Topics for discussion include the EU Accessibility Directive and how local county councils and other organisations can ensure compliance

London, May 16, 2019 - The UK Association for Accessible Formats has unveiled a compelling roster of speakers for its annual conference and AGM, taking place on Wednesday June 12th 2019 at the RNIB HQ in Judd Street, London. The themes this year cover the introduction of the EU Accessibility Directive as well as a broader exploration of accessibility and inclusion on both a local and global level, with speakers including:

Bruce Lawson is a freelance consultant on accessibility and web standards as well as a co-editor of the W3C HTML5 specification, part of the team that drafted BS8878. His presentation, Accessibility: Back to the Future, will show how, by going back to basics, accessibility can enable inclusion, and make the web better for all – not just disabled people, but also billions of new users globally.

George Rhodes is the Digital Accessibility Compliance Lead for Kent County Council and will discuss how new accessibility regulations are bringing equality and digital inclusion to the forefront in the public sector. This session will outline how Kent has already begun a county-wide journey to provide comprehensive direction for partners while developing clear processes and resources to help achieve and maintain high digital accessibility standards.

James Baverstock is a Senior Accessibility Usability Consultant at AbilityNet, where he delivers accessibility audits, user testing and client training for companies such as Barclays, HSBC and BT. This presentation focuses on the Introduction to the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018, which applies to websites, apps and all aspects of the digital experience offered by public authorities. It will provide an overview of what the new EU Accessibility Directive regulations are, how they apply to public sector bodies and what steps must be taken to ensure compliance.

Dave Williams is a customer-focused digital accessibility specialist with a background in the assistive technology industry and broadcast media. He was also a key player in the team who developed one of the first smartphone screen readers – at a time when touch screens were widely considered inaccessible to blind people.

Commenting on this year’s theme and speaker line-up, Richard West, Chair of UKAAF, said, “After successfully delving into last year’s workplace theme, we knew that this year we wanted to explore a wider concept of accessibility and what the introduction of new EU regulations mean for public sector organisations. It will be a pleasure to welcome all attendees on June 12th.”

The UKAAF Conference will take place at the RNIB headquarters in Judd Street, London on Wednesday June 12th, from 11.00 to 15.00 with the AGM, during which new members will be appointed to the Board, held from 15.15 to 16.00. UKAAF members are invited to remain seated for the official AGM business at the end of the day.

The conference is free to attend though places are limited. So please register to confirm your place here.


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Notes for editors
Accessible formats are alternatives to printed information, used by blind and partially sighted people, or others with a print impairment and include electronic text, large print, audio, braille, and accessible images among others.

About UKAAF
UKAAF (the UK Association for Accessible Formats) is the industry association improving the social inclusion of blind and partially sighted people, and others with a print-reading impairment, by promoting better availability and quality of accessible formats. It sets standards and promotes best practice for quality accessible information based on user needs, and helps organisations better meet the needs of people who struggle to read standard printed materials.

UKAAF's members include individuals, transcribers, service providers, educators, researchers, print services, publishers and end users. Visit www.ukaaf.org.

Media contact:
Carina Birt
Public Relations Officer, UKAAF
carina@sarumpr.com
+44 07970 006624