The Laboratories on Inclusive Design and Accessible Communication project was a capacity-building initiative designed for content creators, including web developers, designers, graphic designers, illustrators, and journalists in Albania and Kosovo. It aimed to equip participants with tools and practical guidelines, shared by international accessibility experts, to create inclusive and accessible content. The project responded to an urgent need to encourage professionals to adopt inclusive practices, improving communication accessibility for visually impaired individuals, and, more broadly, contributing to education, well-being, and social participation.
Over the course of the project, three specialised laboratories were organised in Tirana and Pristina, complemented by two public visibility events that raised awareness around the achievements of the project and the importance of accessible arts and culture.
The Laboratory on Accessible Web Development and Design, led by the Icelandic expert Egill Harðar, was hosted at UNAA’s offices in Tirana. Participants learned about international web accessibility standards and applied this knowledge in hands-on sessions. As a key output, one participant was selected to develop the programme’s accessible online platform, the first of its kind in the Western Balkans.
The Laboratory on Accessible Digital Media, held at Kosovo 2.0’s premises in Pristina and led by the Irish expert Donal Rice, head of monitoring for the EU Web Accessibility Directive for the Irish public and civil service, brought together journalists, editors, designers, and web managers. Participants explored digital accessibility tools and applied WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) principles to their work. The expert also conducted an accessibility audit of the Kosovo 2.0 website, providing actionable recommendations. As a concrete outcome, five accessible journalistic articles were commissioned and published.
The Laboratory on Inclusive Graphic Design and Illustration was led by Turkish disabled illustrator Hatiye Garip. It gathered professional illustrators, freelance designers, art students, and editorial staff to explore inclusive visual communication. Participants created illustrations with accessibility features to accompany the articles developed by Kosovo 2.0. These were later integrated into the ANNEX platform and showcased at a public event led by Hatiye Garip herself. Two public events strengthened awareness across artistic, cultural, civil society and institutional communities.The project concluded with the launch of the ANNEX web platform, which now serves as a regional showcase for accessible journalism and inclusive visual design, promoting collaboration and best practices in accessible communication.
Implementing partners of the Laboratories on Inclusive Design and Accessible Communication project: United Nations Association Albania (ALB) and Kosovo Glocal (dba Kosovo 2.0) (KOS).
The Laboratories on Inclusive Design and Accessible Communication project was supported by the British Council through the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” project, funded by the European Union. CC4WBs aimed to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.