For the one in four people who experience a disability, technology can help them connect, communicate, and collaborate in new ways. Yet for people whose disability includes communications challenges, technology often creates new barriers that deepen their disconnect.
The global pandemic compounded this digital divide. It revealed the potential for technology to include more people in education and the workplace, including those with disabilities that limit their mobility. But, in practice, the pandemic pushed many people further into the digital dark. Education, work, and support services rushed to move online as quickly as possible, often leaving behind people with communication challenges.
The need for a renewed focus on inclusion for people with disabilities has never been more urgent.
This panel will bring together self-advocates and technology leaders to share solutions that are available now to deepen and broaden digital inclusion. It will also explore emerging technologies that could transform opportunities for those with more severe communications challenges.
