Taking a significant step towards fostering inclusivity in India’s digital landscape, the capital city is set to host the ‘Inclusive – India: Digital First’ conference on December 14, 2023, at Hotel Eros. Organized by Newz Hook in collaboration with BarrierBreak, the conference aims to address the substantial gap in digital accessibility for individuals with disabilities—a demographic often overlooked by the current digital infrastructure.
Despite the presence of numerous government and public websites, along with a multitude of mobile applications in the country, less than 1% adhere to the crucial Web Content Accessibility Guideline 2.2 – Level AA standards. This conference serves as a vital initiative to bridge this gap, to make India’s digital space inclusive for an estimated 100 million individuals with disabilities.
Shilpi Kapoor, CEO of BarrierBreak, emphasizes the summit’s core objective, stating, “With ‘Inclusive – India: Digital First’, we are looking to foster a dialogue that translates into definitive action, ensuring that websites, mobile apps, and digital content are accessible to everyone. People with disabilities also want to access banking services, shop, study, and use intra-city travel apps like everyone else.”
Arman Ali, Executive Director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) said, “Being the most populous country in the world, India also has the largest population of people with disabilities. According to a UN & ILO report, Persons with disabilities have almost twice the spending power of teens and more than 17 times the spending power of tweens, the two most sought-after demographics by businesses. Businesses in India are losing a great market share by not making products and services accessible. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 mandates all services to be made accessible keeping in consideration, the disabled people. Hence, this summit is a step toward fostering the idea of respect & supporting the rights of persons with disabilities and benefit from inclusion. “
The conference will bring together thought leaders and experts to discuss various issues related to digital accessibility, including a review of disability laws, workplace accessibility trends, and the role of assistive technology and AI in enhancing the digital experience for disabled individuals.
Christopher M. Lee, PhD, VP & Managing Director of G3ict/IAAP, emphasizes the holistic approach of the ‘Inclusive India: “Inclusive India: Digital First conference is taking a holistic approach to addressing the needs of over a billion people with disabilities through covering several engaging tracks from workplace inclusion to AI in accessibility. The International Association of Accessibility Professionals looks forward to joining the conversation to promote inclusion in India. Inclusive India event will bring together an array of global subject matter experts to address the needs of people with disabilities through the importance of ramping up the dialog around skill development and accessibility professional certification, thus triggering the conversation towards digital inclusion and disability empowerment”.
Shilpi Kapoor further states that the conference aims to shift mindsets towards inclusion and accessibility in a digital-first world by discussing topics such as reasonable accommodations and user testing with people with disabilities.
The event is not just an educational platform but a call to collective action, urging stakeholders to prioritize accessibility in India’s digital growth story. It is expected to draw a diverse audience, including policymakers, HR & DEI specialists, accessibility champions, and web developers and designers. The ‘Inclusive – India: Digital First’ conference aspires to create a ripple effect of awareness and advocacy, catalyzing the widespread adoption of digital accessibility across public and private sectors.
For registration and more information on the conference’s program, an individual can visit the official website at https://newzhook.com/inclusive
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