Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)
In this article, we will discuss:
History of Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Global accessibility awareness day (GAAD) is observed on the third Thursday of May focused on increasing digital accessibility for those living with disabilities.
Digital accessibility refers to the practice of designing digital content and technologies in a way that can be accessed, understood, and used by everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The goal is to eliminate barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from interacting with digital tools.
Recognizing the challenges of digital accessibility after his dad’s vision declined with age, web developer, Joe Devon wrote a blog post that inspired the idea of GAAD. Subsequently, Jennison Asuncion, an accessibility professional, stumbled upon Joe's post on Twitter and reached out.
Together, they leveraged their expertise and networks to bring GAAD to life, envisioning it as a day to spark conversation about accessibility in tech and promote inclusive practices in the digital world.
Why Do We Observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day?
Worldwide, there are 1 billion people living with disabilities. A surprising revelation came from the analysis of one million homepages which indicated that 98.1% of them have at least one Web Content Accessibility Guideline failure, with an average of 60.9 errors per homepage.
This highlights the significance of GAAD as a designated day to educate the general public about the importance of digital accessibility. In a world where the internet is a necessity to function in our society, GAAD serves as a reminder of why digital spaces need to be inclusive for all. The day also issues a call to action, urging individuals and organizations to proactively enhance digital accessibility within their digital content.
Taking action is not merely an option but a requirement, especially with legal regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act aimed at protecting people with disabilities from discrimination.
DID YOU KNOW: The importance of digital accessibility was a lesson learned by Scandinavian Airlines when they were fined $200K by the U.S. Department of Transportation for developing a separate website for individuals with disabilities instead of ensuring accessibility on their main website.
Understanding Digital Accessibility
There are a number of common disabilities affected by digital accessibility, including:
👀Visual
Individuals who are blind rely on screen readers to convert alternative text descriptions for images into speech or presented through braille displays.
People with low vision may have difficulty seeing small text, poor color contrast, or certain visual elements.
👂🏿Hearing
Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals rely on visual cues, such as subtitles or sign language interpreters, for accessing audio content.
💻Motor
People with motor impairments may not be able to use a mouse or keyboard. Accessible design includes an alternative keyboard, eye control, voice recognition, or specialized hardware to help them type and navigate devices.
💬Cognitive
People with learning disabilities and attention disorders may benefit from clear and simple language, organized content and consistent navigation.
What are Web Content Accessibility Guidelines?
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are guidelines for making web content more accessible. It provides a framework for web developers and designers to follow to ensure the tools they create are inclusive and usable for a diverse range of people, including those with disabilities.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are structured around 4 key principles which provide 13 guidelines in total.
4 Key Principles of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines:
Perceivable
Information must be presented in a way that users can perceive. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content so that it is adaptable to other forms such as captions for multimedia, large print, or simpler language.
2. Operable
Users must be able to operate the interface and navigation. This involves keyboard accessibility, providing sufficient time for users to read and complete tasks, avoiding content that could potentially cause seizures or physical discomfort, and designing navigation that is intuitive and easy to use.
3. Understandable
Users must be able to understand the information and how to operate the user interface. This includes readable text, consistent navigation, predictable functionality, and input assistance to help users avoid and correct errors.
4. Robust
Content must be able to be reliably interpreted by assistive technologies. This involves using valid code, providing proper labelling and structure, and ensuring compatibility with current and future technologies.
How is Digital Accessibility Assessed?
With the principles of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines setting an established framework, it is possible to then set measurements.
Each success criterion is evaluated on three levels of conformance with increasing levels of accessibility requirements:
Level A - Minimum
The most basic level of accessibility.
Level AA - Intermediate
This level addresses the most common barriers for users with disabilities and is the recommended level for most websites.
Level AAA - Advanced
The highest level of accessibility, addressing a broader range of issues and providing the most inclusive experience.
How to Recognize Global Accessibility Awareness Day at Work
Accessibility Audits
To ensure that your organization's digital presence aligns with WCAG and promotes inclusivity, we recommend conducting a comprehensive audit of your social media and website.
WebAIM, a reputable non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing web accessibility for people with disabilities, offers accessibility audits. Their team of accessibility specialists will deliver a report of WCAG conformance and recommended solutions.
Upon successfully addressing the identified barriers, WebAIM will issue an accessible website certification with a 2-year validity.
Attend an Event
GAAD’s official website includes a list of events and activities the community has created to celebrate this day.
Previous events include a hackathon to promote the design of inclusive digital and physical financial assets and tools, free webinars and in-person events around the world. Encourage your team to participate in these events and learn from experts in this field.
Organize Disability Awareness Training
In a disability awareness training session, your employees will learn inclusive language and actions when working with people with disabilities, how to be an ally, common misconceptions of disabilities, and more.
This knowledge is required to promote an inclusive work culture that extends beyond digital accessibility.
Collaborate with Disability Organizations
Partner with local disability organizations or advocacy groups. Invite them to guest speak at your organization, leading discussions centered on accessibility.
Consider involving members of these organizations in user testing sessions to gather valuable feedback on the usability of your digital platforms and pinpoint areas for enhancement. This collaborative effort ensures a diverse perspective and contributes to the continuous improvement of your digital accessibility initiatives.
Apple: A Leader in Digital Accessibility
In the past, Apple has celebrated GAAD by introducing new innovative accessibility features. On GAAD, Apple has introduced features and events such as:
SignTime to connect Apple Store and Apple Support customers with sign language interpreters.
Information sessions held at select Apple Store locations to help customers discover accessibility features.
Remember This added to Shortcuts to help users with cognitive disabilities create a visual diary in Notes for easy reference.
Spotlight of disability community leaders in the App Store and the transformative impact of accessibility apps in their lives.
Door Detection, a navigation feature in the Magnifier app for users with visual disabilities. This helps individuals locate a door after arriving at the destination and details such as whether it is opened or closed, how to open it, and interpreting signs and symbols around the door.
Live captions for FaceTime calls, video conferencing, social media apps, or real-time conversation.
Apple's commitment to GAAD unmistakably reflects the company's core values. With a belief that accessibility is a human right, Apple actively invests in research and innovation, seamlessly integrating inclusion into its product design.
Apple's reputation for exceptional accessibility has tangible benefits in the daily lives of individuals like Rikki.
Given Apple's prominence and influence in the tech industry, its dedication to accessibility serves not only as a benchmark but also as an inspiration for the broader tech community, influencing global standards, fostering innovation, and contributing to the creation of a more inclusive digital landscape.
Additional Digital Accessibility Resources
With low-contrast text being the most common accessibility failure, this is a valuable tool for designers and developers to help determine the legibility of text and the contrast of visual elements.
This is a checklist you can use to evaluate whether your site meets WCAG. What’s great about this list is that it’s interactive and provides additional context on the elements of the guideline.
This tool helps developers check for any accessibility issues simply by inputting a website address. It not only checks for accessibility for the U.S., but other countries such as Canada, France, Germany and Australia.
If you’re early into the design of your website, Perkins Access can be used to review website sketches and share accessibility tips before any code is written. Considering accessibility early on saves time and money so that you don’t have to redesign your website to make it WCAG compliant.
Final Thoughts
Global Accessibility Awareness Day serves as a powerful reminder to prioritize digital inclusivity. Originating from the visionary efforts of Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion, GAAD propels us toward a future where accessibility is not just a goal but a shared commitment.
With many excellent resources and tools available to help organizations create a more inclusive digital presence, it is possible to follow the practices of tech leaders like Apple and embed accessibility into your core operations.
After all, as Apple reminds us, accessibility is a human right.
