17 big ways tech helps disabled people achieve their goals #idpd
Submitted by Claudia.Cahalane on Fri, 02/12/2016 - 18:30
There are 12 million disabled people in the UK, and an estimated 1.1 billion worldwide. Since 1992 the UN has promoted a day of observance and understanding of disability issue and this year's theme is is 'Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want'. We asked 17 of our followers, supporters and staff about the role of technology can play in achieving current and future life goals.
What is the role of technology in achieving life goals for disabled people?
“I was lucky to be born in the computer age, without computers my life would have been miserable and my scientific career impossible. Technology continues to empower people of all abilities and AbilityNet continues to help disabled people in all walks of life.” (2012)
“As someone who now has limited vision, I can honestly say that technology has been the game changer for me. Although I have no secrets - with large font on phone and computer and I regularly share my texts out loud with fellow passengers. But I am independent at home and at work and just awaiting the driverless car!”
“Technology has transformed my working life. As a deaf person I can now communicate directly with hearing people using emails, text messages, live messaging, or have conversations with them via Skype or FaceTime. For larger meetings, the advent of reliable wifi means I can use my mobile phone or tablet to access remote captioning so I don't miss a word."
"Working one-to-one with students, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the wonderful impact technology can make to someone with a disability or specific learning disabilities. The confidence of being able to proof-read an essay using text-to-speech, the independence offered by voice recognition software that finally allows a student to fully express their ideas, or the relief felt by a student who has just discovered mind-mapping strategies that compliment the way they think. Technology is changing people’s lives."
"There's masses of tech out there that allows people with disabilities to reach their full potential. Long gone are the days when assistive tech was cumbersome, expensive and specialist, now your smart phone can give you much of the help you need to deal with everyday tasks you may find difficult. "Surprisingly a lot of this assistive functionality is built into your phone's operating system or is available from third parties for free or for a small charge."
I've never had a computer before, but it's opened up a whole new world since my stroke. But I did say one day to Andy, my ITCanHelp volunteer from AbilityNet, 'what idiot put Angry Birds on there. There are so many of them and I'm absolutely hooked! Technology and AbilityNet has helped me tremendously to be in the modern world." See more of Georgina here in our video.
“For many disabled people, a simple daily goal is to enjoy the same entertainment options. For video and TV that could mean captioning or audio descriptions, or using the text to speech features in their computer or phone to read out newspapers, magazines or blogs.”
“Education is a vital way for disabled people to achieve their goals. I work with many students who face cognitive impairments such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, which make it difficult for them to organise their thoughts.
"Zotero is one of the most popular free tools I recommend. It takes the pain out of managing references when you’re working on essays and reports and integrates with Microsoft Word to use those references in whichever style you require. It works for Mac and PC, creates an alphabetical list of your sources (bibliography) and can keep track across multiple essays.”
“Technology helps everyone reach their full potential. Like nothing else on this planet, technology can embrace people’s differences and provide choice – choice to suit everyone and empower them to achieve their goals both at work and at play. On this day, please raise the cheer for technology and digital inclusion, wherever in the world you are.”
“The internet is a lifeline for me. I'm under house arrest with Raynauds, but I still run a global community in my pyjamas!”
Nigel Lewis, CEO of AbilityNet
“Accessible technology can really help disabled people live their lives fuller, let’s all work together to make tech accessible and inclusive on this #idpd and always.”
“Technology plays an important part in building an environment of accessibility and enablement – the use of tools, software and hardware in enabling disabled talent to fulfill their full potential is key to innovation and business growth.”
“There are so many things: Social media and the cloud's ability to connect us all and find people who can relate to our experience. Text communication and short messages are a great leveler. Images and video convey messages much more quickly. Twitter chats, blogs, Facebook Groups, LinkedIn groups all offer professionals with huge amounts of experience somewhere to share their knowledge.
"It's all part of the Global Cloud for Good agenda - we need to understand Industrial Revolution 4.0 - the Internet of Things, and automation for example - and our place in it. We need a socially responsible cloud which improves life for everyone and leaves nobody behind.
"Finally I still think eyegaze as a direct control method needs to be tried first for people with physical access issues. The price is changing and the previously held view that it was only for those that had tried everything else is completely out of date but pervasive.”
