We are always talking about digital accessibility and compliance, but not everyone has access to digital means. Additionally, digital literacy can be a problem when accessing services online. For this reason, digital means should not be the only way to access basic governmental services. However, in Belgium, this is exactly what is happening. Digital means are increasingly no longer just an option, but the only way to access certain public and essential services. A group of pan-European organizations is advocating for access to essential public, private, and social services through non-digital means. This is important news for me because the discussion here is not about WCAG or compliance; it is about providing alternatives for inclusion.
AudioEye found that “Agents completed 96% of tasks on an accessible site and 31% on an inaccessible version of the same site.” In the coming days, the capability of AI agents may increase, so we may not see a critical difference in task completion rates when comparing accessible and inaccessible websites. However, tokens used are another critical finding of the study: “Agents used 43% more tokens on average on inaccessible sites, and up to 6x at the extreme”
Yes, logotypes are WCAG exceptions, and we don’t usually talk about them. However, handwritten logos are horrible for partially sighted people, as they are not readable. The City of Augusta also has this kind of handwritten logo. The city council decided to change its visual identity after hearing feedback from the visually impaired community and has started a survey to gather further feedback. I also recommend that you take a look at the survey. It contains very simple, goal-oriented, and direct questions.
Actually, this is not bad news in itself. Efforts to automate accessibility are, of course, valuable and the most logical thing to do to make processes sustainable. On the other hand, current technology in its basic configuration is not sufficient to ensure accessibility right from the start; you still have to prepare skill documents, and guide AI with the right prompts. This is why experts are worried. We all know that accessibility is not a primary concern for the Trump administration, and they might use these tools simply to speed things up. In short, 'automating as much accessibility testing as possible' can be a valid goal, if you acknowledge the risks and take necessary precautions.
An ambitious media accessibility rule has been proposed to the Ukrainian parliament to make 90% of audiovisual content accessible with subtitles, audio description, and sign language. There is a transition period that increases the accessible audiovisual content from 50% to 90%. Organizations must present a plan to the authority, backed by a monitoring mechanism, and penalties will be regulated according to the general media law. While this is a great rule foreseeing accessibility plans, monitoring, and penalties, media outlets are going through hard times due to war conditions, making implementation challenging. For this reason, this rule may not pass the parliament, in my opinion. Maybe classifying and prioritizing media content, for example news or governmental announcements, instead of setting a basic proportion like 50% or 90% could be more applicable and practical.
To learn more about the most commonly used screen readers and browsers, you can look at the results from the link. One of the most striking results for me is that in response to 'Which of the following do you think would have a bigger impact on improvements to web accessibility?', 83.9% of participants chose 'more accessible websites' rather than 'better assistive technology'. Also, more than 95% of participants are satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the screen reader they are using. Naturally, persons with disabilities want accessible products from the beginning rather than having to change their habits.
The iPhone Duo was announced as Apple’s first foldable smartphone. In Turkey, we mostly discussed its price, but there is also a major UI and ergonomics issue. The Duo is wider than a standard smartphone even when folded. Normally, lefties can reach the controls on the right panel with fingers other than their thumb. However, this new layout presents a more challenging experience due to its wider frame. Also, placing Touch ID on the right side and removing Face ID makes using these features nearly impossible for left-handed users. These also affect people with muscular or motor impairments who are struggling to use right side of their bodies. We are waiting for an accessibility solution from Apple.
On Notes # 23, I mentioned why video relay and text relay communication services are so important for the Deaf. In that article, I highlighted Estonia’s lack of implementation, but as we can see here, this issue is not limited to Estonia. According to research, "only 9 Member States enable persons with disabilities to contact emergency services through video relay services on a 24/7 basis, and 6 Member States enable 24/7 emergency access through text relay services." Knowing how critical it is for deaf callers to communicate with sign or text in real time during an emergency, the European Disability Forum aims to guarantee that the Digital Networks Act includes provisions ensuring video and text relay services are always available.
In my opinion, accessibility is not a technical issue; it is a governance challenge. That’s why AI is not the magic wand we are searching for. Let me cite a paragraph from Level Access’s SODAR 2026 study, and please look at the “In Detail” section below for the other key takeaways: “What our findings highlight, however, is that the adoption of new technology alone does not create accessibility. The organizations realizing the greatest value from AI are the ones pairing new tools with mature practices, strong governance, effective training, cross-functional communication, and a culture where accessibility is considered during all aspects of the digital experience life cycle.”
Work on WCAG 3 is ongoing. In this latest update, you can send your feedback to the Working Group and open new discussions via GitHub. In the "1.1. About This Draft" section, there is a set of questions you can work on. For me, the most critical one is: "Are there user needs which are not covered?" If you see any unmentioned needs in WCAG 2.2, you can raise a flag now. Also, the conformance model will change a lot. Rather than applying a pass/fail methodology, a more flexible approach will be adopted. Details are not available yet, but if you have ideas, you can write them as well.
In partnership with AbilityNet, mova has released an insightful report. This report stands out because it avoids relying on numbers or percentages to measure the impact of inaccessibility on people with disabilities. Instead, it highlights the psychological harm, common digital accessibility barriers, and forced dependence on others, such as carers, directly through the participants' own words. It serves as an excellent resource for understanding what inaccessibility actually feels like, moving beyond abstract statistics and economic data.
