Cboard at the Global Disability Summit in Berlin

The Cboard team had the pleasure of attending the Global Disability Summit in Berlin. It was an engaging event that provided a rare opportunity to connect with civil society organizations, policymakers, and thought leaders in the field of disability inclusion from around the world.

One of the sessions we attended with the Cboard team

The conference was incredibly well-organized, and it was refreshing to experience such an inclusive and accessible environment. It clearly demonstrated that large-scale events can be thoughtfully designed to ensure access for everyone. We were especially motivated to attend to see how assistive technology (AT), particularly communication-related AT, is being centered in global conversations around disability inclusion and innovation. At Cboard, we strive to stay informed on policy-level discussions, because we believe that developing AT is about more than just technology. We prioritize active participation and input from the communities we aim to support. This commitment echoes the powerful slogan, central to the conference discussions: "Nothing About Us, Without Us."

Amazing keynotes and discussion panels running during the GDS 2025

Stands and Presentations

One of our favorite parts of the summit was exploring the stands and exhibitions hosted by civil society organizations — especially the Assistive Technology section. We also attended several insightful presentations. Some standout sessions included:

• AI for Development: Bridging the Barrier Between Non-Standard Speech and the Use of Automatic Speech Recognition. Hosted by: Google, Global Disability Innovation Hub, Centre for Digital Language Inclusion This session explored cutting-edge approaches to making speech recognition technology more inclusive for individuals with non-standard speech patterns.

• Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship: Supporting Independent Living for Persons with Disabilities Hosted by: League of Arab States, International Disability Alliance (IDA), Arab Organization for Persons with Disabilities (AOPD), Executive Bureau – Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs in GCC (GCCLSA) A powerful discussion on how innovation and entrepreneurship can promote autonomy and independent living for people with disabilities across diverse regions.

• Ensuring Disability Inclusion at Leading Global AI Conference Hosted by: Zero Project & Microsoft This session focused on how AI is being used to support people with disabilities, featuring real-world examples of ongoing projects. It was especially relevant to us, as we're currently working with Microsoft through the AI for Accessibility Grant.

We left the summit inspired, informed, and even more committed to contributing to a more inclusive digital future.