“In twenty years of disability discrimination legislation, the biggest change has been that what was once impossible or unreasonably difficult is now entirely possible - because of technology. Technology means that the way we all live and work has changed immeasurably and 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people have become the ordinary way of life for everyone because of the technology on our desks, in our pockets and in our homes and workplaces.”
"At PurpleSpace we are massive advocates of virtual networking and learning. While our members have a wide range of disabilities, the accessibility features built into smartphones, tablets and PCs mean that we can keep in touch and share career development opportunities on an equal level regardless of the different ways that we access technologies."
“I use lots of assistance software to over come my spelling and grammar issues to look more professional as a founder. I don't write anything without Grammarly now. It's like having my own copywriter! Anyone who is dyslexic should definitely get it.”
How can AbilityNet help you make the most of tech?
Our wonderful ITCanHelp volunteers provide free IT support at home for older people and disabled people of all ages
We can work with your employer to ensure your workplace is fit for you, or if you are an employer, we can enable your disabled staff to do the best job possible, with our workplace services.
17 big ways tech is helping disabled people achieve goals: 2016 International Day of Persons with Disabilities #idpd
Submitted by Claudia.Cahalane on Fri, 02/12/2016 - 18:30
There are 12 million disabled people in the UK, and an estimated 1.1 billion worldwide. Since 1992 the UN has promoted a day of observance and understanding of disability issue and this year's theme is is 'Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want'. We asked 17 of our followers, supporters and staff about the role of technology can play in achieving current and future life goals.
What is the role of technology in achieving life goals for disabled people?
“I was lucky to be born in the computer age, without computers my life would have been miserable and my scientific career impossible. Technology continues to empower people of all abilities and AbilityNet continues to help disabled people in all walks of life.” (2012)
“As someone who now has limited vision, I can honestly say that technology has been the game changer for me. Although I have no secrets - with large font on phone and computer and I regularly share my texts out loud with fellow passengers. But I am independent at home and at work and just awaiting the driverless car!”
“Technology has transformed my working life. As a deaf person I can now communicate directly with hearing people using emails, text messages, live messaging, or have conversations with them via Skype or FaceTime. For larger meetings, the advent of reliable wifi means I can use my mobile phone or tablet to access remote captioning so I don't miss a word."
"Working one-to-one with students, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the wonderful impact technology can make to someone with a disability or specific learning disabilities. The confidence of being able to proof-read an essay using text-to-speech, the independence offered by voice recognition software that finally allows a student to fully express their ideas, or the relief felt by a student who has just discovered mind-mapping strategies that compliment the way they think. Technology is changing people’s lives."
"There's masses of tech out there that allows people with disabilities to reach their full potential. Long gone are the days when assistive tech was cumbersome, expensive and specialist, now your smart phone can give you much of the help you need to deal with everyday tasks you may find difficult. "Surprisingly a lot of this assistive functionality is built into your phone's operating system or is available from third parties for free or for a small charge."
I've never had a computer before, but it's opened up a whole new world since my stroke. But I did say one day to Andy, my ITCanHelp volunteer from AbilityNet, 'what idiot put Angry Birds on there. There are so many of them and I'm absolutely hooked! Technology and AbilityNet has helped me tremendously to be in the modern world." See more of Georgina here in our video.
“For many disabled people, a simple daily goal is to enjoy the same entertainment options. For video and TV that could mean captioning or audio descriptions, or using the text to speech features in their computer or phone to read out newspapers, magazines or blogs.”
“Education is a vital way for disabled people to achieve their goals. I work with many students who face cognitive impairments such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, which make it difficult for them to organise their thoughts.
"Zotero is one of the most popular free tools I recommend. It takes the pain out of managing references when you’re working on essays and reports and integrates with Microsoft Word to use those references in whichever style you require. It works for Mac and PC, creates an alphabetical list of your sources (bibliography) and can keep track across multiple essays.”
“Technology helps everyone reach their full potential. Like nothing else on this planet, technology can embrace people’s differences and provide choice – choice to suit everyone and empower them to achieve their goals both at work and at play. On this day, please raise the cheer for technology and digital inclusion, wherever in the world you are.”
