Event

AI and accessibility skills: building the accessibility professional of the future

A collaborative workshop exploring the future of accessibility work and skills development in the context of Artificial Intelligence

  • 4.5 hours
  • Free

This event will be held on

  • 27 June 2025

    • In person
    • 12:00 – 16:30
    Book now

About

The workshop will commence with a working lunch (afternoon tea). While the formal programme ends at 4:30, the facilitators invite anyone who wishes to continue the conversation to stay and chat until 5.

Changing customer needs, regulations (in the UK and overseas) and organisational culture means that workers of the future will need to be confident in ensuring digital products and content are accessible to all, inclusive of disabled people. This requires accessibility skills, developed through professional training, workplace learning and academic study to ensure accessible futures.

AI enabled tools are promising time-saving and scalable solutions for areas including design, coding, captioning, auditing, testing and remediation, and we anticipate that this industry is only set to expand. 

This half day in-person workshop is an opportunity to focus on the nature of accessibility work and workflows, and how these are changing in the context of AI.

It will provide an opportunity to engage with leading researchers and guest speakers, and join with a diverse group for discussion, to share knowledge and insights around leading practice, and to enjoy some collaborative deep-thinking time. As a group, we will work to understand and map:

  • How AI is influencing the essential skill set of accessibility professionals
  • How accessibility expertise can or should be developed in view of these changes

This workshop is part of the UKRI-funded project, Teaching Accessibility in The Digital Skill Set, led by Dr Sarah Lewthwaite at the University of Southampton and supported by Jisc.

Who should attend

  • Academics focused on the future of work
  • Accessibility professionals
  • Legal and regulatory advisers
  • Policy makers and influencers in technology and innovation
  • Representatives from disabled people’s organisations
  • Researchers in AI and accessibility
  • Tech industry representatives

Contact

For further information, please contact events@jisc.ac.uk.