Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

Today, May 19, 2022, is the 11th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to raise awareness surrounding digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion individuals with disabilities/impairments. This may come as a surprise, but Global Accessibility Awareness Day was inspired by a single blog post written by Los Angeles-based web developer Joe Devon back in 2011.

The post, titled "CHALLENGE: Accessibility know-how needs to go mainstream with developers. NOW," was a bold call to action in which Devon brought attention to the lack of readily available information about online accessibility. In recent years we've seen some amazing action taken. From the creation of virtual marches, which give those with physical disabilities a place to protest online, to more advanced social media tools, this day is intended to bring light to accessibility needs. 

For instance, Facebook's face recognition and automatic alt-text tools help blind users and people with low vision better identify posts and people in photographs. 

There is still significant room for improvement when it comes to digital inclusion. For instance, more than 98% of website homepages have at least one Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG Level A) failure, and the average homepage has over 60 errors. We have assistive technology available to help these people access information on the internet. However, this technology will not work to its fullest potential if your website doesn’t thoroughly follow the WCAG guidelines. There are many ways to spread accessibility awareness. This year, there will be over 50 activities and events hosted worldwide in recognition of GAAD. There are also many videos, articles, and more that provide information on accessibility and ways you can help bring awareness to it!