Accessibility News October

Consultations Underway on Review of the Disability Discrimination Act

The Australian Government is currently undertaking a major review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA). Over the past few months, in-person consultation sessions have been held around the country coordinated by the Attorney-General's Department. These consultations focused on giving people with disability, advocates, and organisations a chance to share their experiences and ideas for improving the law.

On 15 August 2025, the Department held an introductory webinar for the Disability Discrimination Act Review. They gave information on the background and scope of the review along with several speakers sharing their own reflections on the review, why it matters and what they would like to see change. 

Watch a recording of the introductory webinar

This is the arguably the most significant review of the DDA to date. While the Act has undergone several amendments since its introduction in 1992, its current form does not adequately address service provision through digital platforms such as websites, mobile apps, and online services, which are now critical for work, education, government access, commerce, and social connection.

The review is seeking submissions on seven key topics, they are:

• Part 1 – Updating understandings of disability and disability discrimination
• Part 2 – Positive duty to eliminate discrimination (Stronger protections to prevent discrimination before it happens)
• Part 3 – Encouraging inclusion of people with disability in employment, education and other areas of public life
• Part 4 – Improving access to justice
• Part 5 – Exemptions
• Part 6 – Modernising the Disability Discrimination Act
• Part 7 – Further options for reform

Submissions are open until 24 October.

Spotlight on World Usability Day & International Day of People with Disability

Two big dates in the accessibility calendar are coming up in November and December, World Usability Day and the International Day of People with Disability.

Each November, we celebrate World Usability Day. The aim of the day is “to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use”. This year’s theme, Emerging Technologies and the Human Experience, invites us to place people at the centre of design, ensuring technology evolves with empathy and inclusion. This is particularly important in digital accessibility, where innovation means little if people cannot access the content being created.

Then in December, the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) offers a global platform to advocate for rights, inclusion, and participation. From policy to practice, the emphasis is on removing barriers, advancing equality, and ensuring full participation in society.

To celebrate IDPwD we will be holding a webinar: Seeing Digital Differently: How Screen Readers Experience the Web, where you can learn all about how screen readers work. We will be running the webinar twice for different times zones, so you can choose the one that suits you.

• Australia: 1 Dec, 11am AEDT
• Europe: 3 Dec, 9am GMT (8pm AEDT)

Accessibility Updates to Windows

Microsoft’s October 2025 update to Windows 11 introduces several enhancements aimed at improving accessibility and usability across the platform.

A key highlight is the new Braille Viewer, which allows users to see on-screen what a connected refreshable braille display is outputting. This tool could be particularly useful for trainers, developers, and testers working with blind users, as it provides a visual representation of the braille output in real time. It could also help users without a physical display understand how braille translation works.

It marks another step in Microsoft’s ongoing effort to embed accessibility directly into mainstream system functions, making it easier for all users to interact, train, and test assistive features without third-party tools.

Improving Accessibility of Authentication Systems

A new research initiative called ALIAS (Accessible Login and Authentication Solutions) is rethinking how blind and low-vision users securely log into digital services.

The project investigates the everyday challenges users face with conventional authentication methods such as CAPTCHAs, image-based verifications, and two-factor apps, which often rely on visual cues. Using a user-centred and cognitive ergonomics approach, ALIAS aims to prototype inclusive authentication systems that maintain strong security without compromising accessibility.

The research highlights that accessibility extends beyond websites and interfaces; it includes the processes underpinning security, identity, and account access. Excluding users at the login stage effectively locks them out of services altogether.

The ALIAS team’s findings are still a work in progress but could potentially inform future standards and best practices for inclusive authentication, helping developers and organisations design secure systems that work for everyone from the very first interaction.