Welcome to the proceedings of ICCHP 2008. We were proud to welcome participants from more than 40 countries from all con- nents to ICCHP. The International Programme Committee, encompassing 102 experts form all over the world, selected 150 full and 40 short papers out of 360 abstracts submitted to ICCHP. Our acceptance rate of about half of the submissions, demonstrates the scientific quality of the programme and in particular the proceedings you have in your hands. An impressive group of experts agreed to organize “Special Thematic Sessions” (STS) for ICCHP 2008. The existence of these STS sessions helped to bring the me- ing into sharper focus in several key areas of assistive technology. In turn, this deeper level of focus helped to bring together the state-of-the-art and mainstream technical, social, cultural and political developments. Our keynote speaker, Jim Fruchterman from BeneTech, USA highlighted the - portance of giving access to ICT and AT at a global level. In another keynote by H- old Thimbleby, Swansea University, UK, the role of user-centred design and usability engineering in assistive technology and accessibility was addressed. And finally, a combination keynote and panel discussion was reserved for WAI/WCAG2.0, which we expect to be the new reference point for Web accessibility from the summer of 2008 and beyond.

Success and e?ciency are the latest standards and scales of our society. Virtual surroundings and communication rooms, electronic portals and platforms are pushing us into a new world of personal and professional interaction and c- peration. The network to subdue violence is fragile and crumbly, tradition is no longer a power of our community. What of leisure time, dreams, and fantasy? What of education in the family, at school and at university? Travelling round the world to develop yourself –how man becomes man: pleading for a new determination of the idea of education –a mission of past centuries inadequate nowadays? Regarding September 11th last year, the con?icts and confrontations round the globe, and events in our direct surroundings these questions seem to be a cry at least to re?ect upon what is happening around us and where we –all of us –still play an active role. An International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs is like an island –is this a topic at all these days, is it worth disc- sing the area of ICT and the situation of people with disabilities, persons who are segregated from developing their personal and professional careers? Indeed the biennial meeting has never included these actualities, but the basic idea behind ICCHP, starting in 1989, was to focus on these fringe groups and to o?er a platform of exchange on all aspects of Human Computer Interaction and the usage of ICT for people with special needs.