Notes # 2: WCAG 3, Kiosks In Korea, ADA Title II ...

Personal Notes

Last weekend my wife and I, as two partially-sighted tourists, visited Rome to eat, drink and walk. It was an amazing city with its historic and massive buildings. In terms of accessibility, sidewalks were walkable and using white cane was very easy. There were some construction areas that forced us to walk on the road but we are living in İstanbul, so we are very used to it. The audio traffic lights, bus numbers in contrasting, large letters in eye level and frequent pedestrian crossings, made navigating the city comfortable. The most challenging part was ordering food in “ristoranti”. Friends, Romans why you don’t have QR or PDF menus and why you choose to use horrible handwritten typefaces in menus? We had to use our phone’s camera to zoom in and read items. Anyway, we enjoyed pizza but ordering it took too much time.

News

WCAG 3 – 4 More Years?: WCAG 3 proposes a significant change in structure and framework of the WCAG. The Working Group is aware of this, so WCAG 3 will be discussed and feedback will be collected over the next 4 years. After it reaches to its Candidate Recommendation status, we will need at least another year. In the age of rapidly emerging technology, I don’t know whether this slowness will answer the changing needs or not.

Few Changes, Plenty of Confusion on First Day of Mandatory 'Barrier-Free' Kiosks: In Korea, accessibility regulations for self-service kiosks are in force. There are exemptions for small-business operators but this does not mean ‘you don’t have to do something’. Their self-service kiosks may not be accessible but they must install a bell to call staff. A good example of reasonable accommodation. On the other hand, according to the article, few store owners are aware of the regulations. We feel you dear Korean accessibility guys dealing with awareness deficiencies.

Report Shows Few Districts Are Ready For Looming Accessibility Compliance Deadline: In the US, public entities will have to meet new digital accessibility requirements under ADA Title 2. “According to the data, only 14% of respondents said their districts have completed or nearly completed required updates, and fewer than half (46%) said digital accessibility is a high priority within their district.” Nearly all respondents stated a need for staff and training. In the Trump era, with resources are restricted, I don’t know how it can be handled.

Inspirations

I Am Not Remarkable – Apple: Apple published a great video introducing its accessibility solutions and showcasing how persons with disabilities use technology. The video also provides one of the best definitions of assistive technology in the lyrics: “And I need stuff. And you need stuff. And all our stuff is not the same”

Level Up Your Career: How to Become an Accessibility Unicorn – YouTube: While axe-con 2026 is approaching, I would like to share my favorite session from last year. November Champion shares useful insights from the field and highlights the key skills that should be gained as accessibility specialist.

The Impact of AI on Neurodiversity: One of the most powerful tech event CES included an accessibility stage and hosted many accessibility sessions ranging from accessible gaming to AgeTech in its 2026 edition. I couldn’t watch each of the session but I took some notes from Impact of AI on Neurodiversity:

• AI can help neurodivergents to define personal needs versus generalized.
• Neurodivergency can be a strength sometimes. For example, dyslexic thinking may come with distinct set of cognitive skills like creativity, visualization and problem-solving. So, with an equitable AI approach, “could AI help capture the essence of dyslexic thinking for non-dyslexic-thinkers to use?”
• There is a correlation between relying on AI and decreased critical thinking skills. CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN CAUSATION. In the age of AI, brain is changing and may be definition of neurodivergency will change in the future.

An Article From Me

In the “News” section, I mentioned WCAG 3. Although, there is still plenty of time for WCAG 3, feedback is being collected regularly, and the templates say something about the future of accessibility to us. So, what is WCAG 3 and what can we expect from it?: What To Expect From WCAG 3 And What It Says About Future of Accessibility?