When it comes to driving change, I’m a big believer in the power of a good presentation. People in the disability and accessibility community are in a unique position to equip others with the context and skills needed to make meaningful changes for accessibility. The most compelling presentations almost always have some element of storytelling, which is why lived experience and communication skills matter. The accessibility industry will continue to embrace this as a few key shifts emerge next year. Here are 4 of my predictions for 2026.
Prediction #1: Fresh names in accessibility will continue making waves.
Mantis & Co. predicted 2025 to be the year of the underdog, and I predict that will continue in 2026. The recent wave of new advocates and influencers will continue to show up, build networks, and gain momentum in the accessibility and inclusion space.
Fresh voices will not replace existing industry leaders, but they can challenge us all to sharpen our skills, evolve our messaging, and grow as a community. There’s room for everyone, and we need as many people as possible pushing accessibility forward. Having more people expands what’s possible.
Prediction #2: Accessibility education and inclusive content will be at an all-time high.
We’re already seeing more accessibility webinars, events, and trainings than ever before, and that momentum will carry into 2026. There will also be an appetite for quick, approachable, and relevant accessibility learning experiences in most industries.
AI-generated images and videos of people with disabilities will improve as models are trained on more representative data. This will help accessibility presentations move beyond generic stock images and use visuals that feel a bit more realistic and inclusive.
Prediction #3: As AI accelerates creation and innovation, accessibility professionals will adapt their messaging and methods.
The speed of new AI capabilities and its digital footprint will be felt widely, bringing both challenges and opportunities for accessibility.
More products and presentations will use AI-generated content (slides, images, videos). Apps, websites, and digital experiences will launch faster, often with shiny marketing, personalized visuals. Accessibility professionals will need to act quickly and effectively to ensure accessibility is considered early, before barriers spread at the speed of innovation. This is also why strong storytelling and communication will remain valuable skills in 2026 and beyond.
The accessibility conversation is moving past AI potential and toward real world examples. Accessibility lawsuits will increasingly involve AI-generated digital experiences, and these headlines will be used to drive urgency and buy-in. The same shift will happen on the positive side as well. Presentations will evolve to include actionable tips to use AI responsibly for accessibility and inclusion.
Over the course of the year, people will become less impressed by AI-generated content. As the shine wears off, authentic stories and lived experience will be a differentiator.
Prediction #4: Hyper-personalized experiences will challenge how we test, teach, and communicate accessibility.
Product experiences are becoming more hyper-personalized and dynamic. This can increase complexity for accessibility professionals and designers by creating more possibilities in the user experience.
This will stretch how we teach accessibility, how we communicate requirements, and how we triage and prioritize accessibility bugs.
In 2026, accessibility professionals, user researchers, designers, and testers will experiment with new ways to account for accessibility in this area. This is also one of many reasons that co-design and co-creation with people with disabilities will remain essential.
Closing Thoughts
In 2026, there will be a lot of content created for accessibility (and AI too). Don’t let that make you feel like you are falling behind. Instead, let the noise happen and don’t lose yourself in it. Stay true to yourself and leverage what sets you apart. Build communication, storytelling, and presentation skills. Refresh your existing accessibility presentations to remain relevant and engaging. Authentic storytelling and memorable messaging will help you stand out and drive change for accessibility, especially in an overly AI-generated, fast-paced world.
