This Week in Accessibility

March 20, 2026

Articles/Reports/Books 

• ADA Mini-Unit for High School Educators: Rights, Responsibilities, and the Reasons They Matter (ADA National Network). The “ADA Mini-Unit for High School Educators: Rights, Responsibilities, and the Reasons They Matter” is a collection of resources to give educators tools, including a PowerPoint presentation, to teach youth about the basics of the ADA. The presentation is not intended to be a complete summary of the ADA. Instead, the presentation puts the law into historical and social context as well as helps students understand some of their rights. The goal is to help students be informed as they transition out of high school and into the next phase of their lives. 
• Much of the government’s technology isn’t accessible, internal report finds (NextGov FCW). Just over a third of the government’s most-viewed websites met legal requirements that they be accessible for people with disabilities. Nearly 30 years after Congress put accessibility requirements for government technology into law, much of the federal government’s technology still isn’t fully meeting accessibility standards. Less than 40% of the government’s most-viewed public webpages are fully accessible, according to a new report by the General Services Administration. 
• What It Would Take to Map Every Sidewalk In Your State (StreetsBlog USA). States and tech companies keep detailed records of virtually every driving lane in America — but not every sidewalk. Until now. Washington State is on the brink of completing America's first comprehensive, statewide inventory of every single sidewalk and pedestrian path within its borders — and along with it, a collection of tools that make it easy for transportation professionals and every day travelers to see exactly where those paths fall short. But why did it take any American state so long to create something like this, even in an era of Google Maps and ubiquitous AI?  
• Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act (U.S. Government Accountability Office). Over 500,000 people with disabilities were unemployed and actively looking for work each year from 2021-2024. Job seekers with disabilities may need accommodations—such as assistive technology—to access Department of Labor-funded employment and training programs at job centers. However, we found that job seekers may not be able to access needed services—such as sign language interpreters—in some areas. Also, while DOL monitors its programs and provides accessibility guidance to job centers, it doesn't routinely analyze its monitoring results or evaluate the use of its guidance. 
• Crip Campus Podcast (EWUDisabilityAccess Youtube). Crip Campus is a very serious, light-hearted podcast centered around disability and access in higher education. The two hosts, Cindy Nover and Ryan Parrey are instructors at Eastern Washington University and have a lot to say about these very important and pertinent topics in today's world. 
• Is It Aging, or Is It ADHD? (The Atlantic). Realizing that your brain is slowing down can be jarring. After the age of, say, 45, anyone might start forgetting names, misplacing items, or struggling to pay attention, and the onset of such symptoms can often prompt a visit to a doctor, if only to confirm a patient’s hunch that the passage of time is to blame. Yet, as ever more of the United States’ aging population enters the “What’s happening to my brain?” stage of life, many patients are asking a new question, providers told me: Am I just getting old, or do I have ADHD? 

