Having spent nearly 20 years of my life being visually impaired, speaking at TechShare Pro 2024, Europe's leading accessibility conference, was an eye-opening experience. For the first time featuring inclusive brand campaigns, as well as the state of play in the field of accessibility, here's my key take outs from the event.
Accessibility is great for business
This year's TechShare Pro - organised by Mark Walker and the team at AbilityNet - and warmly hosted in-person at HSBC’s Canary Wharf HQ and online - was a great opportunity to meet some amazing people, gain invaluable insights, and engage in in-depth conversations about how we’re collectively moving forward and pushing boundaries in accessibility. And where we still have more to do.
The conference began with a special pre-event at the House of Lords, where we were fortunate to hear an inspiring speech by AbilityNet’s Patron Baroness Martha Lane Fox of Soho who talked about how own journey around disability and how digital inclusion is “about the economy, stupid” that can drive growth as well as Disabled people’s agency and empowerment. Meeting her and other leading people within the accessibility world in such an iconic venue was a great way to kick off the event.
Zac Shaw stands between Baroness Martha Lane Fox of Soho and Mark Walker of AbilityNet
Inclusion means authentic representation backed up with end-to-end experience design
Following success at the Paralympic Games, I was invited to join a Channel 4 panel discussion alongside Jodie Ounsley (Deaf professional rugby player and BBC Gladiator), James Hamilton (Audience Planner at Channel 4), and Dom Hyams (Global Client Director Purple Goat Agency), who were responsible for the channel’s ‘Considering what?’ campaign for the 2024 Games. We spoke about the importance of authentic brand support for disabled people in elite sport and highlighted Channel 4's industry leading culture that showcases the talents of disabled people, both on and off the camera.
Having participated both in the Games and in promotional campaigns for it, what was clear to me and what I highlighted to the audience was that brands need to fully consider their end-to-end digital and phygital experiences for Disabled people of all types, and not just external messaging and representation. As I highlighted in my previous article, there’s no point having a fabulous campaign with a disabled athlete if your brand activations only work for people in wheelchairs and not for those with sight impairments, or vice versa. It’s about thinking through the line about experience as a whole and involving disabled people throughout the design process – from inclusive UX research to user testing - to ensure that.
Dom Hyams of Purple Goat Agency talks next to Jodie Ounsley, commentator and TV Gladiator
Accessibility and inclusion should be standard practice, not a USP
Throughout the day, we listened to insightful panels and fireside chats from various brands and organisations looking at the particulars of inclusive campaigns from audio descriptions and captioning, global views on disability from Kenya to Japan and industry-wide efforts by the ad industry to improve representation and get better ads out that work creatively and accessibly for all audiences.
One campaign that did the latter in spades was one of my personal highlights from the event. Martina Fuga of Italian Down Syndrome charity Coordown spoke about their stunning World Down Syndrome Day Campaign, their “Assume That I Can” campaign featuring Madison Tevlin. It's one of the most powerful pieces of content I’ve ever seen and heard. It challenges society’s stereotypes, and then completely throws them away in a very powerful and inspiring way.
During Primark’s Adaptive Underwear presentation, Charlie Magadah-Williams discussed their accessible tills and made a comment which has stuck with me. She mentioned while their services are accessible, it shouldn’t be a USP. This resonated deeply and reflected the message of the day. Yes, profit 100% matters, but change is what truly matters. Change needs to be global, not just in an individual organisation.
Technology has changed, but accessibility still often an afterthought
At the end of the event, I found myself reflecting on the everybody I met, which made me appreciate how unique everyone’s perspective is. My own perspective is shaped by my age and the time in which I lost my vision, a time that coincided with the emergence of the smart technology I rely on today. The first iPhone was released in 2007, the same year I was back and forth to optometry departments across the country.
Having grown up with adaptive technology as a standard part of my life, I’ve developed very high expectations of what inclusive design should look like. For me, it’s not just about accessibility being a feature, it’s about it being integral to the design itself. In full display at Sony’s exhibition area with their tech truly inspiring, like in-built screen reader and AI image and focus functionality for digital cameras and open ear wireless headphones that allow you to listen to walking assistance apps like Eye Navi, while naturally still hearing the sounds around you.
TechShare Pro 2024 was an inspiring reminder of the progress being made and the work still to be done to create a more inclusive world for everyone. But the direction of travel is going the right way if we all keep insisting on it.
Accessibility technology from Sony on display including Link wireless earbuds, hearing aids and wireless speakers geared towards the visually and hearing impaired