As the international community marks the twentieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a new report by the United Nations Secretary-General has been published. Let me cite the digital accessibility section: “Although more countries have adopted digital accessibility regulations, only 5 per cent of local government portals complied with international web accessibility standards in 2024. The report calls for digital platforms, public services and artificial intelligence technologies to be designed and implemented in accordance with the accessibility and non-discrimination principles of the CRPD.”
With 100 days to go until December 3, Binclusive has launched a movement. As part of Access100, instead of making promises, launching single-day ad campaigns, or releasing statements that will be forgotten throughout the year, "we are coming together to make 100 applications and 100 videos accessible by December 3." This is an action-oriented movement aimed at creating a concrete impact. And the good news: there is still time to join. You can find more details via the link above.
The new draft version of the harmonized European accessibility standard has been published. While EN 301 549 version 3.2.1 is currently in place, version 4.1.1 is expected in November. For now, we have access to the draft for version 4.1.1. As expected, it sets WCAG 2.2 AA as the conformance target for websites and mobile apps to align with EAA compliance. The annexes have also been slightly updated. In Annex A, you can now find more direct references to the European Accessibility Act, specifying which clauses apply to different ICT categories for conformance. For the other changes, you can look at the “In Detail” section.
Over the past few months, we saw the deadlines for ADA Title II and Section 504 digital accessibility regulations being postponed. In this article, Ken Nakata explores whether this is a trend or not. Nakata's AI-backed analysis shows that instead of canceling laws directly, government agencies are removing official guidance, constantly delaying compliance dates, and pausing enforcement. By relaxing standards under the excuse of "reducing burdens" and cutting protections against indirect discrimination, the government is making accessibility rules far less effective—even if the laws technically remain on the books.
In terms of the accessibility of 112 emergency call services, video calling is a need for the sign language-speaking Deaf community. Also, Real-Time Text technology provides more instant and accurate service compared to SMS for persons who prefer texting to speaking, which is mainly beneficial for people with speech disabilities and the hard-of-hearing community. These accessibility regulations were introduced into law under the European Accessibility Act in 2022. However, Estonia could not meet the 2025 deadline and stated that 112 services will become fully accessible in 2027.
Professors from Purdue University developed the Ink2html app to convert handwritten text into an accessible HTML document with the help of AI. The article gives details about the project and AI implementation. This is a very simple and effective solution that a university can apply for disabled students in the AI era. This kind of Ink2html project can also be beneficial for ADA Title II compliance for governments, because they also have many inaccessible images and documents in their websites.
Google has introduced a sign-language-to-text (SL2T) translation model that powers sign-to-text dictation in Gboard and Live Transcribe on Pixel 11 with American Sign Language (ASL) to English. More devices are coming soon, and additional languages will follow. In the blog article, I highly recommend that you read the “Why Sign Language Matters” part. This is a great summary of sign language’s importance and its differences with spoken languages. The Google team explains the challenges of AI work on sign language very clearly in that part as well.
Probably "the report of the year" from Deque Systems, Inc. “Deque surveyed 200 engineering leaders actively using AI-generated code and agents. The findings document clear gaps. Teams have high confidence in the accessibility of their AI-generated code, but the reality is very different—and that’s a real risk. This report offers an approach for integrating AI to achieve compliance while minimizing financial, legal, and reputational risk and optimizing workflows.” I also wrote an “In Detail” section summarizing some key takeaways.
First things first: WCAG-EM is not an accessibility standard, nor is it a new set of techniques. It is a helpful document for creating a reasonable sample to evaluate the accessibility of your digital product. Having said that, while an accessible sample does not mean full WCAG compliance, this document is still important for quick and periodic accessibility checks. For me, there are two use cases for this document: First, before proceeding with a comprehensive accessibility audit, it helps me understand the current state of the product using a reasonable sample. Second, when planning periodic (perhaps monthly) manual accessibility checks, I can use these reasonable samples again. For these reasons, the notes, guidance, and warnings provided in the document for creating samples can be very useful.
In India, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment published draft accessibility rules for technology businesses providing digital products and services. According to the rules, all digital products, including mobile apps, websites, and hardware, should comply with Indian standards that are very similar to EN 301 549. Therefore, for websites and mobile apps, the bare minimum is WCAG 2.1 AA. Beyond compliance, the draft rules require Accessibility Conformance Reports from organizations, as well as periodic reviews. Organizations must also manage the accessibility of user-generated content and establish a mechanism for complaints. In short, the new rules, which will come fully into force after 2 years, have both compliance and management impacts.
A new study estimates that working-age Americans with disabilities now hold $675 billion in disposable income, which equals 6.8% of the total U.S. disposable income. The authors encourage companies to view accessibility as a business strategy rather than simply a compliance obligation, arguing that organizations can unlock new opportunities for growth. The study also highlights an inequality: we know that approximately 15–20% of the U.S. population is disabled, yet they hold only 6.8% of disposable income. This shows a significant economic gap between the disabled and non-disabled communities.
Dear Turkish readers, please read this article and think about our digital accessibility directive (10/2025). I also wrote an "In Detail" section explaining why I see these laws as parallel. In Peru, “The law stipulates that Peruvian Sign Language interpretation services must be provided by certified or accredited interpreters … The problem arises when this requirement is enacted without the government itself having implemented a national system for training, certification, accreditation, and registration that would enable professionals to meet this requirement.” I am sure that businesses in Peru cannot understand what they should do, and when they start to see the gaps in the law, accessibility will become an un-serious and trivial issue for them.
