More than 200 people took part in an online conference organized by the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation and the Nizhny Novgorod Region on digital inclusion.

      01 October 2025 15:55 The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation and the Nizhny Novgorod Region held an online conference "Inclusive Drive" dedicated to digital inclusion. The event was timed to coincide with the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

      Participants discussed how legislation on the accessibility of government websites for people with visual impairments works, common developer mistakes, product teams’ experience in adapting sites for blind users, and tasks related to involving blind users in testing and adapting web resources.

      Blind testers and developers, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia and the Nizhny Novgorod Region, executive bodies from the regions, government website contractors, IT businesses, and experts in inclusive design took part in the conference.

      “We pay great attention to digital accessibility. In Russia, according to official data, there are more than 11 million citizens with disabilities. More than half of them use the internet, and more than a third do so daily. The statistics speak for themselves, and it becomes clear how important it is to adapt our platforms and websites, making them as accessible as possible to any user. It is no less important to teach blind people and people with other perceptual differences the skills to work with digital services so that they feel on equal footing with other citizens,” said Alexander Sinelobov, Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      Important decisions were announced at the event to expand the accessibility of government websites for people with visual disabilities.

      “Accessibility for people with visual disabilities on government websites will be elevated in status. It is planned that requirements for interfaces and digital content will move from an order of the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia to a Government of the Russian Federation decree. The description of the requirements will become more detailed. The draft decree is already in progress,” said Ilya Lebedev, head of the Laboratory of Inclusive Technologies of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      An initiative was also announced to create a domestic knowledge base on digital accessibility with principles of inclusive design, features of how different users perceive interfaces, and tools for designers and developers. As Andrey Ulyanov, director of the Department for Service Development and Customer Experience at the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia, reported, the launch of a project with basic recommendations is expected this year, followed by further development of the portal.

      In addition, the federal digital ministry is creating a working group on digital inclusion composed of representatives of government bodies. Experts will develop solutions to eliminate the digital isolation of citizens with disabilities.

      Recall that since 2023 the Nizhny Novgorod Region has been carrying out a large-scale modernization of regional and municipal websites to meet new accessibility requirements for people with visual disabilities. About 200 resources have already been adapted. The region also provides free training for blind people on using gadgets and is introducing courses into university curricula for IT specialists who will create accessible interfaces and universal design.

      Improving the accessibility of government websites for all categories of users aligns with the objectives of the new national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State", which came into effect in Russia on January 1, 2025, at the instruction of President Vladimir Putin.

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