Zero Project

🌍 Get ready! It's less than 2 months to go until the Zero Project Conference 2025! ✨ #ZeroCon25 will bring together over 1,000 disability-inclusion innovators, changemakers, and leaders from around the world. This year’s Zero Project Awardees from 45 countries will be at the heart of the event. 💬 The agenda features more than 120 sessions covering emerging trends, key areas for disability inclusion, and focused discussions on inclusive Employment and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With over 100 confirmed speakers, there’s much to explore. 💻 The in-person conference in Vienna is by invitation only, with limited spaces available. Key sessions will be accessible through live streaming on the conference platform and the Zero Project YouTube channel. More sessions will be made available on YouTube on-demand after the conference. 🔗 Explore the full agenda and speakers here: https://lnkd.in/d8XwNMCM #ZeroCon25 #InclusiveEmployment #Accessibility #Innovation

The Zero Project is honoured to welcome Minister Alessandra Locatelli, Ministro per le Disabilità, Italian Republic, as a Keynote Speaker at #ZeroCon25. Minister Locatelli will highlight how the Solfagnano Charter, a key outcome of the first-ever G7 Ministerial Meeting on Inclusion and Disability, will be translated into concrete actions and impact. 📅 Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 🕠 Time: 17:30 - 17:45 CET 📍 Location: M1 🔹 English captions | International Sign The session will be available after the conference on the Zero Project You Tube Channel. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/d6cfqeZN #ZeroBarriers #Inclusion #DisabilityRights #G7 #AccessibleFuture

The Zero Project is delighted to announce the sixth edition of the #ZeroCon25 Parliament Event.🏛️ This year’s event will take place—yet again—in the Nationalratssaal, the historic plenary room of the Parliament of Austria. Five innovative Zero Project Awardees have been selected by Members of the Austrian Parliament who will co-present these solutions, with a commitment in mind to supporting their implementation in Austria. Walter Rosenkranz, President of the National Council, will open the event, followed by greetings from Martin Essl, Founder of the Essl Foundation and the Zero Project. A keynote by Dr. Caroline Casey, Founder of the Valuable 500 will set the stage for impactful discussions. The event will also feature the Austrian premiere of an AI-powered communication solution for people living with ALS, presented by Erin Taylor. Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler, President of the Federal Council, will close the event with Andreas Onea moderating the sixth iteration of this novel event. The #ZeroCon25 Parliament Event will be live-streamed and available on the Zero Project YouTube channel for on-demand access.   🔗Save this link and watch the live stream here: https://lnkd.in/dFUqb6sy   Photo by Günther Peroutka. Martin Essl, Michael Pichler, Isabella Essl, Michael Fembek, Robin Tim Weis #ZeroProject #Inclusion #Accessibility #Innovation #ZeroBarriers

A quick guide to navigating the #ZeroCon25 Agenda 🧭   The Zero Project Conference 2025 features more than 120 sessions, with over 360 speakers from 60+ countries. Whether it's your first time attending or you're joining us online, check out this guide to navigating the conference agenda:   🏅 Ceremonies – The Opening Ceremony (Wednesday, March 5, at 10:00 AM CET) will feature inspiring keynotes and set the stage for three days of sharing innovative solutions and expert discussions. The Award Ceremony (Thursday, March 6, 18:00 CET), where we will celebrate the Zero Project Awardees' achievements, will also be livestreamed, allowing everyone to join #ZeroCon25 online. During Friday's Closing Ceremony, the new Zero Project Ambassadors will be introduced. The ceremony will be recorded and made available on YouTube after the conference.   🎤 Sessions – Panels and discussions will be centred around the 77 Zero Project Awardees of 2025 from 45 countries and their innovative solutions that remove barriers for persons with disabilities in inclusive employment, and ICT. They will be recorded and published on YouTube after the conference.   🎙️ Keynotes – The Zero Project is proud of this year's line-up of thought-provoking keynote speakers: Jenny Lay-Flurrie of Microsoft, Italy's Minister Alessandra Locatelli, Mahsa Tahzibi, who is the Founder of Deaf Health in Iran, Jutta Treviranus of the Canada Inclusive Design Research Centre, and Mike Buckley of Be My Eyes. Stay tuned as more keynote speakers will soon be announced! All keynotes will be available on YouTube after the conference.   🎥 Fireside Chats – These short, engaging conversations, led by experts, will cover emerging trends, key areas of disability inclusion, and specific topics related to employment and ICT. All Fireside Chat sessions will be livestreamed for free on YouTube, with International Sign interpretation, and live English captioning.   🎶 Performances – #ZeroCon25 will feature inclusive arts performances by violinist Amber Correa and the Lőrinc Barabas Quartet. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join an inclusive dance class and visit an inclusive photography exhibition on-site.   🗒️ Workshops - The IAAP will host two workshops on the European Accessibility Act, and Web Auditing & Remediation as part of the Zero Project Conference 2025.   The #ZeroCon25 conference platform is your one-stop-shop to explore the full agenda, livestream links, speaker details, and accessibility features: https://lnkd.in/djJnvbvU   #ZeroCon25 #DisabilityInclusion #InnovativeSolutions #AccessibilityMatters

