AccessABILITY Expo returns to Bucharest with focus on AI and workplace inclusion

The Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce (RDCC) is set to hold the third edition of AccessABILITY between October 22 and 23 at the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, AN building.

Over the course of two days, the event will bring together people with disabilities and their families, public authorities, non-governmental organizations, and specialists in technology, education, and healthcare. Attendance is free upon registration.

According to the organizers, AccessABILITY Expo 2026 aims to create a space where solutions can be discovered and tested: the firsthand experiences of people with disabilities are part of the innovation process, while companies, institutions, and the wider community can build partnerships and remove barriers.

“This year, we are taking another step forward: bringing together the community, the business sector, institutions, technology, and a new generation of innovators to address real-world challenges. Accessibility should not be viewed as an exception or as a separate project, but as an integral part of the way we build products, services, workplaces, and communities,” said Lestat Monroe, founder of the Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce (RDCC).

More than a quarter of the people with disabilities experience severe material and social deprivation in Romania. According to the latest Eurostat data, the percentage reached 26.7% in 2024, the second-highest rate in the European Union.

The AccessABILITY Expo exhibition area will bring together solutions across fields such as assistive technology, accessible mobility and transportation, inclusive recruitment, smart living, digital accessibility and AI, healthcare and rehabilitation, education, sports, culture and tourism.

Visitors will be able to interact directly with providers and test products and technologies that can contribute to greater independence and participation in everyday life. One of the highlights of the 2026 edition is the AI Accessibility Hackathon, a 24-hour competition in which student teams will develop AI-powered applications and solutions to address real-world challenges faced by people with disabilities.

The organizers encourage the formation of diverse teams that include people with disabilities, ensuring the lived experience of those who will use these solutions is integrated from the very beginning of the development process.

On October 22, AccessABILITY Expo will also host a new edition of Romanian Accessibility Awareness Day – RAAD, the conference dedicated to accessibility and inclusion at the workplace.

Under the theme “From access to belonging”, business leaders, HR professionals, accessibility specialists, and people with lived experience will explore three essential dimensions of inclusive organizations: accessible systems, psychological safety, and wellbeing.