“The internet is a lifeline for me. I'm under house arrest with Raynauds, but I still run a global community in my pyjamas!”
Nigel Lewis, CEO of AbilityNet
“Accessible technology can really help disabled people live their lives fuller, let’s all work together to make tech accessible and inclusive on this #idpd and always.”
“Technology plays an important part in building an environment of accessibility and enablement – the use of tools, software and hardware in enabling disabled talent to fulfill their full potential is key to innovation and business growth.”
“There are so many things: Social media and the cloud's ability to connect us all and find people who can relate to our experience. Text communication and short messages are a great leveler. Images and video convey messages much more quickly. Twitter chats, blogs, Facebook Groups, LinkedIn groups all offer professionals with huge amounts of experience somewhere to share their knowledge.
"It's all part of the Global Cloud for Good agenda - we need to understand Industrial Revolution 4.0 - the Internet of Things, and automation for example - and our place in it. We need a socially responsible cloud which improves life for everyone and leaves nobody behind.
"Finally I still think eyegaze as a direct control method needs to be tried first for people with physical access issues. The price is changing and the previously held view that it was only for those that had tried everything else is completely out of date but pervasive.”
“In twenty years of disability discrimination legislation, the biggest change has been that what was once impossible or unreasonably difficult is now entirely possible - because of technology. Technology means that the way we all live and work has changed immeasurably and 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people have become the ordinary way of life for everyone because of the technology on our desks, in our pockets and in our homes and workplaces.”
"At PurpleSpace we are massive advocates of virtual networking and learning. While our members have a wide range of disabilities, the accessibility features built into smartphones, tablets and PCs mean that we can keep in touch and share career development opportunities on an equal level regardless of the different ways that we access technologies."
“I use lots of assistance software to over come my spelling and grammar issues to look more professional as a founder. I don't write anything without Grammarly now. It's like having my own copywriter! Anyone who is dyslexic should definitely get it.”
How can AbilityNet help you make the most of tech?
Our wonderful ITCanHelp volunteers provide free IT support at home for older people and disabled people of all ages
We can work with your employer to ensure your workplace is fit for you, or if you are an employer, we can enable your disabled staff to do the best job possible, with our workplace services.
AbilityNet staff gain national volunteer management qualification
Submitted by Alex.Barker on Fri, 26/07/2013 - 13:09
AbilityNet staff have completed a national qualification in volunteer management to support their work with a network of over 8,000 volunteers with IT skills. This will help them support the continued growth of the volunteer network, who help meets the IT needs of charities and disabled people. Volunteer Administrator Josie Ray and Advice and Information Officer Alex Barker have both been awarded the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Certification.
“It made sense to study for this qualification as AbilityNet works closely with volunteers” said Alex. "We have a UK-wide team of volunteers who provide home visits for disabled people in the community. They are all CRB/Disclosure checked and can help with all kinds of technical issues, from installing broadband and removing viruses to setting up new software and backups. We also have a network of IT professionals who provide IT support to charities, including web design, databases and troubleshooting and helping to reduce costs and improve services. ”
Volunteering manager Anne Stafford said “It is important to AbilityNet that we deliver high standards & our volunteers are important members of our team. I am pleased that our staff have the opportunity to demonstrate their professionalism in volunteer engagement.”
Mind the Digital Gap: AbilityNet proposes new digital inclusion strategy
Submitted by Mark Walker on Thu, 22/11/2012 - 13:56
In our increasingly digital self-service economy technology now dominates shopping, entertainment, work and communication, as well as citizenship itself, but age and disability are barring people from full participation. Organisations like AbilityNet, Go ON UK and its disability focused partner, Go ON Gold, are making great strides to close the gap between the computer literate and the technologically disenfranchised, but the gulf is wider than that.
AbilityNet’s new digital inclusion strategy ‘Mind the Digital Gap’ looks at the obstacles faced by the huge numbers of people who struggle to use digital technologies that are badly designed and just don't meet their needs. AbilityNet believes that we urgently need to recognise the social and economic costs of this digital gap, and identify clear actions to begin closing it.
The strategy was launched at the House of Commons on 21 November at a reception hosted by Anne McGuire MP, Shadow Minister for Disabled People. It calls for better design practices through implementing user-focused testing at all stages of the design of digital systems (rather than relying on post-hoc accessibility checks).
