EQUAL addressing deaf ears?
I spent part of yesterday at a Engineering and Physicial Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) EQUAL research workshop on accessibility issues, held at Reading University's department of computing.

While all the presentations provided marvellous insight into a broad range of recent developments in the accessiblity field, with truly inspiring speakers, a number of whom had a series of significant disabilities, what is of concern is that few policy makers made an appearance at this cross-disciplinary event (despite having being invited by the organisers). Meanwhile in my own experience, policy-makers continue to appear to be 'blind' to accessibility and usability concerns (which are parallel but different), going by their recent publications, such as the recent NHS National Programme Request for Information. As EQUAL director professor Peter Lansely said, although they haven't been going for long and he's always inviting policy makers to events, to date there have been few public sector takers.

EQUAL Co-ordinator Verity Smith promises that workshop slides will follow, and I'll link to them when they do.