Summer school

AI-Enabled Digital Accessibility Summer School 2026

15-17 June 2026 | University of Surrey, UK

The inaugural ADA Summer School on AI-enabled Digital Accessibility will take place from 15 to 17 June 2026 at the University of Surrey, hosted by the Centre for Translation Studies with support from the ADA Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarships Network.

About the Summer School

AI-enabled Digital Accessibility (ADA) is an exciting field that brings together expertise from artificial intelligence, computer science, translation studies, accessible communication, cognitive and social sciences, and inclusive design. ADA explores how advances in AI can work alongside human expertise to improve digital media access for a wide range of users. The specific focus of ADA is on enhancing accessible communication and creating high-quality accessible content at scale. Current ADA projects focus on the use of AI in accessibility practices such as subtitling, captioning and audio description, as well as on approaches to improve cognitive access, text simplification and multilingual accessibility. 

This emerging field represents a paradigm shift from purely engineering-led, AI-driven methods towards an AI-enabled approach where user needs guide the development of responsible, nuanced solutions for accessible digital content. At ADA’s core is the principle that only human-in-control approaches can effectively mitigate AI risks, such as bias, errors, and privacy concerns. ADA therefore aims to establish a new interdisciplinary research paradigm leading to truly responsible research designs and solutions.

This intensive 2.5-day Summer School will equip participants with critical knowledge, research insights, and methodological skills essential to kickstart and/or refine cutting-edge research in this area. You’ll explore interdisciplinary approaches based on the latest projects in this field and develop collaborative research skills that prioritise human-centred integration of AI technologies in digital accessible communication.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Summer School, you will:

• Master foundational concepts of ADA theory and methodology
• Understand current challenges and opportunities in the field, including relevant legislative and ethical frameworks
• Gain exposure to user-centred methodologies and learn when and how to make informed decisions about involving users in your research
• Explore the latest research findings through case studies spanning AI-enabled multimodal practices such as video/image-to-speech (e.g. audio/video description), speech-to-text (e.g. live subtitling), and text-focused practices (e.g. text simplification)
• Present and refine your research through peer and expert feedback sessions
• Work in teams to address authentic challenges in accessible media and communication through industry-led collaboration

Interactive Learning Experiences

The Summer School will feature a range of:

• Interactive lectures and workshops covering theoretical and methodological aspects of ADA research
• ‘Lightning talks’ where you’ll present your research to peers and receive feedback
• Research design clinics to refine your project idea and make informed decisions about when and how to involve users in your research
• Expert panel discussion exploring challenges and opportunities in applying cutting-edge AI technologies to make digital media and communication (more) accessible
• Project development workshops to co-create innovative approaches to tackle authentic accessibility challenges 

Throughout the Summer School, you'll have the unique opportunity to connect with fellow researchers, established academics, and industry professionals who are shaping the future of AI-enabled digital accessibility.

Programme

The programme will feature presentations and workshops from members of the ADA consortium alongside distinguished external invited speakers from leading institutions and industry partners.

Confirmed Guest Speaker: Prof. Horacio Saggion (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) – Please note that Prof. Saggion will also deliver a keynote at our Convergence 2026 conference: Human-AI Integration for Multilingual and Accessible Communication, held at the University of Surrey in Guildford from 17 to 19 June. The conference will feature a dedicated strand on AI-enabled digital accessibility and societal inclusion. 

Full programme details for the Summer School will be announced soon.

Who Should Apply

This summer school is primarily designed for PhD students and early-career researchers in translation studies, audiovisual translation, accessible communication, computer science, human-computer interaction or adjacent fields who want to learn more about AI applications to accessible digital communication.

We want our Summer School to be inclusive. If you’re interested but uncertain about your fit for the programme, we encourage you to reach out.

Application Process

Important Dates

• 15 February 2026: Registration opens
• 15 March 2026: Application deadline
• 1 April 2026: Notification of acceptance
• 27 April 2026: Deadline for registration on the portal

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online using a registration link that will be available from 15th February. You will be asked to include:

• Personal and academic details (affiliation, career stage)
• Academic background statement (300 words) - describe your current field of study and relevant experience
• Interest statement (300 words) - explain your motivation for attending and how it relates to your research goals
• Project outline (500 words) - describe a current or planned research project you’re working on
• Have you already started working on this project? Yes/No
• Availability to present - indicate whether you’d like to present your project for peer feedback

Registration fees

Participants in the ADA Summer School will be eligible for discounted conference registration fees. You can check the fees for the conference only here. 

Organising committee

Prof Sabine Braun 

Professor of Translation Studies

Director, ADA Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Network

Director, Centre for Translation Studies (CTS), University of Surrey 

Co-director, Surrey Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence (PAI)

Leading expert in human–machine interaction to enhance access to information, culture, media and services; focus on spoken-language interpreting and audio (video) description.

Dr Elena Davitti

Associate Professor in Translation Studies, CTS Surrey

Co-Director, ADA Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Network

Specialist in human-centric, hybrid modalities for real-time speech-to-speech and speech-to-text practices across languages.

Prof Constantin Orasan

Professor of Language and Translation Technologies, CTS Surrey

Co-Director, ADA Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarships Network 

Expert in Natural Language Processing (NLP), with particular emphasis on using it for translation, interpreting and to facilitate access to information.

Dr Yuan Zou

Lecturer in Translation Studies, CTS Surrey

Specialist in AI-enabled accessible communication, with a focus on audio description and inclusive design for video games and interactive digital content.

Questions? Contact us at cts@surrey.ac.uk for more information.