To comply with the digital accessibility rules for state and local governments (the delayed ADA Title II), digital maps must be made accessible as well. Minnesota IT Services has done great work implementing high-contrast design, keyboard compatibility, alt text, and other accessibility enhancements. The good news is that they also published a resource center explaining what should be done and how. I love this kind of open-source sharing while improving our own work.
In my previous Notes, I shared news regarding the accessibility of audiovisual platforms in India. Now, the Ministry is expanding the scope of digital accessibility: "The booking app interfaces should display the availability of accessibility features such as audio description, closed captions, Indian Sign Language (ISL), or any other feature." Focusing not only on the accessibility of the interface itself, but also on accessibility information, makes the experience more comprehensive for persons with disabilities. That is why I appreciate this effort to mainstream accessibility information.
When I first entered the digital accessibility field, I learned nearly everything from resources created by US-based organizations and experts. North America has always been a compass for me. For this reason, since the beginning of 2025, I have been closely tracking the legal ecosystem in the US under the Trump administration. Unfortunately, positive news from there has been rare over the past year. In this article, Ken Nakata explains the shifts in legal practices and the efforts to change federal regulations protecting people with disabilities and digital accessibility. Most concerning is the move toward "intent-based" discrimination. If an inaccessible website or system is no longer considered illegal just because it was not built with "bad intent," the regulations lose their power to prevent discrimination.
"When you ask an LLM to build a web page, how accessible is the HTML it generates? AIMAC answers that question. We prompt 37 models to generate pages across 28 categories with no accessibility guidance." OpenAI currently leads the benchmark with the most successful models. Two of its models, GPT-5.4 Mini and GPT-5.3 Codex, had zero serious or critical issues across all 28 categories, recording just 22 minor or medium accessibility violations in total. Unfortunately, none of Claude's models made it into the top 10. This is disappointing given that Claude is often the default choice for technical teams. While “Anthropic's CEO claims that models like Claude will soon write most of the world's code”, their generated outputs still miss critical accessibility standards.
The AI Omnibus is a legislative package aiming to facilitate the implementation of the European Union AI Act by postponing some deadlines on high-risk AI and reducing administrative burdens. However, the European Disability Forum has some concerns about this simplification process and the changes proposed by the Omnibus. The AI Omnibus allows the usage of sensitive data, including disability information, without individual consent. This can be risky due to potential bias, for example in recruitment procedures. EDF also mentions some transparency risks, a lack of legal protection against potential harm, and the risk of reduced AI literacy requirements.
The most striking part of UsableNet’s 2026 midyear report: “At the current pace, website accessibility lawsuits are on track to surpass 6,000 in 2026, a historic high and a nearly 20% increase over 2025. The spike follows a familiar pattern: when federal enforcement slows, through delays to Title II and limited DOJ involvement, private plaintiffs step in to fill the gap.” This is a clear sign of why federal laws and strict regulations are important. Also, as a note, the sector most affected by the lawsuits is e-commerce (79%).
New Zealand already has some anti-discrimination and accessibility acts protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and creating a legal framework. However, there are no well-developed and updated accessibility standards in the field that organizations can follow. With the Accessibility Standards Bill, the aim is to create a system for setting accessibility standards, involving the community in co-creation and feedback processes, and defining accessibility plans and timeframes. In short, the main goal is to make accessibility regulations applicable with concrete plans and defined standards.
“According to Netflix, nearly one-third of its subscribers use accessibility features while watching movies and TV shows.” With these insights, Netflix started to allow subscribers to search not only by a show's original language but also by available accessibility options, including subtitles, dubbing, and audio descriptions. Rather than including an “accessible content” category and putting it at the end of the menu, updating the "search by language" feature is a more inclusive approach. Also, this is great news showing the importance of universal design and its benefit for all. By the way, I couldn’t see this feature in Netflix Turkey.
The ongoing partnership between the Top Court of China and NGOs working in the field of disability to increase the accessibility of judicial services is showing its impact. Through this partnership, the Top Court has created several fast-track services. For example, when a deaf person arrives at the court, they can use writing tablets and voice-to-text software, and the court provides assistance to prepare their case. A professional sign language interpreter can also be arranged with the help of NGOs. In this article, you can read about a case showing why assistive technology and sign language interpretation are important in every field.
According to a study by Nexer Digital, 87% of disabled consumers are unable to complete a typical retail journey independently on travel websites. Some of the widespread issues identified include inaccessible content (62%), confusing navigation and pop-ups (55%), and difficulties progressing through browsing stages (79%). Furthermore, CAPTCHAs and verification tools at checkout are among the most inaccessible steps in the process, affecting 81% of users. On the other hand, only 4% of participants report the accessibility issues they encounter. So, what is the impact of the EAA after one year? I haven't seen a big movement in the field. The only change is that more people have started to talk about accessibility, which is a small gain, honestly. However, we have not yet achieved what we expected.
Finally, we have seen a concrete legal decision for the EAA from France after a year. In November 2025, four of France’s largest retailers, including Carrefour, were taken to court by disability rights organisations for failing to make their online grocery services accessible. Subsequently, “the Tribunal judiciaire de Caen (Normandie) ordered Carrefour France to make its online commerce services fully accessible to people with disabilities. The court has given the organization six months to comply, with fines to accrue for each day of delay.” Happy to see the EAA in action and waiting for more concrete steps.