AbilityNet urges those who commission and build online services, operating systems and digital devices (whether business, government or third sector) to put a user-centred approach at the heart of the design process. The strategy also proposes tax incentives to promote inclusive design, closer partnerships between business and other sectors and a commitment to embed inclusive design at all levels of professional design education.
AbilityNet CEO Nigel Lewis says it's time to change how we design and deliver inclusive digital systems:
"For too long the debate about accessibility has focused on issues that are specific to disabled people, but testing a website after it has been built, or pursuing legal action to ensure that every website includes alt-tags for people who use a screen reader, just isn't working.
“There is a much more important strategic issue at stake and we need a new approach that goes beyond what we currently think of as ‘Accessibility’. To close that gap, it’s imperative that business, government and the third sector work together."
AbilityNet patron and chair of Go ON UK Martha Lane Fox agrees and believes that in addition to making design practices more inclusive we need to focus equipping people with the skills they need to participate in the digital age:
"Both Go ON UK and AbilityNet are working on building digital skills to enable everyone to benefit as much as possible from available technology."
Submitted by Mark.Gaddes on Wed, 06/05/2026 - 12:22
Note: this page was originally published in June 2020, the Voluntary Reporting Framework was updated Feb 2026, and our Disability Confident Leader Certificate was updated August 2023.
AbilityNet has been a Disability Confident Leader since 2022. This places us at the highest-level of the Disability Confident government scheme, alongside Barclays, BT, the Cabinet Office, Fujitsu, Heathrow, John Lewis Partnership, Lloyds Banking Group, and many other household names.
The Disability Confident scheme helps employers make the most of the opportunities that come from employing disabled people. It is voluntary and has been developed by employers in partnership with disabled people’s representatives. As experts in disability and technology, we’re proud to have achieved Disability Confident Leader status.
Speaking about the importance of being a Disability Confident Leader, Amy Low, AbilityNet’s CEO, said:
“As a Disability Confident Leader, we’re demonstrating that inclusive employment and accessibility go hand in hand. Our vision is a digital world accessible to all, and that starts with opening our organisation to the widest possible range of applicants, supporting them to develop their careers and achieve their potential, while helping us further our mission.”
10 FAQs about Teach Access Europe and building accessibility capacity
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Wed, 11/02/2026 - 14:48
By guest bloggers, Sarah Lewthwaite (University of Southampton) and Heather Hepburn (Skyscanner) - pictured, speaking at AbilityNet's TechShare Pro 2025 conference
Building accessibility capacity through higher education is essential to ensure that the next generation of designers, developers, and digital professionals can create inclusive digital experiences that everyone can use.
Teach Access Europe is launching to address the accessibility skills gap across Europe.
Here are 10 frequently asked questions about Teach Access Europe and how organisations can support this vital work.
1. What is Teach Access Europe?
Teach Access Europe extends the successful US-based Teach Access initiative to European higher education, inclusive of the UK. It aims to ensure students across all disciplines leave higher education with the fundamental skills and understanding of disability, accessibility, and inclusive design, to build inclusive digital technologies as they join the tech workforce.
The focus is on education, curriculum development and supporting teachers with the resources they need to affect a step-change in accessibility skills.
The initiative brings together educators, industry, disability organisations, and policymakers to co-develop resources, curriculum, bench-marking research and embed research-led pedagogy relevant to every subject area.
2. Why is accessibility education in universities important?
With over 1.3 billion people worldwide living with a disability, accessibility skills are essential for creating equitable digital experiences. Currently, there's a significant gap between the demand for accessible products and the shortage of graduates with digital accessibility knowledge.
Teach Access addresses this Accessible Technology Skills Gap by embedding accessibility in education from the start, so we can ensure future professionals have these critical skills built into their practice.
Watch Sarah Lewthwaite and Heather Hepburn speaking at AbilityNet's most recent TechShare Pro conference about Teach Access Europe. Transcript available:
3. What has Teach Access achieved in the United States?
Teach Access has reached over 1.5 million students in the US, surpassing its 2030 goal almost five years early.
