16/05/2024
Today, May 16, 2024, marks the 13th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of digital accessibility and inclusion for the over one billion people worldwide who live with disabilities. Founded in 2012, GAAD aims to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion.
Digital accessibility means designing websites, mobile apps, and other digital tools to be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Common accessibility issues include low contrast text, missing image alt text, and lack of keyboard navigation. Addressing these issues is not just a legal obligation but also a way to ensure equal access to information, services, and opportunities.
Despite progress, many websites still fail to meet basic accessibility standards. For instance, a WebAIM study found that 98.1% of home pages have at least one WCAG 2.0 failure, with an average of 60.9 errors per home page. The most common issues include low contrast text, missing alt text for images, and empty links.
To participate in GAAD, educate yourself and others about the principles of digital accessibility and share your knowledge. Participate in webinars and virtual events hosted by organizations that focus on making digital and physical spaces more inclusive. If you are a developer or designer, test your websites and applications with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Ensure your content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR) according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Use social media to raise awareness about the importance of accessibility and share your efforts to engage with a broader audience. Join events and discussions focused on accessibility to gain valuable insights and practical advice on improving accessibility in digital products.
Improving digital accessibility benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities. For example, adding alt text to images can help search engines index your site better, and captions on videos can assist non-native speakers and people in noisy environments. By making digital content more accessible, we create a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape for all users.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a reminder of the ongoing need to improve digital accessibility. Whether you're a developer, designer, business owner, or user, you can contribute to making the digital world more inclusive. Let's use this day to learn, share, and take action towards a more accessible future for everyone. For more information on how to get involved and access resources, visit the official GAAD website.
Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!
