For more information:
Program Director:
- Francesca Cesa Bianchi
VP, Institutional Relations & Advocacy, G3ict
fcesabianchi@g3ict.org
A new generation of chips is now available that allows users to run AI applications on their devices. The round table will discuss their potential transformative impact on applications and services for persons with disabilities and how AI on-device may enhance personalization, improve response time, and contribute to addressing ethics, privacy, and security concerns. [Audience Poll]
Moderator: Gregg Vanderheiden, Ph.D., Professor and Founder/Director Emeritus- Trace R&D Center, College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool), University of Maryland
Speakers:
With Peter Korn, Director of Accessibility, Amazon's Devices & Services.
Moderated by Gregg Vanderheiden, Ph.D., Professor and Founder/Director Emeritus- Trace R&D Center, College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool), University of Maryland
Swing by the Photo Booth in the Showcase Area to get your conference headshots taken.
Speaker: Arielle Silverman, Ph.D., Director of Research, American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
Equitable and ethical use of AI technologies remains high on the agenda of advocates, technology companies, and policymakers participating in the M-Enabling Summit. The round table will provide fresh updates and perspectives from around the world and discuss solutions. [Audience Poll]
Moderator: Jutta Treviranus, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Inclusive Design Research Centre and Institute, OCAD University (remote)
Speakers:
Speaker: Paolo Gaudiano, founder of Aleria, a diversity, equity and inclusion tech company and ARC, a nonprofit focused on DEI research. Adjunct at NYU Stern School of Business and chair of the annual D&I Research Conference. With advanced degrees in aerospace engineering and neuroscience, Paolo likes to joke that he had already done rocket science and brain surgery before turning to a complex problem: How to convince business leaders that they can make more money by creating more inclusive organizations.
Swing by the Photo Booth in the Showcase Area to get your conference headshots taken.
Digital Health services are multiplying, driven by telehealth and telemedicine, remote monitoring, wearable technology, and mobile health. Other aspects of the digital health sector include electronic health records and electronic medical records. This session will review the evolution and implementation of latest accessibility solutions and standards in the digital health sector.
Session Chair: Catherine Pugh, Director, Digital Health, Consumer Technology Association, producer of CES®
Speakers:
With Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Director, Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives, Apple Inc.
Moderated by Gregg Vanderheiden, Ph.D., Professor and Founder/Director Emeritus- Trace R&D Center, College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool), University of Maryland
This session will examine how smart wearable devices available over the counter, such as watches, hearing aids, glasses, belts or headbands, fitness trackers, and even smart clothing, can customize users’ experiences, provide personalized support to persons with disabilities, and tailor assistance for greater independence. A discussion of the convergence of AI enabled apps for mobile and wearable devices will ensue.
Session Chair: Susan Mazrui, Director, Global Public Policy, AT&T
Speakers:
In a rapidly evolving world where diversity is celebrated, enterprises face a critical imperative: ensuring that their communications are accessible to all. Whether you represent a Fortune 100 company, a government agency, or a small business, the ability to reach every audience member, regardless of ability, is non-negotiable. During this session, we'll embark on a journey through various communication modalities, unveiling the most effective practices to ensure universal accessibility. From digital platforms to traditional print media, we'll discuss pragmatic solutions for every budget and organizational scale.
Join us for a fast-moving experience that will:
Presenter: Ligia Mora, Senior Product Manager, Crawford Technologies
In 2023 Congress created a new governmentwide Section 508 Assessment and reporting process as part of the 2023 Appropriations Act (see 29 USC 794d-1 Pub. L. No: 117-328 (2023). This new Report to Congress, further reiterated in the OMB M-24-08 Strengthening Digital Accessibility and the Management of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (whitehouse.gov), created a significantly new and expanded Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment process for agencies beginning in FY23. GSA has completed one round of reporting, and is working on the next- How is this going?
Session Chair: Alison Sutton Levy, Director, Office of Technical and Information Services, U.S. Access Board
Speakers:
Livestreamed short interviews from the "M-Enabling Global Studio" (limited seating).