Webinars/Events/Other 

• “Accessibility and the Ballot” Explores Challenges Faced by Disabled Voters (Disability Belongs): Recording. The new short documentary film Accessibility and the Ballot explores the experiences of voters with disabilities, the barriers they face, and the steps we can all take as community members, voters, and election officials to ensure that voting is truly accessible for everyone. Accessibility and the Ballot was featured during a block with open-captioned short films and was free to attend. The short documentary was also part of the Cleveland Votes Film Series, Voting in the Land, which educates viewers about the unrepresented voices whose votes matter in the Cleveland area. 
• Announcing 2026 OurCS: Women in Tech (Carnegie Mellon University): October 15-18, 2026, Apply by May 1st. OurCS is a three-day, research-focused workshop at Carnegie Mellon University. It provides opportunities for undergraduates to work on exploratory problems in teams led by researchers from industry, academia and other computing related domains. The School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University is excited to host OurCS: Women in Tech in the fall of 2026. Programming details are coming soon. The application deadline is May 1. Apply today! 
• Be A Digital Ally (Knowbility). Be A Digital Ally is a free monthly series that covers the basic skills and principles of accessible digital design. It is meant for people who regularly interact with and create digital content and may be newer to accessibility. 
• Book Chat with author Rua Williams: Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We are Wrong about AI (AccessComputing): Recording. A live Q&A with Rua M Williams, author of Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We are Wrong about AI. Hear directly from the author and join the conversation about AI, disability, and the social impacts of emerging technologies. 
• From Architect to Systems Builder: Designing Inclusion in Difficult Context (Institute for Human Centered Design): Tuesday, Mar 31 from 9 am to 11 am PDT Online. This webcast traces Iris Popescu's journey from architect to systems builder through the effort to advance inclusive design in Romania, a context where laws, strategies, and funding exist on paper, yet accessibility remains deeply inadequate in practice. Starting from a personal turning point that led to founding AMAIS more than a decade ago, the talk explores how meaningful inclusion depends not only on design, but on a wider ecosystem of institutions, education, resources, community trust, and advocacy. 
• John Slatin AccessU 2026 (Knowbility): May 11 - 14, 2026. Join us from May 11-14, 2026, for the only hands-on, hybrid accessibility training conference where tech professionals, content creators, policymakers, and advocates come together for deep learning in accessible digital design. Options are available to attend in person in Austin, TX, or virtually.  
• 'Navigating Challenges in Conducting Research with Disabled Communities' Workshop – https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=VeArfoqCI0W15bd62ZOXhRAmFDBqzW9GpRf9ScynEEVUQkdDSEpGN0ZXWEdESkNDTTMxTlRJTFhINi4u&route=shorturl 
• Neurodivergent & Queer (LGBTQ Leaders in Higher Education): March 27, 2026: 9 – 10 am PT. In a world that often demands conformity, being both neurodivergent and queer is a radical act of authenticity. This powerful session weaves storytelling, research, and reflection to explore the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and neurodiversity. This session invites participants to reimagine inclusion, not as a checkbox, but as a lived, affirming experience. 
• Panel on "Neurodiversity in Mathematics: Personal Reflections and Inclusive Futures" (Relatorium): Recorded. While our society does value the numerous scientific contributions of neurodivergent scholars, it has a tendency to do so by putting them on a pedestal, by stereotyping them as something akin to a "mad genius". From the point of view of disability advocacy within mathematical practice, it is important to create an approach that celebrates neurodiversity without putting it on an unrealistic pedestal. Our dialogue aims to celebrate neurodiversity in mathematics, while being mindful about identifying the barriers to entry that many neurodivergent people face, so that we can work toward a vision of future mathematical practice that is more inclusive and less ableist. 
• Stanford Neurodiversity Summit (Stanford): September 19-21, 2026. Welcome to the Stanford Neurodiversity Project. We are holding our sixth annual Stanford Neurodiversity Summit from September 19-21, 2026. The theme of this year's summit is “Building Strengths through Neurodiversity Community Innovation”. This hybrid summit is a unique conference bringing together neurodivergent individuals, employers, service agencies, educators and students, parents, and professionals from all areas of the field. 
• The Call for Proposals for AHG 2026 is Now Open (Accessing Higher Ground): Due April 29th 2026. You can use this Word document to prepare your answers for this form or you can view all the information required in this 1-page HTML version of the form (this is not a fillable form). Please do not send the Word document as your proposal. You can also save your in-process proposal with the form below and return to it later. 
• The Resilient Scientist: Tools for Thriving in Academic and Research Environments - Mondays, 3:00 – 4:30 ET, starting March 30, 2026.  You can choose to attend one or more of the webinars. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. 
• Where Will I Find the Time? A Flexible Ecosystem Approach to Digital Accessibility Training (AccessComputing): Recording. When it comes to digital accessibility training, instructors often ask, “Where will I find time to learn these new skills?” followed by, “Where do I start?” In addition to existing technical support, the answer is to create varied, facilitated learning opportunities to fit busy schedules. In this session, Mary-Colleen will explains the Ecosystem Approach to digital accessibility training and share a flexible training model that helps time-pressed folks answer the big question "Where will I find the time?" 
• Words Matter: Best Practices for Disability-Inclusive Language (Disability Belongs): Apr 2, 2026 10:30 AM PT. Language is powerful, shaping how we think, feel, and act. In this free virtual training from Disability Belongs™, learn how to build language habits that center accuracy, dignity, and respect. We will discuss why disability is not a bad word, tropes to avoid, the differences between person-first and identity-first language, and more. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the training. 
• Considering Intersectionality & Disability Advocacy in STEM  (Society of Women Engineers) Wednesday, March 25 | 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT - Guest Speaker: Dr. Ariel Chasen, University of Texas at Austin - In this seminar, we will share research examining critical disability advocacy in STEM and the ways multiple marginalized identities shape experiences in science and engineering spaces. This talk highlights how accessibility must move beyond compliance to address structural and cultural barriers embedded in laboratories, classrooms, and work environments. Particular attention will be given to research on Black Disabled women in engineering, illuminating how intersecting systems of racism, ableism, and sexism uniquely shape persistence, belonging, and professional identity. We will also discuss current work on science identity and accessibility in lab and field settings, offering actionable insights for creating more equitable and inclusive STEM environments.  
   