Here is a review of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference by Taylor Arndt. In Notes # 6, I mentioned an AppleVis study, according to which the general satisfaction rate with Apple’s accessibility solutions has decreased. However, this year’s updates announced at WWDC have excited some users, including Taylor. VoiceOver is getting richer descriptions of images, the magnifier and camera can provide smart descriptions, captions can be generated for videos automatically and sign language will be supported on FaceTime. All of these features will go live this fall.
Digital accessibility is not yet the most mature sector in the world. There is no clear definition of an “expert” and no agreed-upon answer to “how to become a digital accessibility specialist.” That’s why this kind of sector research is so important. We need to share our insights with one another to reach a common ground. Moreover, all of us are trying to convince someone in this field, and to be successful, we need data. We are stronger together. Please participate in the State of Digital Accessibility Survey by IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals and Level Access.
A French advocacy NGO, Collectif Handicap Visuel, filed a lawsuit against the General Directorate for Public Finances, claiming that the directorate’s website is not accessible to the blind. Form fields are not labeled, keyboard navigation is nearly impossible, and error messages are not reachable with screen readers. Due to these barriers, a blind citizen cannot independently complete the tax declaration process and must share sensitive personal data, such as ID cards or bank account information, with someone else. In this lawsuit, Intérêt à Agir is supporting Collectif Handicap Visuel. We know Intérêt à Agir from the first EAA lawsuit in France, which targeted Carrefour and three other brands.
The 7th Inclusive Africa Conference took place on June 2–4, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. This hybrid event convened policymakers and tech leaders to explore the theme: “Accelerating Digital Accessibility and AI Solutions for Africa’s Future.” In the opening speech, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy highlighted infrastructural improvements in Kenya, the need for accessibility in e-government services, and their inclusive AI policy. Additionally, questions from the audience emphasized that “digital accessibility represents one of Africa’s most significant untapped economic opportunities.” The conference also highlighted efforts to develop a harmonized African Digital Accessibility Standard for ICT products and services.
“Despite a marginal uptick, the email ecosystem remains in a state of systemic failure: 99.88% of the 376,348 emails analyzed this year contain ‘Serious’ or ‘Critical’ accessibility defects, leaving only a 0.002% pass rate represented by just eight emails from three brands.” According to the report, there are three main reasons for the lack of accessibility in emails: not applying web accessibility standards to the inbox, prioritizing visual layout over semantics in HTML mail builders, and a lack of accessibility support in email clients.
At the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Town Hall event, the 2026 updates were discussed. The areas currently being worked on were explained. Assertions are one of these areas. Cognitive accessibility standards such as plain language in WCAG 2 standards cannot currently be tested in a pass/fail status. Therefore, a model is being developed for WCAG 3 that allows organizations to “assert” the work that is not testable. Since no one is aiming to reach the AAA conformance level, improving the conformance model and helping organizations advance their accessibility work are also among the efforts within the scope of WCAG 3. There are also other ongoing efforts outside of WCAG 3. Work has begun on updating the ATAG standards, which cover the accessibility of social media platforms and content creation platforms such as CMS services etc. The goal is to increase the awareness and adoption of these standards. It is possible to join the community group and provide feedback on development of new ATAG standards.
In the US, “more than 30 states have banned cellphones in schools. Some states have gone further with proposals or policies to entirely remove screens, such as laptops and tablets, from classrooms.” Screens are being blamed for distracting students and for having negative impacts on health. On the other hand, screens are accessibility needs for students with disabilities. A partially-sighted student can read the notes on the board using the zoom function on their mobile phone, a dyslexic student can use text-to-speech technologies to read long articles, and a blind student can take notes with the help of a screen reader. Advocates are stating that with this screen backlash and regulatory practices, students with disabilities are being left behind.
On this Global Accessibility Awareness Day, GitHub didn’t share an inspirational video, didn’t make a huge commitment that won’t be fulfilled, and didn’t give strong messages. Instead, they shared a blog article to highlight their progress on their accessibility plan—in its fifth year—and to show concrete examples. This action-oriented approach is what we want. In the strategy, you can see many good steps for not only mainstreaming accessibility in development projects, but also implementing accessibility enhancements for developers with disabilities.
In the FIFA World Cup 2026, “sign language broadcasts will be available for every match, allowing fans both inside and outside the stadium to follow the action and excitement through play-by-play coverage and interpretation of key audio cues.” To view American Sign Language interpretation of each game, the FIFA World Cup App should be downloaded, and a YouTube link can be found in the stadium’s accessibility services tab. The good thing is that you can benefit from this service from anywhere. There will also be audio description available through the FIFA Audio Description App. I tried to use the audio description last year during the FIFA Club World Cup, but in the app, you have to enter an event code. I see that a similar “event code” issue exists this year as well. So, I think you have to be in the stadium to benefit from audio description. I couldn’t understand why accessing audio description is not as easy as accessing sign language interpretation.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine presented an amendment recommending that government bodies present information in simple and understandable language, with a unified approach to assessing the accessibility and clarity of information. It is expected that government bodies will conduct an annual self-assessment of their communications with citizens and submit the results to the Ministry of Culture. I am wondering about the approach and self-assessment methodology. These kinds of guidelines and materials are valuable where easy language standards are still under discussion.