Through partnerships with educators and industry leaders, it has developed from a group of volunteers to an established non-profit that provides free and high-quality open educational resources, fellowship programs, and train-the-trainer initiatives. Teach Access has engaged more than 500 institutions across the USA.
4. How is Teach Access Europe structured?
Our work is at an early stage. Three working groups guide the initiative's early development:
The Community, Strategy & Sustainability group focuses on visibility and funding
The Teaching, Learning & Workforce group co-develops materials through university-industry partnerships and creates education-to-employment pipelines
The Accreditation, Policy & Research group advocates for mandatory accessibility in courses and engages with policy stakeholders
All resources remain completely free to ensure broad and equitable access.
6. How can my organisation partner with Teach Access Europe?
Organisations can partner in the following ways:
Join a working group to contribute expertise
Collaborate with universities to co-develop accessibility modules
Offer guest lectures or student placements
Provide real-world case studies for educational use
Provide funding to sponsor the initiative
Contact info@teachaccess.org to explore partnership opportunities that align with your organisation's goals.
7. Why should organisations invest in accessibility education?
The business case is clear, investing in accessibility education creates a pipeline of graduates equipped to design and build accessible products and services.
This increases market reach to disabled customers, ensures compliance with regulations like the European Accessibility Act (2025), reduces the cost of retrofitting accessibility later, and demonstrates commitment to inclusion.
Organisations don’t have to teach the concept of disability inclusion to new employees as the mindset is already there – accessibility-skilled employees bring this critical expertise from day one.
Need help making a business case for digital accessibility at your institution?
Download AbilityNet's Business Case for Accessibility guide, to help you highlight to senior leaders how adopting digital accessibility best practices is not only the right thing to do, but it will have tangible business benefits like boosting your SEO, improving your brand trust and awareness, and attracting a more diverse range of customers and staff.
8. How does Teach Access Europe differ from workplace training?
While workplace training addresses immediate organisational needs, Teach Access Europe works upstream by embedding accessibility in formal education. We often talk about the need to ‘shift-left’ – prioritising accessibility early in the design phase.
By putting accessibility at the heart of digital disciplines before students enter the workplace, we can ensure students develop accessibility knowledge alongside their core technical skills, making inclusion a fundamental part of their professional practice rather than an add-on.
University is often a transformational experience. It can also be a place to explore accessibility creatively and in-depth, to establish interest that lasts across a career.
9. What role do disabled people play in Teach Access Europe?
Disabled people's expertise and lived experience are central to the initiative. Teach Access Europe works with disability-led organisations to ensure accessibility education moves beyond compliance toward disability justice.
Community knowledge guides curriculum development, ensuring educational approaches reflect the real experiences and priorities of disabled people.
10. How can I support Teach Access Europe's launch?
As Teach Access Europe is just beginning, now is a critical time to get involved. Express interest by contacting info@teachaccess.org, advocate for accessibility education with universities in your network, update your hiring practices to explicitly value accessibility skills, share information about the initiative through your professional channels, or make a donation to support this work.
As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States, Teach Access relies on sponsorships and donations to keep all resources free.
Visit www.teachaccess.org/initiatives/europe to learn more about Teach Access Europe and support the movement to build a more accessible digital future through education.
Free Higher and Further Education Accessibility Maturity Model
Inclusive tech themes to watch in 2026: lessons from TechShare Pro
Submitted by Robin Christopherson on Mon, 09/02/2026 - 10:42
If you want a clear view of where inclusive technology is heading next, TechShare Pro 2025 delivered it in depth.
Across two packed days, leaders from global technology companies, financial services, regulators, academia, disabled people’s organisations and accessibility consultancies explored what is changing now, what is accelerating, and what organisations must prepare for in 2026.
From AI-powered assistive technology to the realities of new legislation, and from neurodiversity to voice, wearables and inclusive marketing, the message was consistent - accessibility is moving faster, becoming more strategic, and touching every part of digital delivery.
Here are the inclusive tech themes that stood out most clearly, and why they matter for the year ahead.
AI is reshaping accessibility - but responsibility matters
Artificial intelligence was impossible to ignore. Sessions across both days showed how AI is already transforming assistive technology, developer tooling and user experiences.