March 13, 2026

Webinars and Events 

• 5th Annual Universal Design for Learning Conference for Higher Education (Goodwin University): October 2, 2026. This year’s conference highlights strategies that: Expand learner access and agency, Strengthen personalization and engagement, Leverage AI and digital tools responsibly and thoughtfully, Anticipate and remove barriers before they arise, and Support flexible, multimodal pathways for learning and assessment. 
• Accessible HPC Workshop Series: Researchers and Practitioners with Disabilities (NCSA University of Illinois): March 30 - April 1, 2026 (Tuesday-Thursday) from 10:00 AM CT to 11:30 AM CT. Join us for a comprehensive three-part workshop series designed to introduce researchers and practitioners with disabilities to the NCSA Delta high-performance computing cluster. This hands-on series prioritizes command-line proficiency, clear verbal instruction, and practical problem-solving approaches that work for all users.  
• AFB Webinar — The AI Quagmire: Benefits, Risks, and Aspirations Through a Disability Lens (American Foundation for the Blind): March 25, 2026 12 PM ET. Join us on Wednesday, March 25 at noon ET for a webinar unveiling results from our brand-new national research study—a survey of more than 1,700 Americans exploring how people with and without disabilities use AI, the barriers people with disabilities have encountered, and their hopes and concerns about future AI innovations. Together, we’ll discuss what these results reveal about the disability community’s trust in AI, what they could mean for developers, deployers, and policymakers, how the disability community’s perspectives should shape the future of AI design and governance, and the key research questions that still need answers. 
• Experience Programming in Quorum Professional Development for Teachers (Quorum): June 22nd - 26th, 2026 at UNLV. Join us this summer for the 16th Annual Experience Programming in Quorum (EPIQ 2025). June 22nd - 26th, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This year is all about game creation! We strive to help anyone to be able to learn how to program. By using Quorum at your school, not only you are teaching students valuable programming skills, but also advocating for accessible programming. 
• Imposter Syndrome in Computer Science: A Community-Engaged Conversation (CMD-IT): April 2, 2026 01:00 PM PT. Together, they will explore the realities of imposter syndrome at multiple levels within academia and share strategies that have helped educators, administrators, and students navigate challenges while building confidence and belonging. Participants can expect an interactive experience that encourages open dialogue, shared learning, and practical takeaways to support personal and professional growth. 
• InSightFull: The Ripple Effect of Math Accessibility Updates in Microsoft365 Friday, March 20, 9am Pacific/noon Eastern  - Math accessibility is essential for ‘who gets to be’ in STEM, but math equations are often overlooked or assumed to be irrelevant to disabled students. Blind student Ailee Dixon and STEM educator Sara Shunkwiler share research, stats, and stories behind disability belonging in STEM. Join them for a sometimes-irreverent look at their disability journey from bathroom stalls inaccessible to wheelchairs to equations inaccessible to screen readers. They are joined by Microsoft developer Peter Wu who answered their plea for help and will demonstrate new accessibility updates in Microsoft 365.
• Neurodiversity in Focus: Understanding and Empowering All Minds (National Organization on Disability): March 19, 2026 10:00 AM PT. This session will explore neurodiversity in the workplace, highlighting both the unique strengths and challenges of neurodiverse individuals. Participants will gain practical strategies for fostering inclusion, understanding, and support, and leave equipped to create environments where all minds can thrive. 

Research Studies

• I’m Megan Hofmann, an accessibility researcher at Northeastern University. - My PhD student, Jay Rodolitz, and I are conducting a study on how people meet their access needs at large events such as computing conferences. The study involves a 1-hour Zoom interview with Jay, and you will be compensated with a $50 prepaid Visa gift card. If you are interested in sharing your experiences with these types of events, please consider participating in our study by filling out this consent form and survey.  If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Jay at rodolitz.j@northeastern.edu or me at m.hofmann@northeastern.edu. 
• My name is Sarah Morrison-Smith, and I am part of a research team from Hamilton College, Michigan Technological University, and Purdue University studying the design of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). We are currently seeking adult AAC users to participate in a paid research study exploring how people who use AAC view and experience artificial intelligence (AI). Participation involves a five-week, online, anonymous, text-based discussion forum. We are recruiting AAC users who are 18 years or older and live in the United States. If you are interested in participating, or if you know someone who may be interested, please feel free to share this message and contact mochiresearch@hamilton.edu with any questions. 
   

