From Compliance to Experience: The New Accessibility Mandate for 2026

Part 1: The Shift — Accessibility in 2026

Available now: Understand how accessibility is reshaping digital experience in 2026.

AI is accelerating digital transformation, but the foundation of strong digital experience remains clarity, usability, trust, and accessibility. This session establishes the strategic landscape shaping 2026.

What You’ll Learn

The 2026 Digital Experience Landscape
How rising expectations, regulatory expansion, and AI-driven innovation are reshaping digital experience strategy.
Accessibility as Experience Infrastructure
Why accessibility is foundational to trust, usability, and long-term digital resilience.
From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
How leading organizations are integrating accessibility into design systems and governance models.
Scaling Sustainable Accessibility Programs
How digital accessibility platforms, AI-assisted workflows, and cross-functional ownership enable long-term maturity.

Continue the Series

Speakers

Matthew Bebenek

Director, Global Presales, Solutions & Value Engineering, Siteimprove

Matthew Bebenek brings more than a decade of experience in software solutions consulting and digital strategy. As Global Director for Solutions Engineering at Siteimprove, he works with organizations to improve digital performance, accessibility maturity, and content quality at scale.

He focuses on helping teams operationalize data, align governance with strategy, and accelerate meaningful digital experience improvements.

Gina Bhawalkar Principal Analyst at Forrester.

Gina Calcaterra Bhawalkar

Principal Analyst, Digital Accessibility & Design, Forrester

Gina leads Forrester’s research on digital accessibility and inclusive experience design. She advises organizations on how to establish and scale sustainable accessibility practices and is a recognized expert in the digital accessibility platform (DAP) market. Her research has been featured in major publications, including The Wall Street Journal, and she is a frequent speaker on accessibility, inclusive design, and experience strategy.

With more than 20 years of UX and CX leadership experience, Gina brings deep expertise in accessibility governance, design systems, personas, and measuring the business impact of digital experience improvements.