The Accessible Events Show (AES), the world's only conference focused entirely on accessibility in the events industry, will make its U.S. debut on December 4, 2026, at United Way Worldwide headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The event will also be available online for remote attendees. The timing aligns with new federal web accessibility requirements set to take effect in April 2027, which mandate that state and local governments—and the vendors serving them—comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
According to the CDC, one in four U.S. adults lives with a disability, yet many events remain inaccessible. The new Department of Justice rule makes accessibility a compliance imperative for a broad swath of the events industry. "Event planners across the U.S. keep asking us the same thing: How do we make our events truly accessible? The appetite for practical guidance is real, and the new federal rules make it urgent," said Peter Hackes, President of Performedia, which is producing the U.S. edition.
AES launched in London in 2025, drawing 600 delegates from more than 15 countries and earning industry recognition, including the EN Awards Diversity & Inclusion Award and a Silver at the Cool Event Awards for Disruptor Attitude. The U.S. edition will feature panels, keynotes, and hands-on workshops covering digital accessibility, hybrid production, assistive technology, and WCAG conformance. Speakers include accessibility experts, event organizers, and disabled professionals sharing lived experience. A sponsor showcase will connect planners with captioning providers, ASL interpreters, and accessible design consultants.
The virtual experience will include live captions, multilingual support, sign language interpretation, screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and interactive engagement features designed to make the program accessible to every attendee. Registration details, speaker announcements, and sponsorship opportunities will be released in the coming months. More information is available at www.aesusa.org.
The show was co-founded by Shani Dhanda, a disability advocate; Orla Pearson, Co-Founder of AccessLOOP; and Catherine Grinyer, Co-Founder of Attendable. AES remains the only event in the world built entirely around accessibility in the events industry.