March 6, 2026

Articles/Reports/Books

• New England Cherishes Its Local Elections. Many Disabled Voters Are Locked Out (Mother Jones). Town meeting days are a New England tradition, most prevalent in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as some towns in Massachusetts and Connecticut. They predate all disability civil rights laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act—which can be painfully clear to disabled people, who face a wide range of often prohibitive access issues when trying to participate, from inaccessible buildings to unsustainably long meetings. 
• Tell the Federal Government Not to Change the Title II Accessibility Regulations (IfLegal). Please remember: whatever happens to this rule the Americans With Disabilities Act will still require websites and mobile apps to be accessible (some resources on that below). Do not let the content of this article slow your efforts to make government website accessible. And never forget the rule is still the rule until it isn’t. 
• What’s Driving the Spike in College Students with Disabilities (New York Times). The number of college students reporting disabilities rose more than 50 percent over the last decade across a wide swath of schools, including at some of the most selective universities in the nation, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. 

Webinars/Events/Other 

• Accessible HPC Workshop Series: Researchers and Practitioners with Disabilities (NCSA): March 30 - April 1, 2026 (Tuesday-Thursday) from 10:00 AM CT to 11:30 AM CT. We are hosting a three-part webinar series designed to introduce research and practitioners with disabilities to NCSA's Delta cluster for high-performance computing from March 30 - April 1. You can see more details at the workshop webpage. 
• Are you a K12 educator who is interested in… Learning more about AI? (INVITE): Application deadline March 17, 2026. We welcome applications from K12 teachers in any subject area for the INVITE AI in K12 Teacher Fellowship Program. Organized by the INVITE AI Institute, this program is intended to support K12 teachers in their efforts to introduce equitable and inclusive AI learning experiences for K12 students. 
• Book Chat with author Rua Williams: Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We are Wrong about AI (AccessComputing): Recording. A live Q&A with Rua M Williams, author of Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We are Wrong about AI. Hear directly from the author and join the conversation about AI, disability, and the social impacts of emerging technologies. 
• CWUAAT: New Frontiers for Inclusion (University of Cambridge): CWUAAT 2027 will be held on 7-9 April 2027 in St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, UK. The CWUAAT (Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology) series has hosted the multidisciplinary dialogue on design for inclusion for 25 years, since 2002. It involves a wide range of disciplines, including design, computer science, engineering, architecture, ergonomics and human factors, policy and gerontology. 
• Experience Programming in Quorum Professional Development for Teachers (Quorum). Join us this summer for the 16th Annual Experience Programming in Quorum (EPIQ 2025). June 22nd - 26th, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This year is all about game creation! 
• GitHub Open Source Assistive Tech Hackathon May 21-22 San Francisco (GitHub). Join us on May 21-22 at our headquarters in San Francisco for an open source assistive technology hackathon. Why? Because assistive technology enables people with disabilities to live, work, learn, and play. We need more of it. It needs to be built by and with people with lived experience. It needs to be affordable. It needs to be adaptable and modifiable. It needs to be open source. 
• How to Build an Audio Description Strategy That Actually Works (3PlayMedia): Wednesday, March 11th at 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT. In the next episode in our Countdown to Compliance Series, we will dive deep dive into audio description requirements, workflows, and publishing options. We’ll break down the legal context, practical implementation strategies, and real-world considerations so you can make informed, defensible decisions about your video accessibility program. 
• Neurodiversity in Focus: Understanding and Empowering All Minds (National Organization on Disability): Mar 19, 2026 10:00 AM PT. This session will explore neurodiversity in the workplace, highlighting both the unique strengths and challenges of neurodiverse individuals. The goal is to foster greater understanding, dispel common misconceptions, and share practical strategies for creating more inclusive environments. 
• Voices of Lime: Insights into life with a traumatic brain injury (Lime): Mar 17, 2026 9 AM PT. Join Lime Connect’s Director of Engagement, Jennifer Grauso, as she moderates a discussion with panelists who are living and working successfully with a traumatic brain injury.  As a person who identifies as having a TBI herself, Jenn is uniquely positioned to lead the conversation around the challenges our panelists experience – and the strategies and accommodations that have helped them succeed.  Through this engaging session, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of traumatic brain injuries as well as ways in which to support individuals on both personal and professional levels. 
   

