On September 18, 2025, we hosted DIGIN 2025 – Digital Inclusion in the Information Society at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics, University of Maribor – www.digin.si. The hybrid format, supported by advanced technical solutions, ensured a high level of accessibility and attracted more than 150 participants – around 50 in person and 100 online. The event demonstrated that modern technologies can help us build an inclusive information society in which everyone has the opportunity to participate.
The workshop offered a full-day program with 17 high-quality contributions presented by both domestic and international experts. The focus was on organizational, institutional, and social aspects of digital inclusion; tools and technologies for greater accessibility and user independence; user experience research; and best practices in the use of artificial intelligence in education. Contributions also highlighted the challenges faced by people with visual or hearing impairments and autism, the psychological aspects of digital inclusion, as well as approaches to improving accessibility in everyday life and education.
A particularly valuable part of the event was the roundtable discussion, where people with various disabilities and students whose first language is not Slovene shared their experiences. These personal insights further emphasized that digital inclusion is a broad and multifaceted topic requiring both research-based and practical solutions – but above all, openness, collaboration, and empathy.
Accessibility was further supported by sign language interpreters, captioners, and AI-powered automatic translation provided by XPRO, alongside an experienced technical team that ensured the hybrid event ran smoothly and remained truly accessible.
Together we showed that digital inclusion is a topic that transcends individual fields and touches the lives of each and every one of us. That is why we must continue to invest in research and the development of innovative solutions that will enable greater accessibility, inclusion, and equal participation of all users in the information society.
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