Accessible Information Forum 2026: our key takeaways

Our first Accessible Information Forum brought together industry leaders in accessible communications, experts with lived experience and a room full of curious attendees.

While each of our speakers brought depth, insight and sometimes humour to the Forum, we’ve captured our top 5 takeaways below.

Unsurprisingly, they all relate to taking a human approach to accessible communications.

1. If you make information accessible, but people still can’t find or use it, then it’s not actually accessible.

This was a key takeaway that we saw being shared on social media after the Forum.

Why did it resonate? Because we can get so caught up in ‘doing the right things’ that we forget to check whether they’re actually working.

It’s not just about following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, but listening to, and respecting, your audience.

2. ‘When accessibility is done well, something remarkable happens. You stop designing for disability, and you start designing for humanity.’

Assunta Chiera, Inclusion Advisor at Information Access Group, shared this statement and we couldn’t agree more.

She also encouraged everyone to take the DRIP approach to their work. Slowly and consistently, from concept to roll out and beyond.

• Dignity by design
• Reasonable by adjustments
• Inclusion by co-design
• Progress by participation

3. ‘The goal is to make accessibility routine not exceptional’.

Naomi Benites, Acting Director of Australia’s Disability Strategy, used a wonderful analogy about travelling when she discussed accessibility reform. The same analogy can be applied by anyone working on a communications project.

‘Don’t plan your trip in isolation. Plan it with people who know what the journey is like.’

That means involving people with disability in design, delivery and implementation. And of course, being open to changing the journey along the way. We need to make sure that accessibility is everyone’s responsibility.

4. ‘Every one of us has the power to include people, or to leave them out.’

Michelle Chu, Senior Inclusive Design Specialist at Australian Broadcasting Corporation, emphasised thataccessibility starts with empathy. And every decision matters.

She invited people to use a website tool called Cards for Humanity. This website will show 2 random cards – a person and a trait. Your goal is to work out how you can meet their needs.

This is a great way to get your team thinking and challenge some ideas around types of disability and needs and how to meet them.

5. Different formats remove different barriers

Anthony Lam, Founder of Punchy Studio, reminded us to start with the objective of our communications project, not the format.

What you need your project to do, determines the format. For example, using an animated video can reduce complexity. A live action video builds trust. Each option removes a different barrier, but
not both.

Most importantly, the format you choose determines who understands and connects with your message. And who doesn’t. The format you choose is about who can access your information in a way they can use and understand.