February 27, 2026

Articles/Reports/Books 

• His Job Is to Make the Subway Accessible. His Own Life Fuels His Work (The New York Times): Quemuel Arroyo, the New York transit system’s chief accessibility officer, has used a wheelchair for half his life. He understands how difficult it is to navigate the subway.
• How Universities Are Shutting Out Disabled Students and Staff (The Walrus): Some administrators treat accommodations as a favour—and those requesting them as problems.
• This is our rhythm: academic becoming and realignment in deaf space (Oxford Academic): Deaf scholars have long worked at the margins of academic institutions not designed for them. Designated deaf academic spaces—where deaf ways of knowing, teaching, and communicating are centered—remain rare. This study explores what becomes possible when such a space exists, presenting Dr Deaf as a case study.  
• Is autism preventable in certain cases after all? Some scientists say yes (The Washington Post): Scientists are raising tantalizing questions about staving off autism, either before birth or in the early month of life.
• Locking In Accessibility: How Smart Procurement Language Protects Your Organization (LinkedIn): Your organization works hard to build accessible digital experiences. But all of that effort can be undermined the moment you sign a contract with a vendor who hasn't done the same, or maybe is accessible at the beginning of the contract but not after an update.
• Missing in the middle of WA’s middle housing: Elevators (The Seattle Times): For nearly two decades, I have navigated the housing market from a wheelchair, and the reality is bleak. During the 15 years I was a renter, I never found a single accessible apartment in a building with fewer than six stories. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s a design failure dictated by Washington state’s outdated codes.
• Profile: Dr. Caroline M. Solomon (The Mind Hears): I contracted spinal meningitis as an infant, which left me deaf. Throughout elementary and middle school, I was a student at the Delaware School of the Deaf, which provided the mechanism to mainstream full-time at local schools with two other deaf students while getting services and participating in a few courses and activities. For high school, I attended a public high school near Annapolis, Maryland, with one other deaf student. After graduation from high school, I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and public policy at Harvard University, a master’s degree in biological oceanography at the University of Washington, and a doctorate in biological oceanography at the University of Maryland. 

Webinars/Events/Other

• Experience Programming in Quorum - University of Nevada, Las Vegas, June 22nd – June 26th, 2026 - The Experience Programming in Quorum workshop 2026 is coming this
  summer. This year, we will be going on a brand new journey into accessible computer gaming and interface design with a funky new tech under the hood. Come explore how to make interactive 2D and 3D games that are fun and accessible from the start! Check out the attachment for more details.
• Practical Framework and Toolbox – Digital Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (Inklusion Leben): The Toolbox for the Digital Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities is a practical response to this challenge. It brings together experience and insights from multiple projects and experts in the field, including experts with lived experience. Its purpose is to equip development cooperation actors, including planners, implementers, policymakers, and partners, with concrete guidance and tools to design and implement inclusive digital measures within their projects.
• Spring 2026 Townhall | Beyond the Classroom: Centering Student Perspectives (National Disability Center): Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 12:00 – 1:00 PM CST. Register for the National Disability Center for Student Success for the Spring 2026 Townhall! This session marks the launch of the Center’s new Online Courses and features a student-centered conversation about the choice to disclose a disability in college. Hear directly from students as they share experiences, perspectives, and insights that continue to shape the Center’s research and resources.
• Voices of Lime: Insights into life with a traumatic brain injury (Lime): March 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM PT. Join Lime Connect’s Director of Engagement, Jennifer Grauso, as she moderates a discussion with panelists who are living and working successfully with a traumatic brain injury.  As a person who identifies as having a TBI herself, Jenn is uniquely positioned to lead the conversation around the challenges our panelists experience – and the strategies and accommodations that have helped them succeed.  Through this engaging session, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of traumatic brain injuries as well as ways in which to support individuals on both personal and professional levels.
• Impostor Phenomenon in an Academic Environment (AccessComputing): Impostor phenomenon, the feeling that you don’t truly belong, is common among academics and can negatively impact both quality of life and the pursuit of knowledge, regardless of actual achievements. This seminar will define impostor phenomenon, explore its symptoms in academic settings, and foster community discussion on strategies to overcome it. As part of Dragonfly’s Global Migration initiative, this session will raise awareness, improve mental health knowledge, and build supportive skills among academics worldwide.
• Including Students with Disabilities in CS Education, Part 1 and Part 2 (AccessComputing): Part one of a two-part webinar series featuring Dr. Richard Ladner, Professor Emeritus in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Dr. Ladner will engage participants in three CS Teacher Standards that closely align with the inclusion of K-12 students with disabilities in CS education.
• From Insight to Action: Establishing Accessibility Through the Dot Pad X (Vista Center): March 6, 2026, at 10:00 – 11:30 AM (Pacific). The Dot Pad X is a versatile and portable display that offers seamless access to multiline Braille, images, and diagrams. It features a powerful 300-cell tactile graphics display and a 20-cell Braille display, allowing users to explore shapes, maps, and text with unprecedented detail and clarity.
• How to Build an Audio Description Strategy That Actually Works (3PLAYMEDIA): Wednesday, March 11th at 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT. Register and come away with a better understanding of how to implement audio description across your institution.
• 10 tips for accessible publishing with Adobe InDesign (International Association of Accessibility Professionals): March 3, 2026, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET. This webinar invites participants to rethink their approach to design by viewing accessibility as an essential component of quality, not an afterthought. It opens by emphasizing the relationship between content and structure, and how meaning and form must align to create inclusive communication. Clear writing, consistent styling, mindful layout choices: all this can make documents easier to navigate for everyone, including users of assistive technologies. Beyond software techniques, the webinar stresses the importance of planning: setting up logical hierarchies, defining reading orders, and embedding metadata that supports searchability and compliance. Rather than presenting accessibility as a technical constraint, it frames it as a creative discipline that enhances clarity, professionalism, and reach. 

