistive technology users can find it, understand it, and activate it. Get it wrong and you have locked them out completely.
May 19, 2026 05:00 PM CEST
Making your website more accessible doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. In this introductory webinar presented by Maria Maldonado, Accessibility Specialist at Equalize Digital, you’ll learn how small, intentional changes can dramatically improve usability for people with disabilities—and create a better experience for all users.
Thursday, 20 May | 10 AM AEST
In this webinar to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we explore the uncomfortable truth that a product can be fully compliant and still fail the people it’s meant to support. Drawing on real user experiences, we’ll expose the hidden friction that standards don’t capture, from cognitive overload to interaction fatigue and loss of confidence.
Thursday May 21, all day
The purpose of Global Accessibility Awareness Day GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities.
The Call for Papers is still open at GAAD Austria, so submit your ideas for blog posts, infographics, case studies or video entries.
Thursday May 21, 10:00 AM – Noon U.S. Central (3:00-5:00 PM UTC)
Want to participate by testing free WordPress themes for accessibility and providing feedback to their developers, but not sure how? Join Amber Hinds for a live theme accessibility testing workshop on Zoom.
Friday May 22, 13.30-14.00 PM (CEST)
One of the “new” requirements in the EAA is about support services. What does an accessible customer service look like and how do you succeed in organising, providing and maintaining it?
Speaker: Susanna Laurin, Managing Director and Chair, Funka Foundation
The Friday webinar series is free of charge, but you have to register in advance.
Thursday 28th May 4pm UK-time
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on Thursday 21st May is always energising. But once the week is over, the momentum can fade. The questions people meant to ask never get asked. The practical “what do we actually do now?” conversations don’t happen.
So the week after GAAD Hassell Inclusion is hosting an open Q&A session with many seasoned accessibility experts, so you can ask the questions you need to make accessibility for 2026 not just for GAAD.
Saturday 16 May 2026, 09:30 - Sunday 17 May 2026, 14:30 (CEST)
AccessibleEU co-organises Agora one more year, a conference on information and communication technologies for experts in the field and users with visual impairments, which has been organised by the Teiresias Centre of Masaryk University since 2015.
Monday 18 May 2026, 09:30 - 16:30 (CEST)
The most well-known symbol for persons with disabilities shows a person in a wheelchair. The wheelchair is clearly visible. But most disabilities cannot be seen. This, however, does not mean that those who are affected have no accessibility needs.
Tuesday 19 May 2026, 09:30 - 16:30 (EEST)
The Enterprising for Tomorrow 2026 Conference (#EFT2026) is organised by ADV Romania Foundation, with AccessibleEU as co-organiser. Through thematic panels and networking opportunities, participants will explore current challenges and opportunities for strengthening the social economy ecosystem, supporting social enterprises and promoting inclusive labour markets.
Thursday 21 May 2026, 09:30 - Friday 22 May 2026, 19:00 (CEST)
Accessibility Days is the largest and leading Italian event dedicated to digital accessibility and inclusion. Co-organised by Accessibility Days APS and AccessibleEU for a fourth year in a row, it attracts designers, developers, public administrations, companies and experts.
Thursday 28 May, 10.00-17.00 (CEST)
Join an interactive workshop focusing on accessibility, visuals and design! Four inspirational presentations are followed by breakout groups with exercises and sharing of knowledge. Free of charge and open to all.
Thursday 28 May, 10:00 - 18:00 (EEST)
Persons with disabilities have the right to travel, gain new experiences, and explore various cultural and historical sites, museums, and their exhibitions. Equal opportunities for all must be ensured.
Thursday 28 May 2026, 09:00 - 13:00 (CEST)
This AccessibleEU event aims to raise awareness on inclusion in adult education, focusing on how to make learning environments more accessible and inclusive for diverse learners.
Tuesday 5 May 2026, 09:30 - 16:30 (CEST)
AccessibleEU and AFNOR bring together workshop key stakeholders for a pivotal moment: understanding how accessibility is reshaping products, services and environments across Europe. This workshop is built as a two-part journey. The morning session will focus on decoding the regulatory and standardisation landscape with the key objective of moving from legal understanding to operational implementation. The afternoon session will focus on bringing accessibility to life with the key objective of positioning accessibility as a driver for design quality, innovation and competitiveness.
Wednesday 6 May 2026. 12:30-18.30 CEST
What started with a single mission – improving digital accessibility – has grown into an integrated approach to digital, physical, and social accessibility. For a quarter of a century, Accessibility Foundation has been working with partners in the Netherlands towards an inclusive society in which everyone can participate. What have we done, what is still necessary and what will the future bring?
Thursday 7 May 2026, 08:15 - 14:30 (CEST)
"The Day of Traffic Culture” in Hungary (“A Közlekedési Kultúra Napja”) is a series of nationwide awareness days dedicated to promoting safe, respectful, and responsible behaviour in traffic. It focuses on improving transport culture among all users of transport infrastructure, including drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport passengers. It also aims to increase awareness and broaden the understanding of traffic culture by incorporating accessibility, universal design and equal participation for everyone—particularly persons with disabilities, older adults, and others with specific mobility requirements.
Thursday 14 May 2026, 10:00 - 14:20 (CEST)
The scientific seminar, co-organised by AccessibleEU with the Adam Mickiewicz Universit, will address accessibility issues related to different aspects of mobility in a geographical space.
Tuesday 19 May 2026, 10:00 - 16:00 (CEST)
How do we design public buildings in which everyone feels welcome, comfortable, and supported? Many needs related to care and wellbeing remain invisible today, yet they have a significant impact on how people experience and use spaces.
Thursday, May 21st, 9:30 - 17:00 Techgate Wien
Der seit 2006 stattfindende A-Tag ist der Treffpunkt für Internet-Accessibility, veranstaltet vom Verein Accessible Media. Vorträge werden in Österreichische Gebärdensprache gedolmetscht. Der A-Tag ist kostenlos, erfordert jedoch eine Anmeldung.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.