Image: Tobias Kirsch
Accessibility is not something we build for people. It is something we build with people.
In this year, I have been running inclusive dance courses for people with cognitive and learning disabilities and for people who are blind or visually impaired. What started as a local initiative has influenced my work in digital accessibility, test automation, and AI-assisted quality engineering more than I expected.
Earlier in my life, I spent many years teaching sports and dance classes, building communities, and completing formal coaching certifications. After a longer pause, I’m reconnecting with that foundation, this time with a new lens shaped by accessibility work, engineering, and AI.
The deliberate bridge between analog accessibility and digital engineering has fundamentally changed how I approach accessibility testing, automation design, and collaboration. The lessons learned outside of software have directly improved how I design test strategies and understand accessibility in real systems.
Standards such as WCAG and EN 301 549 provide essential structure, but they do not teach empathy. Working directly with participants revealed how clarity, predictability, and trust affect confidence and usability.
A confusing navigation structure is the digital equivalent of unclear instructions. An inconsistent interface resembles unpredictable choreography. Accessibility is ultimately about reducing cognitive and perceptual friction.
In dance training, exercises with closed eyes improve sensitivity, clarity, and connection. Working with blind participants reinforced this insight in real life. When visual cues are removed, structure, communication, and consistency become essential.
This directly translates to software engineering. Accessibility is not an edge case. It reveals the true quality of system design.
Inclusive coaching follows agile principles: observe, adapt, iterate, and collaborate. Supporting participants in becoming co‑trainers reflects a deeper goal: enabling participation, leadership, and long‑term sustainability.
This principle also strengthens accessibility engineering. Involving users with disabilities directly improves testing quality and design decisions.
Accessibility barriers are often structural and financial. Reducing barriers enables participation and confidence. Accessibility is not only about allowing access, but enabling contribution.
I am currently expanding my qualifications in prevention and rehabilitation domains to further reduce financial barriers and enable broader participation in inclusive sports and dance. I am also listed as an inclusive trainer within the German Dance Sport Federation framework, to support inclusive initiatives beyond a single location. These experiences continue to influence my accessibility consulting work, particularly in automation strategy, accessibility engineering, and AI‑assisted testing.
Through a dedicated support program, a co-trainer with an intellectual disability will be trained in tandem with an already licensed trainer. The intention behind this approach is that inclusive programs should not only be designed for people with disabilities, but also together with them. Over time, this may help create more opportunities for individuals with disabilities to take on active roles as trainers and contributors within inclusive environments. Read more here: Co-Trainer Ausbildung | BVS Bayern
AI can help identify accessibility issues and patterns, but human experience provides essential context. AI amplifies expertise, but it cannot replace empathy, observation, and user understanding.
• Accessibility begins with mindset and empathy.
• Direct interaction improves accessibility engineering quality.
• Agile collaboration strengthens accessibility outcomes.
• AI enhances accessibility testing but cannot replace human insight.
• Inclusion should empower participation and leadership.
• Analog accessibility experience strengthens digital engineering.