In previous Notes, I mentioned that the Section 504 and ADA Title II digital accessibility rule deadlines were postponed. The National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit. “The lawsuit challenges actions by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that postponed long-anticipated compliance deadlines under federal disability rights laws without public notice or input. (…) The National Federation of the Blind is asking the court to block the delays and restore the original accessibility compliance deadlines.”
With the Accessible Canada Act, the Canadian Government’s goal is to create a barrier-free Canada by January 1, 2040. Organizations should notify the Accessibility Commissioner periodically with progress reports to show what they are doing toward this long-term goal. And deadline for progress reports is almost here. In the progress reports, an organization must be able to clearly demonstrate where barriers exist, what progress has been made, who is accountable, and how accessibility improvements are being sustained over time. The Accessible Canada Act’s progress-focused model can be a great example for many other legislations. Below, I wrote an “In Detail” section on this issue.
From now on, the Deaf community in Nepal can follow parliamentary discussions on TV with sign language interpretation. While this is a great step toward equal participation in democracy, and this step has been welcomed by activists, Nepali Sign Language does not have standard signs for parliamentary terms. Also, interpreters struggle with the aggressive atmosphere of the parliament. It becomes difficult to decide whose words should be translated first when everyone interrupts each other. I admit that these are real challenges but can be overcome with the support of the Deaf community.
Forza Horizon 6, a well-known open-world racing game, is newly released with many accessibility options. In the support page, they introduced AutoDrive and proximity radar to make the game accessible for gamers with different skill levels. These options are like driving assistant. I am wondering whether these options make the gaming experience enjoyable and competitive for me, as a partially-sighted person, as well. I am also wondering whether the high contrast mode is working in the race. Generally, my main challenge is not with the menu, actually; my main challenge is with the game’s complex atmosphere. Anyway, this is a good initiative. But the gaming industry should understand that I do not want to open the game and just experience the minimum. I want to compete with every player and feel the sense of victory.
The UK’s regulator for communications services, Ofcom, published a draft accessibility code for Tier 1 streaming platforms, such as Netflix or Amazon. The Code sets out the minimum requirements for access services that Tier 1 Services have to provide. Quotas for the first, second, and third years are gradually increasing. After the fourth year, Tier 1 streaming platforms must provide 5% signing, 10% audio description, and 80% subtitling of programming hours on the platform. Streaming platforms must also report quality (e.g., accuracy, synchronicity) to the authority and must make these access services visible. The announcement of this accessibility code on the Ofcom website was accompanied by a sign language interpretation and an easy-to-read format. Besides these accessibility measures, the Code’s realistic gradual quota approach makes me hopeful for the implementation.
Annual State of Digital Quality In Accessibility report by Applause was released for the sixth time. According to the report, 78% of organizations use AI to improve digital accessibility in their websites and applications. Besides, 90% of organizations validate automated results with manual testing. The proportion of assistive technology users who have regularly encountered inaccessible apps seems very low to me, which is 56%. While we know that not more than 5% of all websites are accessible, according to WebAIM’s study, I would expect a worse result. So, maybe this is because of the study’s sample. It seems like the sample consists of tech-savvy participants. Even though combining AI with manual tests brings us some hopeful results.
In Notes # 9, I mentioned Section 504 and the possibility of a deadline extension. A quick reminder: “Healthcare providers that receive federal financial assistance must implement digital accessibility standards for their website content, mobile apps, and kiosks by May 11, 2026, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The same deadline extension as in ADA Title II can be applied to the Section 504 rule.” On May 7, HHS announced an Interim Final Rule extending the compliance dates by one year, due to reports that some recipients faced significant burdens that would prevent timely compliance.
The Ministry of Electronics & IT in India unveiled a comprehensive strategy to develop inclusive voice technologies. The goal of the Ministry is to break literacy barriers and ensure intuitive use of voice‑recognition technologies. To make voice technologies usable for everyone, they introduced a Developer’s Toolkit that explains how to create an inclusive dataset that respects all linguistic diversities. In this way, “developers are encouraged to define ‘wishlists’ that include age distribution, gender representation, and rural accents to ensure AI doesn’t just work for the urban elite.” This is a great example of universal design. The importance of voice technologies is growing, and their accuracy will increase with such inclusive policies and diverse datasets.
The European Commission has unveiled a social plan aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities across the EU. While the main focus of the plan is socio‑economic issues and poverty, there is little emphasis on AI. Generally, the plan consists of articles on employment, housing, and the EU disability card, and we normally do not see an emphasis on AI or digital issues in such social plans. For this reason, seeing the theme “investing in assistive technologies such as AI tools” in a social plan makes me realize the increasing interaction between social and technological issues.
The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets published an announcement for the organisations that fall within the scope of the European Accessibility Act (EAA). According to the announcement, “companies should notify the supervisory authority if they are not compliant with the European Accessibility Act or if they invoke an exception.” The announcement also included the questions that must be answered in the notification form. I realized that this procedure applies only to organisations. Therefore, notifying the authority about exception requests makes sense, but I can’t understand why an organisation would report its own non‑compliance.
In Nepal, the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens published a public notice inviting feedback on a draft amendment to the Act Relating to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, the notice document is not accessible to assistive technologies because it is an image‑based file, so screen readers can not read its content. Unfortunately, we experienced the same problem last year in Turkey. Our Ministry of Family and Social Services issued a directive making website and app accessibility mandatory, but the PDF document was also image‑based and inaccessible. As Nepal and Turkey, we are trying to take action, but I do not know whether the government truly understands the essence of inclusion. Enacting legal regulations without a cultural shift causes such ironies.
