Every year, on the third Thursday of May, the world comes together to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a day dedicated to raising awareness about digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide who live with disabilities. From websites to mobile apps, digital accessibility plays a vital role in creating equal opportunities and fostering inclusive digital experiences. But beyond technology, GAAD is about understanding, empathy, and taking tangible steps toward a more accessible world.
A Brief History of GAAD
The idea behind GAAD began with a single blog post in 2011 by Joe Devon, a Los Angeles-based web developer. Frustrated by how often accessibility was overlooked in the tech industry, Joe proposed the idea of a day to raise awareness about digital accessibility. Around the same time, he connected with Jennison Asuncion, an accessibility professional based in Toronto, who shared his passion for inclusion and quickly joined the cause.
Together, they co-founded Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which was first observed in May 2012. What started as a grassroots movement quickly gained momentum, drawing attention from individuals, tech companies, educators, and governments around the globe. Since then, GAAD has grown into a worldwide initiative, sparking conversations, events, and innovations that aim to make the digital world more inclusive.
What Is Digital Accessibility?
At its core, digital accessibility means ensuring that digital tools like websites, apps, documents, and multimedia can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. This includes users who are blind or low-vision, deaf or hard of hearing, have limited mobility, or experience cognitive differences.
Digital accessibility allows users to:
- Navigate websites with screen readers or keyboard-only controls
- Watch videos with captions or audio descriptions
- Fill out forms using voice recognition software
- Understand content structured with clear headings and logical navigation
Designing with digital accessibility in mind ensures that no one is excluded from the increasingly digital world we live in, whether it’s accessing healthcare portals, applying for jobs, or participating in online education.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide an internationally recognized framework for making digital content more accessible. These guidelines focus on making content Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust a helpful standard for any organization serious about inclusivity.
Inaccessible digital experiences are more than just frustrating, they can be barriers to independence and opportunity. That’s why digital accessibility isn’t just a tech problem; it’s a human rights issue.
Why GAAD Matters
The significance of GAAD extends far beyond just one day of awareness. It acts as a catalyst for long-term change by:
1. Raising Awareness
Many people, especially those without disabilities, are unaware of the barriers that exist in the digital world. GAAD helps highlight these challenges and encourages people to start thinking about inclusive design in every digital interaction.
2. Educating the Tech Industry
GAAD prompts developers, designers, product managers, and content creators to prioritize accessibility from the beginning of a project. By learning about standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and incorporating accessibility testing tools, tech teams can create products that work for everyone.
3. Empowering People with Disabilities
For many people with disabilities, GAAD serves as a platform to share experiences, celebrate progress, and advocate for change. It validates the importance of their voices in conversations about technology and inclusion.
4. Driving Policy and Organizational Change
GAAD often leads to increased attention from policymakers, industry leaders, and organizations who realize the importance of making accessibility a core part of their digital strategy. Many companies use GAAD as a launchpad for accessibility audits, training programs, and employee resource groups.
The Impact So Far
In its relatively short history, GAAD has had a transformational impact on the digital landscape:
- Thousands of events are held globally every year ranging from webinars and hackathons to live demonstrations of assistive technology.
- Major tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Adobe regularly launch accessibility updates, initiatives, or awareness campaigns in alignment with GAAD.
- Nonprofit organizations, universities, and governments use the day to review their accessibility policies and develop action plans.
- Most importantly, GAAD has sparked an ongoing global dialogue about inclusion by design, not as an afterthought, but as a starting point.
How to Celebrate and Support GAAD
Whether you’re an individual, educator, developer, or organization, there are many meaningful ways to celebrate GAAD and contribute to the cause of digital accessibility.
1. Attend or Host an Accessibility Event
Join a local or virtual event focused on accessibility. Look for webinars, workshops, or panel discussions that explore different aspects of inclusive design. If you’re in a position to do so, consider hosting an event at your company or school to raise awareness and share knowledge.
2. Experience the Web Like a Screen Reader User
One powerful way to understand the importance of accessible design is to experience the web through the lens of someone using assistive technology. Try navigating your website or app using a screen reader (e.g., JAWS) or by using only your keyboard. It’s an eye-opening exercise that reveals how inaccessible many digital experiences still are.
3. Conduct an Accessibility Audit
If you manage a website or digital product, use GAAD as an opportunity to evaluate your platform’s accessibility. Free tools like AllAccessible can help identify issues. Consider partnering with accessibility experts to perform a full audit and develop a remediation plan.
4. Update Your Content for Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t just about code. It includes how you write and format your content. Simple steps like:
- Adding alt text to images
- Using descriptive link text
- Ensuring proper heading structure
- Providing captions or transcripts for videos
5. Educate Yourself and Your Team
Knowledge is the first step toward action. Use GAAD as a reason to learn more about accessibility. Read up on the WCAG guidelines, take an online course, or invite a guest speaker to talk to your team. Make accessibility part of your ongoing professional development.
6. Support Accessibility-Focused Organizations
Donate to or volunteer with nonprofits that work toward digital inclusion. Organizations like the GAAD Foundation offer resources, training, and advocacy to promote accessibility worldwide.
7. Include Accessibility in Your Design Process
Make accessibility a priority from the start of any project. Use inclusive personas, conduct usability testing with disabled users, and build accessibility into your design system. When inclusion is baked in from the beginning, it leads to better, more usable products for everyone.
Looking Ahead: Accessibility as a Core Value
GAAD is not just about one day, it’s about setting a tone for the entire year. The ultimate goal is to make accessibility a default, not an exception. It’s about shifting the mindset from “we’ll fix it later” to “we’ll build it right from the start.”
As technology continues to evolve, so must our commitment to inclusive design. Innovations like voice assistants, AI-driven tools, haptic feedback, and neural interfaces offer new possibilities but they also carry the risk of exclusion if accessibility isn’t prioritized. GAAD reminds us that technology must serve everyone regardless of ability.
Final Thoughts
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a powerful reminder that inclusion benefits all of us. When we design with accessibility in mind, we create digital experiences that are more robust, intuitive, and user-friendly for everyone regardless of ability, age, or background.
So, this May (and every month after), let’s challenge ourselves to go beyond awareness and take action. Whether you’re improving your website, advocating for accessibility in your organization, or simply learning something new, your efforts matter. Together, we can build a digital world that works for everyone.
Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!