What was striking was the shift in tone. The conversation has moved well beyond “can AI help?” to “how do we design AI that genuinely works for disabled people?”.
Speakers from organisations including Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Deque Systems and GitHub explored agentic systems that bypass traditional interfaces, AI-generated code and content, and wearable AI that supports real-world independence.
AI can remove barriers at unprecedented speed, but only if accessibility and disability inclusion are built into training data, design decisions and governance.
Responsible AI frameworks are becoming a practical necessity, not a theoretical exercise.
Accessibility professionals are not being replaced by AI - their role is evolving into one that shapes, audits and guides its use.
Expect 2026 to be the year when organisations are judged not just on whether they use AI, but on how responsibly and inclusively they do so.
Voice and conversational interfaces are becoming mainstream
Voice-powered services featured prominently, reflecting their rapid adoption in banking, retail and customer service.
Sessions on the new British Standards Institution Vocal Accessibility Standard (PAS 901) highlighted both the opportunity and the risk. Voice can be transformative for many users, but without standards and testing it can exclude just as easily.
What to plan for:
Voice is now a core interface, not an edge case.
Accessibility testing must extend beyond screens to include speech recognition, prompts, error handling and privacy.
Standards such as PAS 901 give organisations a practical starting point - but only if teams are trained to apply them.
In 2026, voice accessibility will increasingly sit alongside web and mobile accessibility as business as usual.
Neurodiversity is reshaping how we design and test
Neurodiversity was not treated as a specialist topic. Instead, sessions made clear that cognitive accessibility, clarity, predictability and user control affect everyone. Practitioners from media, research and consultancy backgrounds shared how inclusive user research, testing frameworks and content design can better reflect neurodivergent needs.
Watch back the Neurodiversity and Accessibility panel from AbilityNet's TechShare Pro 2025 conference, featuring speakers from AbilityNet, Meaningbit LTD, British Autism, and the BBC (captions and transcript included on YouTube).
Clear messages emerged:
Neurodiversity must be considered across the entire customer journey, not bolted on at the end.
Inclusive research practices lead to better outcomes for all users.
Simpler, calmer and more flexible interfaces are becoming a competitive advantage.
This is likely to be one of the most influential themes shaping digital experience design in 2026.
Gain practical skills and methodologies to assess and enhance digital accessibility for neurodivergent users, making your digital products more inclusive and user-friendly:
A recurring theme was the importance of “shifting left” - embedding accessibility from the very start of projects. Community forums and workshops explored how to:
Build accessibility into procurement and supplier relationships.
Use maturity models to move from isolated fixes to long-term strategy.
Scale accessibility using a combination of AI tooling and human expertise.
The takeaway was clear: organisations that treat accessibility as a lifecycle issue - spanning strategy, design, development, content, procurement and governance - will be far better placed to meet both legal and user expectations in 2026.
Regulation is no longer abstract - it is operational
With the European Accessibility Act now in force, legal and regulatory sessions were among the most practical of the conference.
Speakers from regulators, legal experts and large organisations discussed what implementation actually looks like on the ground, including EN 301 549 testing, documentation, and accountability.
Accessibility compliance is moving from policy teams to delivery teams.
Evidence, testing and documentation matter more than ever.
Global organisations must manage differing legal requirements without fragmenting their accessibility approach.
The organisations that succeed will be those that connect regulation to real design and engineering practices.
Accessibility drives brand value and commercial impact
From inclusive advertising and accessible social content to the latest Purple Pound valuation, TechShare Pro reinforced that accessibility is inseparable from business performance.
Sessions showed how accessible marketing, inclusive storytelling and better customer communications strengthen trust, reach wider audiences and improve brand perception.
Key insights:
Accessibility is a brand differentiator, not just a compliance issue.
Audio-led and multimodal content can reduce the need for retrofitted adjustments.
The spending power of disabled people and their families continues to grow - and organisations that ignore this do so at their peril.
In 2026, accessibility will increasingly be measured in terms of market reach and customer loyalty, not just risk reduction.
Wearables and everyday assistive technology are accelerating
The fireside discussion on AI wearables with Meta offered a glimpse of what everyday assistive technology may look like very soon.
As smart glasses and other wearable devices mature, they are moving from specialist tools to mainstream products with profound accessibility implications.