February 20, 2026

Articles/Reports/Books 

• The Real Reason More Students Are Requesting Accommodations (Forbes): A question has been circulating across campuses and boardrooms alike: Why are so many more students requesting disability accommodations? Increasingly, those accommodations are being framed as “perks.” It’s worth examining what that narrative is doing to Disabled students, and to the public’s understanding of access itself.
• Rethinking Fit: Autism and Equity in Faculty Hiring (Inside Higher Ed): Sociability is not the same as hireability. Colleges can take concrete steps to make the academic hiring process fairer for neurodivergent candidates. Gabriel Proulx, as an autistic academic, talks about strategies and accommodations that universities could put in place to ensure a more equitable process for neurodivergent candidates.
• CAP Highlights Work Ahead To Fully Implement New, Strengthened Disability Protections (Center for American Progress): The Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress released a new toolkit designed to help advocates ensure states comply with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ updated Section 504 rule, which strengthens disability nondiscrimination protections across health care, child welfare systems, and other federally funded programs. 

Webinars/Events/Other 

• Research Evidence Against Dismantling the U.S. Education Department: How to Strengthen Support for Students with Disabilities (Education Law Center): Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada). Join Education Law Center and expert panelists as we share analyses and insights into how the Department implements the goals of IDEA by holding states and school districts accountable. The goal is to provide advocates and state lawmakers with clear, research-based evidence to help strengthen policies that support students with disabilities, even if federal oversight wanes.  
• ACTION ALERT: Special Education Spending Study (U.S. Department of Education): The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), a division of the U.S. Department of Education, is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance to initiate the National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES). This proposed data collection aims to produce comprehensive estimates of expenditures for students with disabilities, disaggregated by state, district, school, and disability category. In addition to quantifying financial inputs, the study seeks to identify the primary factors driving special education spending and to evaluate the extent to which federal funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) cover actual costs. The IES has released the proposed forms and instruments for the study and is currently requesting public comment on the design.
• GIT Going with GitHub (BITS - Blind Information Technology Solutions & GitHub): Saturday, March 7 & Sunday, March 8, 2026, 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM Eastern (both days) - This is a two-day, hands-on workshop where blind and low vision participants learn to navigate, contribute to, and build real open-source projects on GitHub - using a screen reader, a keyboard, and nothing else.
• The Future of Inclusive Innovation: Wearables, Sensors & Beyond (Carnegie Mellon University): Thursday, March 5, 2026, 4:00PM - 5:00PM EST. You’re invited to listen to a panel of CMU experts who are innovating the use of tech tools – including wearable technologies, next generation sensors and computational modeling – to advance inclusive, human-centered technologies that empower people with diverse abilities across education, work and daily life. Registration deadline: March 4, 2026, at 11:59PM EST.  
• Neurodiversity in Focus: Understanding and Empowering All Minds (National Organization on Disability): Thursday, March 19, 2026, 1:00-2:00 PM EST. This session will explore neurodiversity in the workplace, highlighting both the unique strengths and challenges of neurodiverse individuals. Participants will gain practical strategies for fostering inclusion, understanding, and support, and leave equipped to create environments where all minds can thrive.
• Texas v. Kennedy (2026) - The Renewed Attack on Section 504 and Olmstead (DREDF): Wednesday, February 25, 2026 10:30 AM in Pacific Time (US and Canada). Nine states – Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and Texas – have renewed their attack on Section 504 and our right to live in the community. In Texas v. Kennedy (2026), the states say that the updated Section 504 rules are unlawful and unconstitutional. They want to weaken the "integration mandate," which is the rule that people with disabilities have a right to live in the community with supports and not be forced into nursing homes and hospitals. Join this webinar to learn how to fight this dangerous plan to take away our human rights.
• I Got Fed Up With AI Forgetting Accessibility, So I Built a Team That Will Not (Taylor’s Substack): Taylor Arndt uses AI tools everyday and she got fed Up with AI forgetting accessibility, so she built a team that will not and the article explains how and why she did it.  

