The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) organized the third edition of the Digital Accessibility Forum 2026 under the theme “Our Differences Inspire Us, Our Experiences Bring Us Together”. The forum brought together People of Determination, senior citizens, representatives of government entities, as well as experts and specialists in digital accessibility, service design, technology and artificial intelligence. This year's edition focused on the direct involvement of users in evaluating digital government services and proposing ways to improve them.
The forum forms part of TDRA's efforts to support the implementation of the National Digital Accessibility Policy and enhance the readiness of government entities to develop digital services that address the needs of all segments of society. This contributes to enabling everyone to access and use government services with ease, independence and privacy.
The third edition placed particular emphasis on direct participation and practical application, bringing together People of Determination and government service design and development teams in interactive sessions. The aim was to draw on users' actual experiences to identify barriers and challenges they may encounter when accessing digital services, and to propose practical solutions and improvements.
H.E. Eng. Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director General of Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, emphasized that the success of digital transformation is not measured merely by making services available, but by ensuring that all members of society can access and benefit from them with ease, confidence and independence.
H.E. said: "Our ambition goes beyond providing digital services that are available to everyone. It is about building an inclusive government experience that listens to the needs of all members of society and gives them an active role in developing and improving services. We believe that digital accessibility must be an integral part of service design from the outset, rather than a requirement introduced in the final stages. This approach ensures the development of more inclusive, user-friendly digital services that meet everyone's needs."
H.E. Eng. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Deputy Director General for Information and Digital Government Sector at TDRA, said: "Digital accessibility is a key pillar in the development of the digital government ecosystem. It requires coordinated efforts among government entities to adopt standards and practices that ensure the sustained quality of digital services. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into advanced service development, it is essential to keep pace with these developments by advancing frameworks and technical standards, and strengthening the capabilities of government teams to use emerging technologies responsibly. This will support the development of a more efficient digital ecosystem that is better prepared for the future."
The forum also featured an address by H.E. Majid Al Usaimi, Executive Director of the Dubai Club for People of Determination, who highlighted the importance of involving People of Determination in the design, development and testing of digital services, reinforcing their role as active partners in enhancing the digital government experience.
The program included an interactive workshop entitled "User Journey Mapping", bringing together representatives of government entities, People of Determination and digital accessibility experts in joint working groups. Participants reviewed actual digital government services from the user's perspective, analyzed the different stages of accessing these services, identified barriers related to accessibility and ease of use, and proposed practical improvements and priorities to be shared with the relevant service teams.
The working groups presented the key challenges and observations identified during the workshop, along with a set of recommendations and proposed priorities for improving digital government services.
On the artificial intelligence front, the forum featured a specialized session delivered by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). The session explored the opportunities offered by AI technologies to develop more accessible digital experiences, and highlighted the importance of considering the needs of People of Determination when designing AI-powered government services, ensuring that these technologies deliver benefits without creating new digital barriers.
The forum also explored future directions for advancing digital accessibility, including plans to establish a Digital Accessibility Testing Community comprising People of Determination and users of assistive technologies. The initiative aims to strengthen ongoing engagement between users and government service development teams, while providing opportunities for users to participate in testing services and prototypes in the future.
The forum reflects TDRA's commitment to strengthening collaboration among government entities, users and experts, and translating user experiences and feedback into practical recommendations that contribute to the development of more accessible and inclusive digital government services, ensuring a digital experience that meets the needs of all members of society.
Source: https://tdra.gov.ae/en/media/press-release/2026/third-digital-accessibility
