The Original Canadian AT Conference Returns
The Original Canadian AT Conference Returns
NOAT 2026: educATe and integrATe
NOAT 2026: educATe and integrATe
February 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2026 - 9am-3pm (EST)
Embedded Files
How AI can allow us to approach accessibility completely differently - less effort and 3000% better coverage
How AI can allow us to approach accessibility completely differently - less effort and 3000% better coverage
Presenter: Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Presenter: Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Scheduled: Day Two - Thursday, February 5, 2026 -9:05am to 9:50am Eastern
Scheduled: Day Two - Thursday, February 5, 2026 -9:05am to 9:50am Eastern
Accessibility has always played catch-up to the detriment of people with disabilities - and this appears to be exacerbated by the rapid advancements in technology. This presentation will describe an alternate approach to accessibility based on newly emerging technologies that can, for the first time, include individuals with cognitive, language, and learning disabilities as thoroughly as we do other disabilities, increase the types, degrees, and combinations of disability that can be addressed from 60-80% to near 100% and increase the percentage of products that are accessible in practice from 3-8% to 90-95%, while greatly decreasing the effort needed by industry - making it both possible and practical. It would take a collaborative effort and the steps to achieve it as well as the parts needed to be played by consumers and different professionals will be discussed.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
The low percentage of both types, degrees, and combinations of disability that are covered today and the very low percentage of product that are accessible,
The ways that advancing technologies can allow inclusion of people cognitive, language, and learning disabilities and multiple disabilities, and
Strategies for changing what is possible in the not distant future.
Dr. Vanderheiden is the founder of the Trace Center, Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Maryland, and co-founder of non-profit Raising the Floor. He has been active in the field of technology and disability for over 54 years and was a pioneer in the field of Augmentative Communication (a term originating from his writings), assistive technology, and computer access. Access features developed by Dr. Vanderheiden and the Trace Center team can be found in every computer and mobile device internationally (Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux) as well as kiosks, ticket machines, and more. He has also been a long-time leader in the area of web accessibility, creating the first set of Web Accessibility guidelines in 1995 and co-chairing the WCAG 1.0 and 2.0 Working Groups through 2013. His most recent work has focused on Morphic, AT on-Demand, and proposing a completely different way to approach accessibility for next-next generation ICT.
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