On 1 October 2026, IAAP Nordic and ÖBÍ are hosting a hybrid event dedicated to turning European accessibility requirements into practical, everyday reality: Iceland onboard – from requirements to reality. Whether you plan to join us online from your office or travel in person to the Harpa venue in Reykjavik, this event offers a valuable space to share experience with international specialists, policy makers, and end users.
European Experience and Practical Policy
The morning plenary (08:30–12:00 GMT) focuses on how European member states transitioned from initial policy discussions to practical implementation. Keynote presentations by MEP Katrin Langensiepen and disability rights advocate Lainey Feingold will set the stage, followed by Susanna Laurin’s overview of legislative backgrounds and major European audit findings.
A panel discussion featuring representatives from monitoring bodies in Luxembourg, Malta, and Norway, as well as the European Blind Union, will explore how public sector bodies, developers, and end users can collaborate effectively. The morning block is free of charge and open to everyone online or onsite.
Living Experience and Practical Role-Based Training
The afternoon program is designed around practical application. For participants attending in person at the Harpa venue in Reykjavik, the Meet the Users session provides direct, hands-on interaction with users testing digital services with various assistive technologies. Together with colleagues Daniel Koskinen, Emma Kataja, and Malin Hammarberg, I will be present as an IAAP-certified specialist to support the live demos and address technical questions from practice.
For both online and onsite attendees, the second half of the afternoon offers role-based training sessions tailored for procurers, designers, developers, and content creators. Specialists will walk through interpreting requirements, conducting practical testing, and setting priorities in daily workflows.
Practical Details and Registration
- When: 1 October 2026 (08:30–17:00 GMT / 10:30–19:00 CEST).
- Where: Hybrid format – Onsite at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik or online worldwide.
- Pricing: The morning session is free for all participants. Afternoon interactive training is free for IAAP members (€70 + VAT for non-members).
- Accessibility Services: Live captioning and International Sign language interpretation will be provided. (Note: The „Meet the Users“ demo exhibition takes place onsite only, but the role-based training sessions can be followed online).
In my view, cross-border sharing of real-world practice is one of the most effective ways to avoid repeating common mistakes and to build digital products that truly work. If you are interested in seeing how accessibility is tackled in practice across Europe, I warmly invite you to join us—either online or in Reykjavik.
