Accessibility Events in December 2025
#EveryoneIncluded
If you know of any other events happening in the online or offline accessibility, disability inclusion space, email them to me by replying to this newsletter or add them as a comment on Substack.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Get your purple outfits ready for the Positively Purple Campaign. December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme “Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress.”
The Doha Political Declaration reminds the global community that advancing social development is impossible without the full inclusion, participation and leadership of persons with disabilities. Yet, in every region, persons with disabilities continue to face persistent barriers:
Higher risks of poverty
Limited access to decent work and lower wages
Gaps in social protection, especially for those in the informal sector
Barriers to autonomy, dignity and agency within care and support systems
Unequal access to assistive technologies and accessible environments
Use #DisabilityDay and #IDPD as the main hashtags for the day, alongside #EveryoneIncluded, #GlobalGoals and #CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)
Online Events
European Parliament Disability Rights Week
From 1 to 5 December 2025, the European Parliament will host its Third Disability Rights Week. This high-level week brings disability issues into focus. Parliamentarians join other policymakers and civil society to review progress and ensure disability rights remain a focus in the EU’s policy and administrative areas.
Bridging the Mobile Disability Gap: advancing access and use of mobile as assistive technology
Dec 4, 2025 10:00 AM GMT
In this session, leading researchers from GMSA and the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) will share in-depth insights, ranging from the Mobile Disability Gap to evidence on the use of mobile devices as assistive technologies. From the micro to the macro, we’ll examine the data and evidence, showcasing new research on the application of this technology and its mechanisms to amplify impact globally.
WordPress Accessibility Meetup: Live Website Remediation with Brian Coords
Thursday, 4th December, 05:00 PM CET
A special hands-on edition of the WordPress Accessibility Meetup! In this session, Amber Hinds will team up with Brian Coords, Developer Advocate at WooCommerce, to perform live accessibility remediation on a real WordPress website.
Cognitive accessibility in digital interfaces
Friday, 5th of December, 1:30 PM CET
Digital services are becoming increasingly complex, and many people find them difficult to understand and use. In an ongoing project, funded by the Swedish Inheritance Fund, Funka Foundation is working with users to highlight cognitive barriers on the web and identify possible solutions.
The State of Digital Accessibility: What’s Holding Teams Back and How to Move Forward in 2026
Monday, 9th December, 1:00 PM ET
If you’re planning your 2026 accessibility strategy, this is the data you need. The survey of more than 1,600 professionals reveals the most critical gaps limiting progress, and how leading organizations are closing them.
Sight Tech Global
Monday-Tuesday, 9th-10th of December, 2025
Sight Tech Global is the first global, virtual conference dedicated to fostering discussion among technology pioneers on how rapid advances in AI and related technologies will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility.
Accessible by Design: Building Better from the Start
Thursday, 11th of December, 4:00 PM UK Time
Too often, accessibility is treated as something to be done in code or fixed during testing. But by then, it’s usually too late, too costly, and too inefficient to deliver well. True accessibility begins much earlier - in the tools we use in design, how we choose components, and how inclusive practices are embedded across the entire delivery pipeline.
Access Amplified
Wed, Dec 17, 2025 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM MST
Access Amplified™ is a free virtual half-day event hosted by The University of Phoenix. It takes place on Wed, Dec 17, 2025 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM MST.
Schedule
9:00 am –10:20 am (AZ) | Opening Keynote
Continuous AI for Accessibility (Ed Summers, Head of Accessibility, GitHub)
10:30 am –11:30 am (AZ) | Breakout Sessions
Practical Accessibility Mechanics (Sara Soueidan, Inclusive UI Engineer / Frontend Developer)
Accurate ARIA Integration: How HTML, CSS, JavaScript and ARIA Work Together (Jon Farrell, Software Technical Lead, Perkins School for the Blind)
Strategies that Reshape Digital Experiences (Panel Discussion)
11:40 am – 1:00 pm (AZ) | Closing Keynote
What Can We Do Today so that We’re Not Doing the Same Thing in 20 Years? (Karl Groves, Digital Accessibility Consultant & Founder, AFixt)
Hybrid
European Day of Persons with Disabilities Conference 2025
Thursday 4 December 09:00 - Friday 5 December 13:00
This year, the conference will explore the path toward a fair, resilient, and inclusive Union through three strategic panels, each addressing the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the rights and daily realities of persons with disabilities.
Panel 1: Forging Ahead: The Next Chapter in Implementing the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030
Panel 2: Funding the Union of Equality: towards a Disability-Inclusive EU budget
Panel 3: Preparedness and Crisis Management inclusive of Persons with Disabilities
On the second day, the conference will start with the Access City Award 2026 ceremony, where the winner of the 2026 Access City Award will be revealed, along with the runners-up and Special Mentions. This year, the Commission intends to award a Special Mention on Accessibility in Housing.
Pop-up! Emergency Preparedness
Thursday, December 4, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm PT
The EPrep team from the SF Community Living Campaign will be providing information on preparing for Emergencies: power outages, earthquakes, climate change, and medical events. Please come visit Mark and Paul to find out how to prepare for these events. Let’s stay safe! ASL is available for in-person (we can provide it virtually too, with a little warning!). Join in person or online.
In Person
Front-end Graz Meetup #8
Tuesday, 2nd of December, 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM CET
Front-end Graz, formerly CSS-in-Graz, is a meet-up for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript enthusiasts. You can expect fascinating presentations, engaging conversations with lovely people, and free drinks and snacks.
[Tokyo] #SYNC25 Valuable 500 Accountability Summit
フェアモント東京（BLUE FRONT SHIBAURA内）東京都港区芝浦1-1-1
2025年12月3日(水) 9:30〜19:00 （予定）
Valuable 500アイコニックパートナー企業、次世代障害者リーダーなどによりトークセッションやディスカッションを行います。テーマは、近年障害者活躍において重要テーマとされている、リーダーシップ/次世代リーダーのリプリゼンテーション（代表制・表現)/レポーティング（情報開示・報告）を中心に、ランチ・ネットワークセッションもございます。
2025年12月4日(木) 9:30〜16:30 （予定）
テーマは、企業価値向上とイノベーション/人的資本経営におけるDE&I/カスタマーエクスペリエンス/進化する世界のビジネス事例／世界における障害者法の展望などを予定。グローバルでの実践者たちからの事例や知恵の共有のほか、日本における障害者インクルージョンの取り組みも紹介、ランチ・ネットワークセッションもございます。