Accessibility Days

An event born from the community, grown over ten years

Accessibility Days is now Italy's main gathering dedicated to digital accessibility and the inclusion of people with disabilities. Founded in 2016 by a group of professionals and trade associations, it has become, over ten editions, the place where developers, designers, educators, content creators, public administrations, and companies discuss a topic that, with the entry into force of the European Accessibility Act, is no longer a courtesy but a technical and legal obligation. The event is organized by the Accessibility Days APS association, based in Ancona, and changes location every year to build diverse local networks.

The tenth edition in Rome, at Sapienza

For its tenth anniversary, the event moves to the Municipality of Rome, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, the heart of the Lazio region. The venue is the Marco Polo Building of Sapienza University of Rome, on Viale dello Scalo San Lorenzo, just a short walk from the main university campus in Piazzale Aldo Moro and the San Lorenzo district. This choice is no coincidence: the university hosts the initiative together with AccessibleEU, the European resource center on accessibility, and the meeting between academic research and professional practice is one of the hallmarks of this edition.

What to see and hear

The program spans two parallel days of sessions and workshops, totaling about fifty presentations and over one hundred speakers. Recurring themes include the accessibility of websites and mobile applications, generative artificial intelligence applied to accessibility assessment, inclusive design, multimedia content accessibility, gaming for all, barrier-free digital education, and accessibility indicators for public governance.

• Plenary sessions in the Aula Magna and parallel sessions in the classrooms of the Marco Polo Building;
• Limited-enrollment workshops, with practical exercises in accessible design;
• Live demonstrations of screen readers, eye-tracking software, and assistive technologies, with users showing how they truly navigate;
• Exhibition area featuring companies, associations, and research centers;
• Sensory experiences, including a blind tasting guided by a sommelier.

A truly accessible event

The consistency between the theme and its implementation is perhaps the aspect most appreciated by the public. Sessions are accompanied by manual real-time captioning and Italian Sign Language interpretation; the live stream is designed to be followed with any assistive technology and includes Q&A sessions for remote participants. Those unable to reach Rome find an equivalent experience, not a reduced version.

Coinciding with Global Accessibility Awareness Day

The May dates are no coincidence: Accessibility Days is held in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the international day of awareness on accessibility that falls on the third Thursday of May. The Italian event thus joins a global calendar of initiatives while maintaining a very concrete and operational character, far from mere symbolic celebration.

Who it is for

The audience is largely composed of digital professionals, but free admission and the accessible, educational tone of many sessions make the event suitable for students, teachers, public employees, and anyone involved in communication. Associations for people with disabilities are active participants in the program, not just recipients: many sessions are led by speakers with disabilities who share their barriers and experiences firsthand.

Rome and the San Lorenzo district

The venue is located in a lively area of the capital, between Termini station and the San Lorenzo district, which is full of trattorias, pubs, and venues frequented primarily by the university population. Those arriving from outside the region can easily combine their attendance with a visit to the city, with the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura and the Verano cemetery located a short distance from the Marco Polo Building.