[Governance] Upcoming DCAD Discussion with Dr. Vint Cerf on May 21 1400 UTC to commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

[Judith Hellerstein]

HI All,

I hope you will join DCAD for this event to commemorate Global Accessibility 
Awareness Day (GAAD) an annual international event held on the third Thursday of 
May (May 21, 2026) dedicated to raising awareness for digital access and 
inclusion for more than one billion people with disabilities. It will be a 
conversation with Dr. Vint Cerf titled "From Access to Agency: Rethinking 
Digital Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities in the Age of AI "

We will have human captioning and also International Sign Language 
interpretation for this event.  We hope you will join us on May 21 at 1400 UTC 
(10am Eastern) . We will send the stream text links later.

Please register for Zoom meeting at 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KFURWYPUR1y838puqmLxpA<https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KFURWYPUR1y838puqmLxpA>

Over the past decade, global policy discourse has increasingly focused on 
expanding “internet access” as a cornerstone of digital inclusion. Yet for 
persons with disabilities, connectivity alone does not translate into meaningful 
participation. A user may be connected, possess a device, and have basic digital 
skills—and still remain excluded due to inaccessible design, incompatible 
platforms, or poorly implemented technologies. This gap calls for a conceptual 
shift: from **access** to **agency**.

At the same time, the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into digital 
ecosystems is reshaping how users interact with technology. AI-powered 
tools—such as automated captioning, voice interfaces, and assistive agents—hold 
transformative potential. However, they also introduce new risks, including 
bias, unreliable outputs, and inaccessible design layers that may deepen 
exclusion if left unaddressed.
Against this backdrop, accessibility must be reframed not as a technical 
afterthought, but as a **governance, rights, and development issue**—central to 
debates on AI, digital public infrastructure, and inclusive innovation.

Please do let us know if you have any concerns or have any questions.  The Zoom 
discussion will be recorded for those in the Asia Pacific Time zone where this 
timing may not be optimal. We look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Judith Hellerstein

DCAD Co-Coordinator

-- 
_________________________________________________________________________
Judith Hellerstein, Founder & CEO
Hellerstein & Associates
3001 Veazey Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008
Phone: (202) 362-5139  Skype ID: judithhellerstein
Mobile/Whats app: +1202-333-6517
E-mail:Judith at jhellerstein.com   Website:www.jhellerstein.com
Linked In:www.linkedin.com/in/jhellerstein/
Opening Telecom & Technology Opportunities Worldwide
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