“The Audible Crawl Rule requires the use of a secondary audio stream to convey televised emergency information aurally when such information is conveyed visually (e.g., in an on-screen text crawl or a small image, like a weather radar map), so that it is accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. The rule was adopted on April 8, 2013, with an original effective date of May 26, 2015, but has been waived and delayed “to the present day because a technical solution for automated descriptions of the information in such graphics does not exist,” the National Association of Broadcasters said. And in April, the implementation of the rule was delayed once again until 2027.” It seems interesting to me that no technical solution was developed for 14 years. I would have expected the rule to become applicable with some additional guidances or a technical solution to be developed.
In a large store, moving around and finding the product you want is very challenging for the blind and partially‑sighted. IKEA has launched a pilot project in Finland to overcome these challenges. With colorful QR codes provided by NaviLens, visually impaired customers can receive audio guidance about locations and product areas by scanning the codes placed throughout the store. IKEA supports its partnership with NaviLens through an assisted‑shopping service. Customers can pre‑book a 90‑minute visit which a trained co‑worker accompanies them. Generally, organizations implement only one accessibility solution and then claim “we did it,” but IKEA combines the power of digital technologies with personal assistance. Digital solutions are not a replacement for humans; they are generally just supportive elements.
In Notes # 4, I mentioned about the Department of Justice’s interim final rule for ADA Title II. A deadline extension was a possibility a few weeks ago, but unfortunately it has now become a reality. The DOJ finalized the ADA Title II rule in 2024 and gave time to state and local governments until April 24, 2026 to make their digital content and products accessible. However, the deadline has been extended, and the new deadline is April 26, 2027. The agency determined that it “overestimated the capabilities” of covered entities—both in terms of staffing and technology—to comply with the rule on schedule. My experience in Turkey shows me that when deadline extensions begin, laws start to be implemented loosely and their enforcement power weakens. So, sorry for my disabled friends in the US.
Healthcare providers that receive federal financial assistance must implement digital‑accessibility standards for their website content, mobile apps, and kiosks by May 11 2026, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. When a provider is non‑compliant, persons with disabilities can seek relief in federal court through direct legal action. There are a few practical exemptions that make the rule applicable. For example, HHS notes that an acceptable workaround for kiosk inaccessibility is to “allow persons with disabilities to go directly to the personnel at the main desk to register for the necessary services.” However, according to Ken Nakata, same deadline extension like in ADA Title II can be applied for Section 504 rule as well. In Ken Nakata’s words this extension is worse than ADA Title II’s because “the 2024 HHS rule wasn’t codifying existing enforcement practice across the board — it was filling genuine gaps”
“Join us in celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by pledging your time to improve accessibility in WordPress. Whether you’re a developer, designer, content creator, or site owner, your skills can help make the internet more usable for millions of people with disabilities. Even one small fix—like adding alt text, fixing heading levels, or improving keyboard navigation—can make a big difference.” I love this kind of call-to-action campaigns rather than purely awareness raising activities.
Public bodies are obligated to make their digital documents accessible for EAA compliance in Germany. However, according to axes4’s study, only 9,5 % of PDFs from the public sector are accessible. Even 37,4 % of all PDFs are not tagged, which means assistive technologies like screen readers cannot understand whether an item is a list, heading, or paragraph due to the lack of semantic structure. Unfortunately, since 2020 almost nothing has changed. The inaccessibility rate remains around 10 % each year. PDFs are generally overlooked compared to web and mobile accessibility, perhaps because they are not part of the primary user flows most of the time. Nevertheless, it is a fact that they are important and we should care about them.
In Korea, visually impaired plaintiffs alleged that they suffered harm because e‑commerce websites lacked alternative text for image‑based content. While the first court imposed a penalty on the e‑commerce sites, the Supreme Court overturned the decision, stating that “there was no clear evidence of intentional or negligent misconduct.” The irony is that the Supreme Court also acknowledged that the absence of alternative text on a shopping website is discriminatory. According to the news article, the plaintiffs’ claim is based on an anti‑discrimination act, not on a digital‑accessibility law such as the ADA or Turkey’s Presidential Circular 2025/10. I think this case is a clear example of why specific digital‑accessibility laws are important. We all know that digital accessibility issues can lead to discrimination, but anti‑discrimination acts are often so general that they can be interpreted differently.
While almost every city council in the US is in a huge panic over the approaching ADA Title II deadline, which sets clear standards for the accessibility of public‑sector websites, the City of Maricopa took a proactive step. They approached accessibility compliance as an opportunity for a broader UX redesign. In addition to basic WCAG compliance, they added more visual elements and preview text to the news section and calendar to make updates more visible, enhanced filtering options, and integrated a predictive search tool. The new city website will go live on April 21. This is a good example of how accessibility can support UX.
The 2026 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages by WebAIM is released. Copying this year’s key message from the conclusion part of the report. To learn more, you can look at the “In Detail” section of this newsletter: “The 2026 WebAIM Million analysis found notable increases in both the number of detected accessibility errors and number of pages with WCAG conformance failures (…) These trends likely reflect broader shifts in web development including increased reliance on 3rd party frameworks and libraries and automated or AI-assisted coding practices (“vibe coding”). Home pages are getting larger and more technologically complex at an alarming rate, making accessibility more difficult to achieve and maintain.”