February 13, 2026

February 6, 2026

January 30, 2026

January 23, 2026

January 16, 2026

Articles/Reports/Books 

• The Hidden Costs That Keep Disabled Students From College (Inside Higher Ed). In an ideal world, every student would be able to pursue higher education based on their talents and aspirations and not be held back by financial barriers. But for disabled students, the reality is far more complicated. Disability-related costs too often lurk beneath the surface of tuition bills and aid packages, shaping college decisions in profound but hidden ways.
• Disability Justice Organizers Are Creating the Liberatory Future We All Deserve (truthout). Since Donald Trump marched back into the White House in January 2025, his administration has waged an all-out war on disabled people. Trump has issued executive orders rolling back civil rights protections, slashed funding for vital services and support, and advocated for legislation that would ramp up institutionalization.
• How Colleges Can Comply With Web-Accessibility Laws (The Chronicle of Higher Education). After April 2026, students can sue colleges that fail to meet new federal web-accessibility standards. The scope is extensive: every digital surface that students, employees, and the public encounter, including virtual tours and internal emails. Meeting Title II of the ADA standards will cost an estimated $7 billion across higher education. And though the rules technically apply to public institutions, private colleges receiving federal funds face similar legal exposure.
• Portlander combines art and activism to advocate for brain injury survivors (OPB). It’s estimated that more than 80,000 Oregonians are living with disabilities related to a brain injury. That includes Portlander Cheryl Green, who sustained a brain injury in 2010. Since then, Green has showcased the experiences of brain injury survivors through a number of projects, including a podcast, documentary film, short videos and her work as a self-described “access artist.” 

Webinars/Events/Other 

• Where Will I Find the Time? A Flexible Ecosystem Approach to Digital Accessibility Training (AccessComputing) - Tuesday, Jan 27 at 11 am Pacific - When it comes to digital accessibility training, instructors often ask, “Where will I find time to learn these new skills?” followed by, “Where do I start?” In addition to existing technical support, the answer is to create varied, facilitated learning opportunities to fit busy schedules. Modular training options, from mini-lessons to interactive workshops with built-in working time, make accessibility practices "stick" and show even the busiest instructors that this work is doable. In this session, Mary-Colleen will explains the Ecosystem Approach to digital accessibility training and share a flexible training model that helps time-pressed folks answer the big question  "Where will I find the time?"
• Call For Papers: Special Issue on Inclusive Security and Privacy Engineering (IEEE Computer Society): Submission deadline: 17 August 2026. Complementing on prior research to bring users at the center of systems design, we focus on methodological considerations  to achieve security and privacy for all and not just few. To that end, we solicit research  articles, case studies, on the following (but not restricted to) topics.
• The Born-Accessible Design Approach: Cost-Effective, Inclusive, Compliant (Great Lakes ADA Center): Tuesday, January 20, 2026,12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern Time Zone. Most digital technologies are still built and released then remediated for accessibility later--an expensive, inefficient, and exclusionary process. In contrast, the born-accessible approach ensures that accessibility is built in from the start, by involving people with disabilities at every stage of design, development, and procurement. This user-centered strategy improves productivity, enhances user experience, reduces costs, and helps meet legal and regulatory requirements. Join us to explore practical frameworks, key components, and emerging research to help make born-accessible design a key part of your digital accessibility strategy.
• The Power of Reflective Moments (UDL Goodwin University): Online Jan 21 from 11am to 12pm PST. In this session, we will explore a variety of practical strategies learners can use to reflect on their learning. 

