When I started organizing accessibility (a11y) events a year ago, it was just a small webinar series (a11y webinar series). I wanted to bring people together, share knowledge, and show that inclusive design is not a niche topic—it’s the foundation of better digital experiences.
Almost a year later, I’ve hosted monthly sessions, invited experts from different backgrounds, and learned a lot about what it takes to make accessibility events engaging, inclusive, and impactful. Now, I’m taking the next step: hosting my biggest hybrid event yet—World Usability Day Vienna 2025.
What I learned in under one year of organizing a11y events
1. Consistency matters.
People show up when you keep showing up. A regular cadence builds trust and community. In the first few events, there will always be some dropouts. But the 20 people who stick around? They’ll stay until the very end. And that loyal core makes it worth continuing, because consistency builds community.
2. Accessibility is in the details.
At the beginning of every webinar, I always did a bit of housekeeping: showing participants how to turn on captions, where to find the recordings, slides, and uploaded transcripts. I reminded participants that they could ask anything related to accessibility—not just about that day’s topic—and even submit questions anonymously through the Q&A section, in English, German, or Japanese. These practices may seem small, but together they created a more inclusive and welcoming experience where everyone could fully participate.
3. Collaboration makes events better.
Reaching out to people in design, development, assistive tech, and academia created richer discussions than I could have planned alone.
4. Technology is an enabler—but only when chosen thoughtfully.
Accessibility-first tools (like live captioning, screen-reader-friendly platforms, and reliable streaming) make or break the experience for attendees.
From a webinar series to a world movement
This November, I’m joining the global celebration of World Usability Day with a hybrid event in Vienna. The theme this year is “Emerging Technology and Human Experience”—a perfect fit for the tools and ideas I’ve been exploring.
Here’s how I am making it work:
- Hybrid setup with Logitech 360° cameras → so online participants feel in the room.
- Streaming live on YouTube → open to everyone, no matter where they are.
- Microsoft live translation → making English talks accessible to German-speaking audiences (and beyond).
- In-person evening program → featuring voices from augmented reality, hardware innovation, and software design, showing the full spectrum of usability in practice.
It’s both exciting and a little intimidating, but it feels like the right next step: taking accessibility events beyond a niche circle and into a global conversation about usability, inclusion, and tech for humans.
Why this matters
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance checklists—it’s about people, dignity, and creating experiences that everyone can be part of. Organizing these events has shown me that when we connect across borders and disciplines, we create momentum for change.
By joining World Usability Day, I hope to not only amplify that message but also show that Vienna can be part of a worldwide accessibility and usability movement.
👉 If you’re curious, you can join us online via the live stream here: wud.accessibilityfirst.at
Let’s keep building technology that works for everyone.
Stay up2date with a11y events by subscribing to the A11y News Newsletter.
Top comments (1)
Point 1. Consistency is so much harder than it sounds. Seeing the sign-up numbers dwindling at first is a hard hit to motivation.