COGAI Update: Q3 September 2026

Nine months after its launch, COGAI continues to develop rapidly. This Q3 update reflects on the journey from the work beginning in 2023 to the growing institute of today, including professional learning, research, publishing, lived experience, partnerships and growing organisational interest.

By Gareth Slinn

From an idea to an institute

The work that eventually became COGAI began in 2023, with the development of ideas, frameworks and practical approaches focused on cognitive accessibility and the barriers that conventional accessibility practice does not always address. That work continued to evolve until December 2025, when COGAI officially launched as the Cognitive Accessibility Institute. The nine months since launch have moved particularly quickly. COGAI has developed from a new specialist institute into a growing professional ecosystem spanning education and certification, organisational services, research, publishing, partnerships and lived-experience participation.

Building professional capability

Professional learning and certification pathways have been established and continue to expand. External recognition has developed alongside them, helping COGAI build the foundations for professionals and organisations to develop demonstrable cognitive accessibility capability. But learning is only one part of what COGAI is becoming. We are also developing organisational services, research programmes, public-interest resources and professional communities that connect lived experience, emerging evidence and accessibility practice.

Research, publishing and participation

Research and public-interest work have become an increasingly important part of COGAI. Our research is attracting international participation, while the COGAI Articles platform is opening the institute to independent writers and perspectives beyond our own. We are also developing new ways for lived experience to contribute to our work. This is important because cognitive accessibility cannot develop solely through standards and professional practice. The experiences of people encountering cognitive barriers need to help inform where the field goes next.

Growing organisational interest

We are also beginning to see growing interest from organisations exploring cognitive accessibility, professional learning and capability development. These conversations and relationships are at different stages and remain confidential. It is still early, but the interest is encouraging and provides another indication that cognitive accessibility is beginning to develop beyond specialist discussion and towards practical organisational application.

Independently funded

COGAI has so far been developed without external investment or financial backing. The institute, platform, learning programmes, certification infrastructure, research and supporting services have been funded independently. Feedback and professional input have helped inform their continuing development. This funding independence has allowed COGAI to focus on the longer-term needs of the field rather than short-term investor expectations. Revenue and scale will matter as COGAI develops, but they are not the only measures that matter at this stage. Our immediate priority has been establishing the credibility, evidence, capability and infrastructure needed for longer-term adoption.

The end of the beginning

From beginning the work in 2023, to launching COGAI in December 2025, to where the institute stands in September 2026, progress has been considerably faster than originally anticipated. There is still a great deal to build, learn and test. September 2026 therefore feels less like an arrival point and more like the end of the beginning. The foundations are increasingly in place. The next phase is about seeing what professionals, organisations and the wider community do with them.