Using Artificial Intelligence To Enhance Accessibility – Opportunities And Risks Of Emerging Technologies For Persons With Disabilities. Vienna, Austria

On 16 November, the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Austrian council of persons with disabilities will organise a side event to fully explore the potential of emerging technologies. The event will focus in technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and aims to debate and promote a universal design approach in their development, preventing the creation of new barriers for persons with disabilities.

It will be a unique opportunity for delegates and experts of the European disability movement to exchange their views with major technological companies, get to know their AI-based solutions and brainstorm together about the future of accessibility.

Goals of the event

• Present and disseminate a new report on emerging technologies describing the opportunities, challenges and risks that these new technologies may entail for persons with disabilities, in which several ICT players have contributed with interviews.
• Supporting organisations of persons with disabilities (DPOs) in being aware of the main technology trends and how these can affect the lives of persons with disabilities.
• Develop understanding of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Virtual Reality, Smart Homes, etc. and how these emerging technologies can be made accessible and enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities.
• To showcase worth-knowing solutions and practices that could be picked up by OPDs and persons with disabilities, and ICT companies and organisations to receive feedback from persons with disabilities on those solutions and practices.
• To facilitate networking between OPDs and ICT companies and organisations.

This side event is organised with the support of Microsoft, the Essl Foundation and MyHandicap.org.

The draft program and further information will follow shortly on the EDF website.