The John von Neumann Computer Society (NJSZT) is reinforcing its commitment to building a more inclusive digital society, placing digital skills, equal opportunity, and social impact at the heart of its renewed strategy. As highlighted in a recent article published in IT Business, one of Hungary’s leading professional magazines, the Society’s new leadership aims to preserve its long-standing professional values while expanding initiatives that address social challenges through technology.
NJSZT views digital competencies not simply as technical skills but as essential tools for reducing social inequalities and promoting equal opportunities. Key priorities include digital inclusion, lifelong learning, cybersecurity awareness, and the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence. The organization believes that everyone should benefit from digital transformation, regardless of age, location, or personal circumstances, and is therefore seeking stronger partnerships with universities, civil society organizations, and industry stakeholders.
One of the most successful examples of this vision is a nationally unique programme operating at the John von Neumann Faculty of Informatics at Óbuda University since 2001. For 25 years, the initiative has provided free IT training to people with visual, hearing, mobility, and deafblind disabilities, supporting their social integration and employability. Participants benefit from an accessible learning environment equipped with assistive technologies such as screen readers, speech synthesis software, and optical character recognition tools. The programme’s distinctive mentoring approach, involving instructors and mentors with disabilities themselves, fosters trust and creates an empowering learning experience.
The ICDL certification plays a central role in the programme, helping participants gain valuable digital skills and improve their employment prospects. NJSZT supports the initiative through professional oversight and by providing free electronic exam cards.
As digital technologies continue to evolve, the ICDL framework is expanding to include subjects such as online collaboration, social media, coding, and artificial intelligence. Reflecting this development, Óbuda University will host its first ICDL Artificial Intelligence module exams for people with disabilities in late June and early July 2026. The introduction of AI training underscores the belief that people with disabilities should have equal access to emerging technologies, many of which also enhance accessibility through innovations such as speech recognition and automatic captioning.
By combining technological innovation with social responsibility, NJSZT aims to help bridge the digital divide, support people with disabilities, strengthen digital literacy among older generations, and promote accessible technologies. Through collaboration between educational institutions, civil society organizations, and industry partners, the Society’s renewed strategy seeks to build knowledge communities capable of addressing both the technological and social challenges of the 21st century.