Removing barriers to inclusive Employment, and ICT – explore the full #ZeroCon25 Agenda 🌐 The Zero Project Conference 2025 (March 5–7) will showcase 77 innovative solutions—our Zero Project Awardees—dedicated to removing barriers for persons with disabilities. Their contributions will be complemented by insights from business leaders, policymakers, self-representatives, and other experts. The #ZeroCon25 Agenda covers emerging trends, key areas of disability inclusion, and specific topics related to inclusive employment and ICT: from low-cost prosthetics to assistive technology accelerators, from sign-language solutions to AI-driven innovations, from women entrepreneurs to corporate strategies, and from DPOs facilitating employment to the Arts as job promoters and employer certification initiatives. The Opening and Award Ceremonies, along with the Fireside Chats, will be livestreamed with live English captioning and International Sign interpretation. Additional sessions will be available on YouTube after the conference. Explore the full agenda now: https://lnkd.in/dZ-uYVvC #ZeroCon25 #Accessibility #Inclusion #AssistiveTechnology #Employment #Innovation

🎙️ "Pathways to Zero Barriers" – New Episode Out Now! How do we finance the future of AI-powered accessibility? In this episode, we dive into the financial strategies that drive scalable and sustainable accessibility solutions. 🌍 Paweł Potakowski, CCO of MIGAM, shares how their biggest investment didn’t come from traditional investors—but from their customers, fueling their growth to serve over 2,000 clients. 🌍 Rafi Alam, Chief Business Officer at Genweb2 Limited, explores how to balance scalability with affordability, ensuring accessibility solutions remain cost-effective while securing the necessary investments. Tune in for real-world insights on how innovators can finance and scale accessibility solutions sustainably. 🎧 Available now on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dt7eD2mm 🎧and Apple Podcasts: [lihttps://lnkd.in/dYm7TPai] 📝 Transcript available in the show notes This podcast is hosted by Dr. Anthony Giannoumis and brought to you by the Zero Project, supported by the Essl Foundation, Fundación Descúbreme, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (on behalf of BMZ), Atos, EnAble India, and Inclusive Creation. #PathwaysToZeroBarriers #AccessibleInnovation #AIForGood

The Zero Project Conference 2025 will showcase outstanding innovative solutions for inclusive employment in the Arts & Culture sector, along with expert insights on museum accessibility, disability-led filmmaking, and employment in the arts. Participants will also enjoy live performances by Lőrinc Barabás and Amber Correa. Plus, everyone is invited to take part in an inclusive dance class—open to all levels! Join us as we explore how the arts break barriers, create opportunities, and inspire change. 🔗 Discover all the Inclusive Arts sessions and performances at #ZeroCon25: https://lnkd.in/d9kR5gP3 Isabella Essl, Martin Essl, Connie Vandarakis, Brani Zunami, Rijksmuseum, Cathelijne Denekamp, Franz-Joseph Huainigg, Doris Rothauer, Petra Schön, Kujo Krazy, Mindy Drapsa, Thorsten Hesse, Oren Itzhaki, Fred Maahs, Jr., Shinsuke Shimura, Finn Arild Thordarson, Riksteatern, Pinc Music #ZeroBarriers #InclusiveArts #DisabilityInclusion #RemovingBarriers

The Zero Project is delighted to announce Jutta Treviranus as a #ZeroCon25 Keynote Speaker. Jutta Treviranus, Professor and Director at Inclusive Design Research Centre, will explore whether the destabilization of employment by AI presents an opportunity to reimagine work. Learn more and make sure to add this keynote to your schedule. 📅 Date: Thursday, March 6, 2025 🕕 Time: 10:00 - 10:20 AM CET Discover more about this session at: https://lnkd.in/dnDTEmki #ZeroCon25 is an invitation-only conference (March 5-7, 2025 at the United Nations Office at Vienna). Sessions will be recorded and shared on YouTube after the event. #ZeroBarriers #UniversalDesign #AI #InclusiveEmployment

The Zero Project Technology Forum is an exclusive in-person event held in the lead-up to the annual Zero Project Conference, where innovative ICT solutions for disability inclusion are pitched to potential investors and partners. Months of preparation go into identifying the most promising innovative solutions, along with potential partners, investors, and multipliers from the global Zero Project Network. As part of this process, matchmaking opportunities are carefully selected to maximize the forum's impact, as stakeholders from around the world come together in person in Vienna. This year's edition of the Zero Project Technology Forum will focus on 22 ICT innovations and opportunities to scale or replicate their solutions. It is organised with the support of UniCredit Bank Austria AG, Google, Microsoft, Seneca Trust, and Cisco. In this short video, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo shares her experience and thoughts on the forum. Wilfried Kainz, David Banes #Accessibility #Inclusion #TechForGood #ZeroBarriers

We are happy to witness the replication of an Indian disability innovation in Africa and Kenya - the power of global collaboration! This initiative is a Zero Project Awardee 2025, recognized for its impact. 🌱