In the Netherlands, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) conducted usability tests with persons with disabilities (be careful, not automation) on 100 webshops and websites. In 61 percent of cases, ordering was entirely impossible due to keyboard navigation issues and CAPTCHA verification tests. About one-third of webshops also faced “serious issues.” So, what’s next? A spokesperson for the market regulator said companies are allowed “considerable time” to bring their websites into compliance. What does “considerable time” mean? We know that the EAA’s deadline was June 2025 for many years, and almost a year has passed since that deadline. So, how many years should we wait for equal access?
In a few issues before, I mentioned the ADA Title II deadline. In short, after April 24, state and local governments should make their websites, apps, and digital content accessible. The Kane County Board normally shares detailed meeting documents, including PDFs—sometimes more than 1,000 pages—which include images of documents, maps, graphics, photos, PowerPoint presentation slides, and more. So, in practice, making all the meeting documents accessible is nearly impossible due to size and type of the content. Now, Kane County will discuss a challenging question next week: For the sake of equal access, should they eliminate some information that cannot be made accessible? This case is a clear sign that compliance alone cannot solve the real issue without related technical guidance and recommendations.
As a community‑driven study, the Apple Vision Accessibility Report Card has been prepared to give users a voice and to present information to Apple on accessibility features for the blind, low‑vision, and deaf‑blind. This year’s survey results indicate that, across almost all categories, satisfaction with Apple’s accessibility offerings decreased compared with 2024. Many categories received their lowest individual ratings since the beginning of this survey. I am not an Apple user, but I know how Liquid Glass reduces contrast and negatively impacts the experience of low‑vision users. As I saw in the comments section of the survey, even when you activate dark mode, the transparent effects of Liquid Glass remain in system apps such as the keyboard. Lastly, for me, one of the most striking point of the survey: “Many participants called on Apple to prioritize fixing bugs over adding new features.”
In Nigeria, government websites should be accessible in accordance with guidelines issued by the national agency. However, a journalism foundation tested disability‑related websites and found that the regulations are not being applied. The foundation used Google Lighthouse and WAVE automation to detect issues and obtain scores. Regarding the methodology, the article does not present anything particularly different or inspiring. The important point is that the foundation conducted the study. They are not solely a disability‑focused organization, their main focus is journalism. So, seeing an accessibility study from a non‑disability organization makes me happy.
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency that supports federal agencies in the United States. GSA recently published a report on federal agencies’ Section 508 compliance status and found that the alignment score is 1.96 on a 5‑point scale. This low rating stems from a lack of usability testing, infrequent accessibility audits, and insufficient accessibility checks before deploying resources to websites. As a result, compliance is inconsistent. GSA recommends incorporating accessibility into risk‑management systems, defining concrete compliance metrics, and mainstreaming accessibility in the procurement process. Additionally, Section 508 compliance should be clarified and made stricter by Congress.
The Agency for Digital Italy published its official guidelines and makes European Accessibility Act implementation real. The guidelines do not say different things from EN 301 549 standards and the official European Accessibility Act text. The important point is that AgID's reporting portal is live now and consumers can file a complaint. Penalties range from €2,500 to €40,000. However, I saw a login option with citizen ID in the portal. So, a question: As a person with disabilities and not a citizen of Italy, can't I file a complaint as well? For example, if I am trying to buy a flight ticket from an Italian airline company and encounter an accessibility issue, I would want to file it
As a digital form of cash, the digital euro will provide more secure, private, and free transactions. It will also create a unified payment market across Europe. The pilot phase is set to begin in 2027. The European Central Bank aims to make all aspects of the digital euro accessible. The card will have some tactile features, and the app will be born-accessible, especially with the support of ONCE Foundation. This “born-accessible” method, along with partnerships and a comprehensive approach to financial inclusion, excites me. Waiting for the updates.
Copying directly from the text: “On the web, math is made accessible to users with disabilities via MathML technology. Until very recently, math in PDF wasn’t accessible to those users, who had to make do with unstructured, alternative text descriptions of mathematical formulae that cannot be represented using braille math codes. Today, math in PDF 2.0 is finally fully accessible”. Great update for inclusive STEM!
A new working draft of WCAG 3 has been released and is open for feedback. You can review the draft and comment on user needs that are not covered, the structure of the standards, assertions, and the conformance model via GitHub. Creating an issue in GitHub as WCAG 3 feedback is very easy. You just need to click the link that is shared on the draft, sign in and click “New Issue”. I've started to look at the standards and have created two issues related to the needs of people with low vision.
I read a lot of news on disability inclusive reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine before. A newly released UNDP report shows us a concrete step for that. According to the report “The number of government websites with a high level of basic accessibility has increased more than four times over the year”. They made this progress under Russian invasion, in a crisis situation. So, Ukraine shows us that accessibility can be prioritized when you want to prioritize it. After now, I will not accept “this is not our priority” argument.
The RGAA is a French accessibility standard based on WCAG, and a new version is set to be released at the end of 2026. The new version will bring broader coverage beyond websites, alignment with WCAG 2.2, simplification of the language, and a stronger legal framework with a designated authority and an online service for tracking accessibility statements. I am excited about RGAA 5 because I have been trying to use the WCAG2ICT document to implement WCAG criteria in mobile apps, but it doesn't really work. Additionally, we need a detailed framework like this in Turkey.
