The Seventh Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is May 17
The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access, inclusion, and people with different disabilities.
The third Thursday in May is set aside to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This year, it is being celebrated on Thursday, May 18. Global Accessibility Awareness Day originally came about when a couple of webmasters had an online discussion. They realized that few web developers really knew about what they needed to do to ensure web sites and apps were usable by folks with all kinds of disabilities, and compatible with a wide range of Assistive Technologies.
The original celebration was aimed at backend developers. It challenged them to test their site for accessibility and make at least one improvement. It directed them to resources they could use to check a site from a person with a disability's point of view. It tried to ensure developers knew about technologies such as screen readers, alternative input devices, and principles of universal design.
In subsequent years, the effort expanded to encourage greater awareness of assistive technology, as well as how the digital world could do a better job of ensuring things worked for those using adaptive equipment. Despite the fact there is legislation compelling an accessible digital world, a lot of barriers remain. Few developers are well versed in mandates, nor do they know how to comply. GAAD hopes to change this.
In subsequent years, the effort expanded to encourage greater awareness of assistive technology, as well as how the digital world could do a better job of ensuring things worked for those using adaptive equipment. Despite the fact there is legislation compelling an accessible digital world, a lot of barriers remain. Few developers are well versed in mandates, nor do they know how to comply. GAAD hopes to change this.
Today, GAAD continues to focus on increasing awareness. If developers knew more about how physical and cognitive limitations affect usability, and possibly exclude millions of potential users, they'd be more prone to address them. GAAD helps to facilitate this. Events are planned to spotlight and demonstrate assistive technologies, both online and offline.
