AAATE Newsletter 2026#2

Time flies. It’s been two months already since our last newsletter, and we have some exciting updates to share with you.

First, we are launching a new series of Research Aperitivos, building on the successful AAATE Aperitivos format, allowing our members to meet and discuss informally online. But we also believe in the power of face-to-face connection. In that spirit we are collaborating with AGH University of Krakow to organise a Workshop about AT and accessibility in the context of higher education in November 2026.

AAATE will of course be present at our sister conference, the International Conference on Computers Helping People with special needs (ICCHP), from 15th to 17th of July in Brno, Czech Republic. Young researchers, PhD students and Master Thesis students are invited to submit to the Young Researchers Consortium, taking place just before the conference. It’s an outstanding opportunity to share their work and discuss their research questions with pairs and a group of senior chairs, and to be part of the network of the next generation of researchers in the AT field. Additionally participants are invited to attend the conference. The preliminary programme should be available by May 18th. https://icchp.org

In November 2026, the Universal Design Conference will take place in Galway. The Call for contribution was just launched (https://ud26.ie/information-for-authors/call-for-contributions/). Submission deadline is on April 8.

AAATE is also advancing several projects, and we need your input! Specifically we are launching a survey within the framework of the Upgrade project about accessible gaming.

We were present at the Zero Conference 2026 in Vienna. There we recorded two “Fireside chats” – short interviews (15 min) broadcasted live on Youtube, and Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf moderated a session featuring Zero Conference awardees.

Collaboration with user organisations is a priority for AAATE. Last month, Pedro Encarnaçao (Past President) and I met with board members of ENIL, European Network on Independent Living (https://enil.eu/) to formalise the partnership between our organisations.

Read more details below ! And of course, we’ll meet in Mechelen in 2027, for the next AAATE Conference.

We wish you a nice and inspiring spring !

Dominique Archambault, AAATE President
With the support of the AAATE team

https://aaate.net/about/board
Contact the team : office@aaate.net

AAATE launches the Research Aperitivo!

AAATE is pleased to launch the Research Aperitivo, a new informal online initiative aimed at supporting researchers in the field of assistive technology, strengthening research networking within AAATE, and fostering dialogue between research and practice.

Building on the broader AAATE Aperitivo format, the Research Aperitivo offers a friendly space where researchers can present work in progress, share open questions, and receive constructive feedback from an interdisciplinary community with expertise in research, service provision, policy, and innovation in assistive technology.

Further information on participation and submission is available on the AAATE website : https://aaate.net/aaate-research-aperitivo/.

AAATE Workshop 2026

Before the COVID period, we have been organising, in collaboration with several institutional members, a series of workshops dedicated to current preoccupations about AT (see the list here : https://aaate.net/activities/workshops/). We would like to catch up with this, with a particular focus on young researchers. We are delighted to announce that we started a collaboration with AGH University of Krakow to organise a workshop “Innovative Assistive Technologies and Accessibility in Higher Education”, next November. This workshop will especially allow young researchers to propose oral contributions, and we invite senior researchers to attend and give them valuable feedback. Invited keynotes and round tables will allow for discussions. Save the date and meet us in Krakow on Nov 12-13, 2026. The preliminary programme and call for contributions will soon be available.

More information is available here : https://aaate.net/activities/workshops/workshop-2026/.

News from Projects

Since Sep 2025, AAATE is participating in a project on accessible gaming for social inclusion.

The UPGRADE project brings together youth organisations, assistive-technology experts and research partners to co-develop an inclusive digital hub, training resources and focus groups (workshops) that make gaming accessible and empowering for young people – especially those at risk of social exclusion. In the project, we will build practical tools, run co-creation labs and share evidence-based strategies to support youth workers, educators and developers.

To start off, we would like to assess the level of interest in this project and the level of potential relevance for your work.

It would be great if you could take 7 minutes to answer the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLt3DUOELjzt96EHo01z7Vjy-zALZmlv52SgaIGiHMw0Yxqg/viewform

Zero Project Conference

About 1400 participants from 100 countries attended the Zero Project Conference 2026, last months, at the United Nations Office in Vienna. Main topics of the year were Accessibility, ICT, and Crisis Response.

AAATE was involved in 3 events :

The Nicosia Declaration

As we can see in the Krakow Workshop and one of the ZeroConf participations,, the topic of accessibility of higher education is in the Agenda at the moment. Let me remind you of the Nicosia declaration, launched during the AAATE conference 2025 in European University Cyprus.

The declaration has already been endorsed by many individuals and organisations and especially a few universities. By endorsing the Nicosia declaration Universities show a strong political statement about fostering accessibility in their activities. If you did not already, please take some time to read it and endorse it, and if you are working for a university please propose it to your governance. Even if they finally decide not to endorse it, they will have to read it and at least get to know what is needed.

Read the Nicosia declaration here : https://aaate.net/the-nicosia-declaration/.

Recently published in Technology and Disability

Technology and Disability, Volume 38, Number 1 was published in February 2026

Review Articles

  • Integrating artificial intelligence in supporting students with disabilities in higher education: An integrative review, by Cristina Dumitru, Ghaida Muttashar Abdulsahib, Osamah Ibrahim Khalaf and Akram Bennour
  • The use of the social robot NAO to enhance communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of studies from 2013–2019 to 2020–2025, by Evaggelos Foykas, Eleftheria Beazidou, Charalampos Karagiannidis and Zygouris Nikolaos

Research Articles

  • Constraints hindering ICT integration among teachers in enhancing literacy and numeracy skills of learners with hearing impairments in Tanzania, by Hamadi Mtani, Shubi Kaijage and Neema Mduma
  • Effects of an adapted hair brush on reducing upper limb physical load in women with long hair, by Carlos Manuel Escobar-Galindo, Dayana Andrea Airas Gómez and José Enrique Villalobos Tupia
  • Audio-description: a path and a proposal for a classificatory model, by Gema López Sánchez
  • Method for the development of assistive technology with postural readjustment using three-dimensional modeling and animation techniques, by Isabella de Souza Sierra
  • Everyday tech, everyday autonomy: Understanding how assistive technology works in UK care settings, by Julie Eshleman
  • Barriers to assistive technology utilization in education: Teachers’ perspectives on challenges and solutions, by Josephine Wilfred Ogondiek

OnlineFirst : Several research articles are already available online, and will be included in the next issue.

  • Role of novel pressure sensor based alarm system in weight-shift behavior in spinal cord injury survivors – A time series, by Nayana Ramkumar, Shruti Patil and Haritha Jose
  • Digital technology access and usage among students with disability in Bangladeshi higher education, by Md Shahrier Haider
  • A preliminary survey on the use and barriers of cognitive assistive technologies among older adults with cognitive impairment, by Chizuru Kata and Yuko Nishiura
  • Evaluation of wheelchair satisfaction with wheelchair initial-final sitting pressure, by Fatma Erdeo, Mehmet Korkmaz, Sami Küçükşen and Musa Çankaya
  • Learners with disabilities’ perspectives on the requirements for mHealth-based digital journaling to promote subjective well-being, by Ariné Kuyler and Ensa Johnson

You can access Technology and Disability papers when you are connected to the AAATE website with your personnel account : from the Members area go to T&D access page.

Job Position(s)

Upcoming events

2026

2027

Posted on by dom
Categories: news, newsletters