Onsite & Virtual Participation Guidelines and Overall Programming Schedule
The recent flurry of accessibility initiatives among leading consumer product companies is a milestone of global significance. This session will explore the objectives and inclusive design approaches these vendors adopt.
Session Chair: Rachel Sanford Nemeth, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs, Consumer Technology Association, producer of CES®
Speakers:
A review of state-of-the-art AI-enabled technologies that allow scaling up video accessibility, including users’ perspectives.
Session Chair: Joel Snyder, Ph.D., President, Audio Description Associates, LLC
Speakers:
Several areas of technology innovation are converging that can vastly improve the accessibility of transportation for persons with disabilities such as accessible digital mapping, spectrum optimization, AI applications and new features of autonomous vehicles. This session will review how those innovations enable new solutions, which stakeholders can support them and discuss ways to promote their adoption.
Session Chair: Zachary Bastian, Senior Manager, Strategic Alliances, Verizon
Speakers:
This session will provide a high-level overview of the latest accessibility features and initiatives from Google. This will include updates on products and services such as Android, Chrome, and Chromebook.
Presenter: Eric Hind, Accessibility @ Google Workspace
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the White House released "M-24-08 Strengthening Digital Accessibility and the Management of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act" (whitehouse.gov). It directs: Within one year, GSA, in consultation with the U.S. Access Board, will explore options for establishing a standardized accessibility conformance reporting process for government procurement of ICT, which should include a central repository of vendor accessibility conformance reports. In this session GSA, U.S. Access Board, and HHS Accessibility Program Officials will detail the process to date on this challenge.
Session Chair: Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)
Speakers:
Livestreamed short interviews from the "M-Enabling Global Studio" (limited seating).
Onsite & Virtual Participation Guidelines and Overall Programming Schedule
Swing by the Photo Booth in the Showcase Area to get your conference headshots taken.
This session will offer perspectives from accessibility professionals on AI tools for developers, how they may be best implemented, and what to expect from proprietary and open-source solutions.
Session Chair: Shilpi Kapoor, Founder and CEO, BarrierBreak
Speakers:
A review and discussion between end users and technology providers of how AI-enabled assistive technologies can better serve persons with disabilities by enabling personalized features and services.
Session Chair: David Banes, Director, DB Access & Inclusion; DATEurope Board Director
Speakers:
Over the past few years, the adoption of technology by older persons has progressed exponentially, mainly due to the success of mobile devices. The session will explore opportunities and solutions for older adults and their intersectionality with digital accessibility.
Session Chair: Frances West, Founder, FrancesWestCo.
Speakers:
In this session you will learn how to help people put their mindset into the world inhabited by persons with disabilities, give them answers to the why questions, educate them on the internal and external facing business reasons for digital accessibility, show them how to integrate digital accessibility into products from design through release and beyond, and finally, explain the quantifiable benefits of implementing digital accessibility. You will come out of this session with a road map to guide you in creating a digital accessibility story that makes sense for business stakeholders.
Presenter: Glenn Barfield, Accessibility as a Service (AcaaS) Program Manager, HCLTech
A review and discussion of inclusive AI tools for HR management and hiring by leading organizations.
Session Chair: Jacque Madison, Director of Product Accessibility - Digital Experience, Accenture
Speakers:
Livestreamed short interviews from the "M-Enabling Global Studio" (limited seating).
Onsite & Virtual Participation Guidelines and Overall Programming Schedule
Round Table
UN Pact for the Future: Why International Cooperation in Digital Accessibility Matters
In September 2024, the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly will adopt the Pact for the Future. This pact reaffirms the UN Charter and paves the way for international cooperation to strengthen existing commitments, including human rights treaties like the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It also provides a blueprint for collaboration in sciences, innovation, and digital technologies. Discussants will outline how the Pact for the Future and its annex, the Global Digital Compact, create new opportunities to advance digital accessibility worldwide.
Swing by the Photo Booth in the Showcase Area to get your conference headshots taken.
Mark your calendar!
2024 M-Enabling Summit: October 15-17.