From Compliance to Experience: The New Accessibility Mandate for 2026

Part 2: The Expectation — Why Waiting Isn’t an Option

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

Accessibility gaps now influence customer loyalty, operational efficiency, and enterprise risk. This session explores the urgency behind acting before regulatory deadlines tighten further.

What You’ll Learn

Experience & Revenue Impact
How inaccessible journeys increase abandonment, reduce conversions, and weaken brand trust.
Regulatory Acceleration Across Industries
How commercial, public sector, and healthcare regulations are evolving toward stricter enforcement.
From Compliance to Competitive Advantage
How leading organizations are integrating accessibility into design systems and governance models.
Accessibility in Procurement & Enterprise Buying
Why accessibility maturity is increasingly evaluated in RFPs and vendor assessments.
Reducing Risk Through Governance
How structured accessibility programs lower remediation costs and reduce legal exposure.
Operational Efficiency & Long-Term ROI
Why proactive investment reduces technical debt and improves digital agility.

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.