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Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2023

Thursday, May 18, 2023, marks the 12th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access/inclusion and people with different disabilities.

What is Digital Accessibility?

Every user deserves a first-rate digital experience on the web. Someone with a disability must be able to experience web-based services, content and other digital products with the same successful outcome as those without disabilities. This awareness and commitment to inclusion is the goal of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a global event that shines a light on digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities.

Population Affected By Inaccessibility

From both a civil rights and a business perspective, people with disabilities are underserved by today’s digital products. 1 Billion People Worldwide Have Disabilities.

image by GAAD

Common Disabilities/​Impairments

Visual
People who are blind need alternative text descriptions for meaningful images and use the keyboard and not a mouse to interact with interactive elements.

Hearing
People who are deaf or hard of hearing will need captioning for video presentations and visual indicators in place of audio cues.

Motor
People with motor impairments may need alternative keyboards, eye control or some other adaptive hardware to help them type and navigate on their devices.

Cognitive
An uncluttered screen, consistent navigation and the use of plain language would be useful for people with different learning disabilities/impairments.

Visit the GAAD website to read more about Global Accessibility Day and access their resources.

*Content sourced from: https://accessibility.day/