DevConf 2026: Accessibility, AI Fails, and Why Free Conferences Rock
My experience at DevConf 2026 in Heerlen - a free developer conference with great talks on accessibility, AI production failures, and extreme programming. Plus: free lunch, free drinks, and speakers who actually talk to you.
Last Friday I attended DevConf 2026 at APG in Heerlen, and I have to say: this is how developer conferences should be done. Free entry, excellent lunch, free drinks at the borrel, free parking, and most importantly - speakers who are genuinely approachable.
The Vibe: Gezellig Tech Talk
Let me be honest upfront: I didn't learn a massive amount of new things. But that's not a criticism - that's actually fine. What DevConf nailed was the atmosphere. It was relaxed, friendly, and there were plenty of opportunities to chat with speakers between sessions. No VIP lounges, no speaker-only areas. Just developers talking to developers.
Accessibility: More Than Just Compliance
The day kicked off with two solid accessibility talks. Anuradha Kumari's session on "Interactions that work for all users" introduced Microsoft's Inclusive Design methodology - worth googling if you haven't already.
The key insight? Accessibility isn't just about permanent disabilities. Think about it in three dimensions:
- Permanent - Someone who is blind
- Temporary - Someone recovering from eye surgery
- Situational - Someone in bright sunlight who can't see their screen
This framework applies across touch, speech, sight, hearing, and cognitive abilities. The cognitive aspect was particularly interesting - it's often overlooked in accessibility discussions.
Practical A11y Tips
Some actionable takeaways:
- Use
sr-onlyclasses to inject content for screen readers - Test with VoiceOver or Chrome's accessibility tab to check what the screen reader name actually is
- Check out axe-core for accessibility testing - it integrates nicely with Playwright
- Consider adding an accessibility statement to your website explaining what you're working on - it can help avoid fines while you're improving
Ramona Domen's talk on "Shift Left on Accessibility" hammered home the point: accessibility should be embedded in your design system from the start, not bolted on after an audit.
The EAA is Coming
A reminder that hit home: the European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline is approaching. By 2030, all existing inaccessible applications must be made accessible. Interestingly, B2B applications might be exempt - something I need to verify. Either way, if you're building consumer-facing products, now's the time to start.
101 AI Fuck-Ups: Production Reality Check
Ruben Busch's talk "101 AI Fuck-Ups" was exactly what it sounds like - a honest look at why most AI projects fail in production. After all the AI hype, it's refreshing to hear someone talk about the actual challenges rather than just the possibilities.
Extreme Programming: The Lost Knowledge
Jan Van Ryswyck's session on Extreme Programming was a nice throwback. XP practices like pair programming, TDD, and continuous integration were revolutionary in the early 2000s, and while we've adopted some of them, we've also lost others. Worth revisiting the original ideas.
Build Your Own AI Agent
"The Emperor has no clothes: Building your own AI Agent" by Serge Don was a practical session on demystifying AI agents. The title says it all - you don't need to be an ML expert to build useful AI tooling.
The DevConf Formula
What makes DevConf work:
- ✅ Free admission
- ✅ Quality speakers who stick around
- ✅ Excellent (free) lunch
- ✅ Free borrel afterwards
- ✅ Free parking
- ✅ Relaxed atmosphere
- ✅ No corporate sales pitches disguised as talks
If you're in the Netherlands and looking for a developer conference that doesn't take itself too seriously while still delivering solid content, DevConf should be on your radar for next year.
My Key Takeaways
- Accessibility is a spectrum (permanent, temporary, situational) - design for all of them
- EAA 2030 deadline is coming - start auditing your apps now
- axe-core + Playwright = solid accessibility testing
- AI in production is hard - don't believe the hype, prepare for the reality
- Free conferences with good vibes > expensive conferences with keynote speakers you'll never meet
See you at DevConf 2027? 🎉