The direction of travel is clear:
Assistive technology is becoming more personalised, portable and socially acceptable.
Inclusive design decisions made now will shape who benefits from these tools in the future.
Collaboration between disabled users and technology companies is essential.
Why TechShare Pro matters
What set TechShare Pro 2025 apart was not just the breadth of topics, but the depth of practical insight. This was not about future hype - it was about what organisations are already doing, learning and scaling.
If you want to explore these themes in more detail, you can still catch every session on demand. Visit TechShare Pro to sign up for news about upcoming conferences, and watch the talks, panels and workshops for yourself.
As 2026 begins, one thing is certain - inclusive technology is no longer a niche concern. It is central to innovation, regulation, reputation and growth. And TechShare Pro 2025 showed exactly why.
Unlock huge savings on accessibility and disability training - bundles on sale!
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Wed, 21/01/2026 - 15:18
What strategies can you use to help your team maintain compliance with legal directives like the European Accessibility Act (EAA), while also enhancing your brand reputation and attracting more customers?
Training your teams is a very effective way to embed digital skills knowledge in-house and upskill your teams with the latest best practices. And don't just take our word for it - AbilityNet's recent survey of 507 global professionals revealed the widespread need within organisations for disability and inclusion training.
With that in mind, and with budgets ever stretched, we're offering a festive short-term discount on AbilityNet's 2026 training bundle.
Buy our bundle before end January 2026 and you'll receive an additional 10% off an already great-value way to create accessible and inclusive products, services, and experiences.
“Another excellent training session from AbilityNet. The training was incredibly informative and has given me a lot of practical knowledge that I now feel confident in applying to my work... The course included so much information and detailed examples, having the recording to refer to will be really useful. I would highly recommend this course for anyone who works with PDF content! [Five stars]” - Samaritans
How to save on accessibility training
Our 2026 training bundle includes 10 courses for the price of 8, with courses catering for roles from web developers to HR professionals.
Here are just a few of the popular courses to choose from, with more announced soon - book individually or as part of the bundle.
Wednesday 22 & 29 April: User Research Accreditation Training - includes certification and exam (NB this course is not included in training bundle offer)
Book before end January to get a discount on the existing bundle offer!
Save on the year ahead by purchasing 10 training courses for the price of 8, with our 2026 bundle deal:
Not for profit discounted 10 tickets for price of 8 bundle (£120 each) is only £960 including VAT (saving £240) - discounted by 10% to £865 if booked before end of January 2026 (saving £336 on usual price!)
For Profit discounted 10 ticket for price of 8 bundle (£165 each) is only £1320 including VAT (saving £330) - discounted by 10% to £1190 if booked before end of January 2026 (saving £462 on usual price!)
You don’t have to book them all right now – you have until the end of 2026 to book all 10. More courses will be announced soon.
Explore AbilityNet's popular range of group training and eLearning options, designed to strengthen your skills in fostering inclusivity and accessibility while also advancing your professional growth.
AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology
Robin Christopherson
Hector Minto, 
The strategy was launched at the House of Commons on 21 November at a reception hosted by Anne McGuire MP, Shadow Minister for Disabled People. It calls for better design practices through implementing user-focused testing at all stages of the design of digital systems (rather than relying on post-hoc accessibility checks).
Speaking about the importance of being a Disability Confident Leader, Amy Low, AbilityNet’s CEO, said:
By guest bloggers, Sarah Lewthwaite (University of Southampton) and Heather Hepburn (Skyscanner) - pictured, speaking at AbilityNet's TechShare Pro 2025 conference
1. What is Teach Access Europe?
4. How is Teach Access Europe structured?
7. Why should organisations invest in accessibility education?
Across two packed days, leaders from global technology companies, financial services, regulators, academia, disabled people’s organisations and accessibility consultancies explored what is changing now, what is accelerating, and what organisations must prepare for in 2026.
Wearables and everyday assistive technology are accelerating
What strategies can you use to help your team maintain compliance with legal directives like the European Accessibility Act (EAA), while also enhancing your brand reputation and attracting more customers?
You don’t have to book them all right now – you have until the end of 2026 to book all 10. More courses will be announced soon.
Training a larger group of staff?