Special Interest Groups and Standing Groups > Accessibility Standing Group

Accessibility Standing Group

Over 15% of the global population are people with disabilities, representing the world’s largest minority. We stand for an Internet for everyone.

The Accessibility Standing Group promotes digital rights and advocates for the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities. Digital inclusion means that persons with disabilities can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same timeframe as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Our goals are:

  • To change the perception of accessibility across ICT
  • To raise awareness about the importance of digital inclusion amongst policymakers, decision-makers, and developers through sharing knowledge about existing rules, laws, and standards to address accessibility right from the start.
  • To improve digital inclusion for persons with disabilities in the Internet Society.
  • To build a culture of accessibility through:
    • Partnerships with Internet Society chapters and other organizations
    • Training and mentoring, including equipping emerging leaders with disabilities to be strong advocates for improving accessibility in the Internet ecosystem.
    • Promotion and communications

Our activities include: 

A group shot of men and women standing in front of a poster about accessibility

Developing and delivering disability leadership training in Internet governance and digital rights through a 2022 face-to-face pilot workshop for South Asian disability leaders in partnership with the Asia Pacific School of Internet Governance.

a ramp

Drafting an Internet Society Accessibility Framework with key Internet Society staff to build a culture of accessibility and to remove barriers to participation and engagement in Internet Society processes and practices.

a man speaking in a mic

Sharing knowledge about accessibility to the broader Internet community through webinars, speaking engagements, blog posts, and reports by developing communications campaigns to reach different stakeholders.

Meet the Leadership Team

  • Chair: Gunela Astbrink
  • Vice-Chair: Vashkar Bhattacharjee
  • Secretary: Kindy Vereus Montreuil
  • Treasurer: Judith Hellerstein
  • Planning and Reporting Officers: Zakari Yama and Swaran Sanadhika Ravindra
  • Chapters Advisory Council Representative (ChAC): Shamsuddeen Mohammed Lawal
  • Alt ChAC Representative: Klaus Hoeckner

The Accessibility Standing Group is supported by the Internet Society US New York Chapter’s Accessibility Special Interest Group (A11ySIG).

Get Involved

If you’re a member of the Internet Society and believe in our cause, join us to make a difference in digital inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Interested, but not an Internet Society member yet? Join today!

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Image copyright:
© Internet Societ (first card), © Nyani Quarmyne (third card)