The ADA Title II rule requires state and local government agencies to make digital products accessible, and the deadline is approaching. However, something is happening. Let's start with the definition of an Interim Final Rule. It is a federal regulation that becomes effective immediately upon publication, bypassing the standard prior notice-and-comment process (For Turkish readers: similar to 'Kanun Hükmünde Kararname', as I understand). The Department of Justice has sent an "Interim Final Rule". We do not know what is in those revisions because it is not public. However, this makes it possible that the Department of Justice could change the Title II web and mobile accessibility rule before the upcoming April 24, 2026 deadline. Using legal instruments against accessibility? No words to say.
Another frightening legal update from the U.S. The proposed act suggests extra administrative steps for users to file a lawsuit over an inaccessible consumer-facing website or mobile app. You have to first inform the business and then wait for the administrative review. So, businesses will have ample time to remediate accessibility issues. This may create a barrier for 'born-accessible' products because a business will have the opportunity to wait until they receive an accessibility notice from a user. The proposed act aims to do this by amending the ADA. Ken Nakata mentions that: "Past attempts to build in administrative burdens into the ADA have failed, and there's no reason to think that this effort won't fail as well. Disability advocates need to stay alert, however."
While the ADA Title II April deadline is rapidly approaching, the Massachusetts State Government has published a digital accessibility strategic plan. The planning phase began in 2023, and the plan outlines their journey and goals from 2024 to 2027. The plan comprises 13 strategies under 6 main goals, ranging from procurement to training. Given that it also includes valuable external links, such as the state's accessible design system and procurement policy, the plan appears to be a valuable resource not only for government agencies but also for large private sector organizations. This plan provides a clear summary of what needs to be done, prioritized, and when.
Copying from the campaign text: “The issue at hand is YouTube's decision to place the "lyrics" feature behind a paywall as part of their premium service. This means that a significant portion of the population—specifically those who are deaf or hard of hearing—are unable to access a fundamental aspect of the music experience that we often take for granted. Lyrics aren't just words to a song. They convey emotions, stories, and messages that can change and uplift one's spirit.” Accessibility should not be a premium feature, it is a human right. So, please support the campaign.
It is approved that UN would not be providing International Sign interpretation and live captioning in its meeting until further notice due to widening financial gap caused mainly by the US, but also by other states failing to pay their dues on time. So, as persons working in the field of accessibility field, there is no organization that we can fully trust. We have to be creative all the time. May be this decision creates ways for AI and sign language intersection. I know that AI supported sign language interpreters are useless most of the time but I am hopeful.
New caption and audio description requirements for streaming platforms from India. “Platforms have up to thirty six months to ensure that all newly released content carries accessibility features.” Rules also covers accessibility of streaming platform’s website or app. Monitoring will be based on viewer complaints, which must first be submitted to the streaming platform. If the issue is not resolved, a complaint can then be filed to the self-regulatory body and, finally, government. Personally, I am not a fan of this monitoring approach. Given that there is a clear standard and platforms are informed of their responsibilities, I believe it is unnecessary for viewers to have to track the status of their complaints and contact multiple institutions. This kind of three-tier compliant systems put so much responsibility to individuals and time consuming for accessibility.
WCAG 3 proposes a significant change in structure and framework of the WCAG. The Working Group is aware of this, so WCAG 3 will be discussed and feedback will be collected over the next 4 years. After it reaches to its Candidate Recommendation status, we will need at least another year. In the age of rapidly emerging technology, I don’t know whether this slowness will answer the changing needs or not.
In Korea, accessibility regulations for self-service kiosks are in force. There are exemptions for small-business operators but this does not mean ‘you don’t have to do something’. Their self-service kiosks may not be accessible but they must install a bell to call staff. A good example of reasonable accommodation. On the other hand, according to the article, few store owners are aware of the regulations. We feel you dear Korean accessibility guys dealing with awareness deficiencies.
In the US, public entities will have to meet new digital accessibility requirements under ADA Title 2. “According to the data, only 14% of respondents said their districts have completed or nearly completed required updates, and fewer than half (46%) said digital accessibility is a high priority within their district.” Nearly all respondents stated a need for staff and training. In the Trump era, with resources are restricted, I don’t know how it can be handled.
A controversial legal update from the US. The Missouri Chamber is trying to build a balance between right to equal access and small businesses with limited capacity. To protect them from abusive lawsuits, that means “targeting minor technical issues instead of advancing meaningful accessibility”, businesses will have more time to correct issues or opportunity to counter-sue.
I wasn’t at the festival but it seems like there were some good steps for accessibility. Closed captions and American Sign Language interpretation is available for each film and screenings. On the other hand, there is a decrease in number of films with audio description compared to last two years. Hope for better next year, may be with the help of AI.
HTTP Archive’s annual state of the web report was released and Chapter 6 is on accessibility. The study “is similar to that of the WebAim Million but with differences in sites crawled and analysis tools used.” The average accessibility score is 1 point higher than last year (not an important update for me) and the most common accessibility issues are not surprising: Color contrast, link naming, heading hierarchy, and image alt text. Overlay usage has increased but not as much as last year. So, rise of the overlays are slowing - happy about that. You can look at the report’s conclusion part for a great summary.