Articles/Reports/Books 

• New science points to 4 distinct types of autism (The Washington Post). Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.
• Why I Say “Audio Description,” Not “Audio Descriptions” (Roy Samuelson). When we treat it as storytelling, not compliance, everyone gets more from the work.
• New Year’s Resolution 2026: Improve accessibility of your workplace for your deaf/HoH colleagues (The Mind Hears). The new year brings a fresh start to our lives; it’s a natural time to reflect on the year past and make plans for the coming year. 2025 was a challenging year, in many respects, for the disability and academic communities. We have seen terms such as “accessibility”, “advocacy”, and “disability” removed from materials put out by federal agencies and discouraged in grant proposals. With the concern that there may be less support for disability in our academic workplaces, the need for allies is greater than ever. In The Mind Hears New Year tradition, we provide our list of recommendations for making your workplace accessible. You can view and download the full list of recommendations for making your workplaces (in-person, hybrid and remote) accessible for your deaf and hard of hearing colleagues at this link. Below we briefly outline the best approaches for increasing workplace accessibility and provide links to blog posts that explore particular aspects in detail.
• Trump’s return-to-office mandate exempted feds with disabilities. Many are being ordered to work in-person anyway (Government Executive). Some agencies have put new conditions on granting telework as a reasonable accommodation for federal employees with disabilities. 

Webinars/Events/Other 

• The Born-Accessible Design Approach: Cost-Effective, Inclusive, Compliant (Accessibility Online): Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM ET. Most digital technologies are still built and released then remediated for accessibility later--an expensive, inefficient, and exclusionary process. In contrast, the born-accessible approach ensures that accessibility is built in from the start, by involving people with disabilities at every stage of design, development, and procurement. This user-centered strategy improves productivity, enhances user experience, reduces costs, and helps meet legal and regulatory requirements. Join us to explore practical frameworks, key components, and emerging research to help make born-accessible design a key part of your digital accessibility strategy.
• Axe-con: Where the global digital accessibility community comes together (deque): February 24-25, 2026. Join fellow developers, designers, business users, and accessibility professionals of all experience levels as we rally to advance digital accessibility programs everywhere. You will learn the latest trends in tech, global compliance, and more as we focus on building, testing, and delivering accessible digital experiences.
• "Canada's new regulations for digital accessibility" with David Berman: January 29, 2026, 10:00 AM PT. Join internationally recognized accessibility expert David Berman for a critical webinar that provides in-depth insight into the updated compliance requirements for the Accessible Canada Act.  David will put the new ICT regulations into the perspective of Canada's remarkable history of leadership in creating a more accessible world. We'll get into the nitty-gritty of what you must do, by when, and how best to approach the opportunity!
• The Power of Reflective Moments (UDL Goodwin University): January 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PST. Join Tolu Noah for an interactive webinar exploring the Universal Design for Learning Guideline, Emotional Capacity (9). In this session, we will explore a variety of practical strategies learners can use to reflect on their learning, along with tools for promoting multimodal reflection. When facilitating learning (whether in the classroom or in professional learning settings), it can be tempting to try to cover as much content as possible within the time available. However, for learners to truly make sense of their learning, they need to have time to reflect. In this interactive session, we will explore the important role of reflection in learning and the value of individual and collective reflection. At the end of the session, participants will complete an action planning exercise where they will make a commitment to implement something they learned during the session.
• Universal Design as the Foundation of AI Literacy: Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow (LEADCenter): January 22, 2026, 12:00 PM PT. In response to August 2025 guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, workforce programs are now being encouraged to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) skill-building into services for both youth and adults. This is more than a technical adjustment. It represents a shift toward preparing job seekers for a labor market where AI is deeply embedded across industries. The challenge now is to ensure that AI literacy training is accessible and practical across the workforce system to support opportunity for all.
• Digital Accessibility Bootcamp (American Foundation for the Blind). American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) Digital Accessibility Bootcamp is a 3-month summer experience offering computer science students the opportunity to learn how to design and build digital solutions that break down barriers, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can fully engage with the digital landscape. It is a fully remote experience with offered incentives, including monetary awards, technology including an iPad, and access to possible further work study opportunities upon completion. Deadline for 2026 applications is January 30.
• Engaging People with Accessibility - Virtual Escape Rooms (Ministry of Justice) - Jan 14 9-10 am Pacific - The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) introduced Virtual Accessibility Escape Rooms as an innovative way to raise awareness and engagement around document accessibility. This interactive concept aimed to make learning fun while promoting best practices for creating accessible documents.