Waiting Is Not a Strategy - 10/2026

Many companies that are obligated to comply with the Accessibility Strengthening Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz) are currently taking a wait-and-see approach. This is evident from the fact that many online shops provide no information on accessibility and have clearly taken no measures toward it either. Some of them may not even be aware yet that they are required to do so. However, this could come back to bite them: Even if the risk of being shut down immediately upon the monitoring body finding out is low, sooner or later they will be called upon to ensure accessibility—and will then have to catch up under immense pressure and high costs.

Interesting Posts

Accessible PDF Made Easy – A Conversation with Markus from axes4An interview with Markus Erle from axes4 about new products: accessible PDF forms, mass PDFs, and AI.
Accounting for Dynamic Changes in AccessibilityAn analysis of how dynamically updated content and UI elements on websites can be designed to be accessible and correctly communicated to screen readers and keyboard users.
Accessibility as a Governance Problem, Not a Technical OneA plea arguing that digital accessibility primarily requires organizational processes, responsibilities, and corporate culture (governance), rather than being understood merely as a technical issue.
Your accessibility tests stop at the page. Your users don't. - AFixtAn article on why automated page scans are insufficient and why accessibility testing must cover the entire dynamic user flow (user journeys).
AMASAMYA - Accessibility Audit ToolkitAn accessible ("blind-first") Chrome extension audit tool that supports developers and testers using screen readers in evaluating WCAG 2.2 criteria.
Why Don't My Employees Disclose Their Disabilities? - Inclusive PixelationAn article discussing why employees often do not disclose barriers or disabilities in the workplace, and how employers can build a safe environment.
Mobile accessibility tells half the story - Inclusion ImpactAn analysis comparing web and mobile platform design systems regarding the structural integration of accessibility rules.
OP-ED: To advance disability justice, public health should serve needs, not norms - APHA Public Health NewswireAn article on the need for public health to align more closely with the actual needs of people with disabilities rather than presumed norms.
Accessibility Illustrated: Clear communication and inclusive design for everyone (Book)Product page for the book "Accessibility Illustrated", which clearly and visually breaks down accessibility concepts and inclusive communication.
AccessibleEU Advanced training course on accessible technology design.

Good News

Recite Me: Northumbrian Water BSL Toolbar FeatureImplementation of sign language on a water utility website.
Mastercard: Touch CardInnovations in physical card design featuring distinct tactile notches that allow blind and visually impaired consumers to distinguish between credit, debit, and prepaid cards.
ATScale Partnership: UN General Assembly Adopts Landmark Resolution on Access to Assistive Technology Initiative for increased access to assistive technologies.
Major Foundations Form Disability-Focused Credit UnionMajor foundations have established a new credit union specifically focused on financial services and wealth building for people with disabilities and their families.
‘Impossible Doesn’t Exist’: Man Becomes First Blind Swimmer To Lap Michigan’s Mackinac IslandA blind swimmer makes history as the first blind person to complete a full open-water swim around Mackinac Island in Michigan.
Family Raises $1.6 Million To Build Adaptive PlaygroundA family successfully raises $1.6 million in donations to build a fully accessible and adaptive playground for children of all abilities.
Zoom Announces Improved Transcription Thanks to Data From the Speech Accessibility ProjectZoom improves its automated transcription using data from the Speech Accessibility Project, significantly increasing accuracy for speech from individuals with neurological or speech speech differences.
We Use PurpleThe website for the "We Use Purple" initiative, advocating for economic inclusion, visibility, and the purchasing power of people with disabilities in the corporate sector.
Neurodivergent Kids Face Special Mental Health Risks. New Initiative Seeks Ways To Protect Them.A new research initiative investigates the specific mental health risks facing neurodivergent children and youth in order to develop more targeted prevention and support services.
How LA28 Aims To Stage The Best Paralympic Games EverAn overview of the LA28 organizing committee's plans to take the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles to a new level regarding accessibility and media coverage.
Autism Dating Series Wins Emmy For Best Reality ShowThe popular reality series about the dating lives of people on the autism spectrum (Love on the Spectrum) wins another Emmy Award for Best Reality Show.
All In Frame StockA specialized stock media and imagery platform focused on authentic, non-stereotypical representations of diversity, inclusion, and disability.
Inclusive by Design - MovaA case study by Mova showing how inclusive design can be integrated into development and branding processes from the start to proactively eliminate barriers.

Artificial Intelligence

L'Etoile Education: 83 Rounds - What AI-Assisted Accessibility Testing Actually Looks Like A practical look at AI in accessibility testing.
AI-Generated Code Has an Accessibility Problem — Here’s How Engineering Teams Can Fix ItAn article on the tendency of AI code generators to produce inaccessible HTML/UI code, and how engineering teams can integrate automated accessibility checks into their repositories.
State of Digital Accessibility 2026 (SODAR) - Level AccessLevel Access’s annual report, State of Digital Accessibility 2026, highlights current trends, legal requirements, and organizational challenges in implementing accessible software.
AI and ICT to Support the Inclusion of Children with Autism, ADHD and Learning Disabilities: A Collection of Best Practices - UNESCO IITEA UNESCO report compiling best practices and digital AI/ICT solutions to foster inclusive education for children with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.
Using AI as Your Accessibility Testing PartnerAn article on how Artificial Intelligence can be effectively used to support accessibility audits without replacing human judgment.
Two Accessibility Leaders On What Happens When AI Writes The Next Decade Of Software - ForbesA Forbes interview with accessibility experts on the risks and opportunities for people with disabilities as software code is increasingly generated by AI.
Tim Scannell: The AI Sign Language Landscape 2026An overview of sign language and AI generation.

Further Posts

When Disclosure Costs You The Interview: Seattle's Disability:IN Chapter Takes On The Question I Lived - Dr. Kirk AdamsA personal story and article on the pros, cons, and risks of disclosing a disability during the application process and in the workplace.
We need more choices in automated testing - Karl GrovesAn article on the need for more flexible and diverse tools in automated accessibility testing.
Homebrace Blog - Assistive Technologies and AccessibilityA blog post by Homebrace about personalized environmental control systems and assistive technologies for individuals with complex physical limitations.
Introducing Audiom for Highcharts Maps - Highcharts BlogAn introduction to Audiom and Highcharts for accessible infographics.
AWS Public Sector: How ITHAKA Built an On-Demand PDF Remediation Pipeline on AWSA technical case study on building a cloud-native pipeline to remediate inaccessible PDF documents at scale.
Improving Web Accessibility: User Interface Design for Disabilities - Disabled WorldAn overview of core principles of inclusive UI design to make web offerings accessible to people with various limitations.
Intopia: Handling Missing Data Without Breaking Accessibility Handling missing data, such as empty table cells.
Intopia: When You Can't Stop the Ship — A Developer's Guide to Handling Inaccessible Releases Guidance for developers on dealing with inaccessible releases.

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