New platform for inclusion and accessibility "established".

With over 100 participants, exciting best-practice examples, and ample opportunity for exchange and networking, the first congress for accessibility officers at the Catamaran in Vienna demonstrated the significant need for information on accessibility and the role of accessibility officers within companies. "The event was highly successful and another major step towards providing a suitable platform for this socially important topic," says Valerie Clarke, Managing Director of Inclusion24 GmbH (a subsidiary of Assistenz24 gGmbH). She was responsible for organizing the event in collaboration with the Austrian Association for People with Disabilities (ÖZIV Bundesverband) and the Austrian Trade Union Federation's (ÖGB) "Opportunities for Efficiency" office.

Well over 100 representatives from major, well-known companies and institutions such as REWE, ÖBB, Hilfswerk, RBI, insurance companies, and the Medical University of Vienna, as well as representatives from cities, took advantage of the networking opportunities and information exchange. The program included keynote speeches, panel discussions, practical workshops, and an awareness area highlighting concrete, everyday challenges faced by people with disabilities. "The congress is one of several initiatives to promote long-term developments and thus give the topic the necessary breadth of attention. Ultimately, almost two million people in Austria are affected by a disability," said Clarke.

Accessibility officers, who have been mandatory in large Austrian companies since the beginning of 2025, play a key role as an interface between employers, employees, customers, and partners. They translate legal requirements into practice and ensure that accessibility is not just a theoretical concept but a lived reality. This places them in the tension between legal requirements and practical feasibility. "Consequently, there is a great deal of uncertainty," says Clarke. According to many participants, numerous questions remain unanswered regarding both the organizational structure and the specific responsibilities of the accessibility officer.

„We want to close this gap. Inclusion24 also offers numerous training courses that cover topics such as legal basics, raising awareness of different forms of disability, and the practical implementation of accessible processes and services,“ says Clarke.