In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (the third Thursday in May every year), the second Accessibility Festival Week (AFW) was held from May 16th to June 3rd. After starting last year at the Samsung Electronics Seoul R&D Campus, this year the AFW event was held for two weeks across all DX division sites in Suwon, Gwangju, and Gumi.
Reflecting the opinions of the employees who participated the previous year, this year’s event included a variety of exhibits and experiences to highlight diversity and inclusion. In particular, this year's AFW was organized to give Samsung Electronics employees information on accessibility from diverse perspectives to challenge their perceptions and create a place for open communication with each other.
At the Seoul R&D Campus, we collaborated with the Siloam Center for the Blind to prepare the ‘Tactile Paintings and Textbooks Exhibition’1). Additionally, we held the ‘Accessibility Photo Contest Outstanding Works Exhibition’ completed with the participation of employees, and the ‘Accessibility Products Exhibition’ showcasing Samsung Electronics’ accessibility footprint and the latest accessibility features. During the same period, photo contests, tactile painting exhibition, and seminars from accessibility experts in various fields were held in Suwon, Gwangju, and Gumi, earning a great response from employees.
▲ Tactile Paintings and Textbooks Exhibition and Outstanding Works from the Samsung Electronics Employee Accessibility Photo Contest
▲ Samsung Electronics Accessibility Products Exhibition
On the last day of AFW, an accessibility seminar and a talk show with a panel of employees were held in the Creative Hall of the Seoul R&D Campus. Hosted by accessibility expert and CEO of Bodle Theater, Tae-young Ko, the event began with a keynote speech by Jinsoo Kim, Executive Vice President of the Corporate Design Center and head of the Samsung Accessibility Committee2). This was followed by a seminar from Seung-whan Song, the artistic director of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Opening and Closing ceremonies, titled ‘Accessibility and Art for All — Culture is competitiveness’, and a talk show with panels of Samsung Electronics’ employees, based on the company’s accessibility vision and principles, provided an opportunity to empathize with and understand more about accessibility.
▲ Events on the last day of 2024 Accessibility Festival Week
This year marked the second AFW expanded to all Samsung Electronics DX division sites, which provided a meaningful time for many employees to share their thoughts on accessibility. Samsung Electronics will further employees’ understanding of accessibility and improve product accessibility through continuous attention and effort.
1) The tactile painting and textbooks were provided by the Siloam Center for the Blind. The Siloam Center for the Blind is a non-profit private organization that develops and practices advanced welfare models for the blind.
2) The Samsung Accessibility Committee works closely together with designers and developers to continuously improve the accessibility experience for all Samsung users.