May 17 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The purpose of this day is to “get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) access/inclusion and people with different disabilities” (GAAD Organization).
Ways to Participate in GAAD
In the spirit of awareness, there are several virtual events and webinars you can register for to learn more about the topic of accessibility. Additionally, we encourage you to spend an hour of your day experiencing accessibility first hand with one or more of the GAAD challenges.
Resources at Boise State
Boise State has several resources available for learning more about accessibility. Spend a few minutes reviewing the Boise State Accessibility website to learn more about Accessibility 101, current campus initiatives, news and opinion articles, Universal Design for Learning and more.
To continue learning more about digital accessibility at Boise State, you can register for the Boise State Web Content Accessibility Micro-Certification Badge course on web accessibility and begin working on the tasks. This micro-certification course was developed for web administrators to learn more about the concepts of web accessibility and earn a credential for building their skillsets. It’s available online through Blackboard, is free for Boise State employees and can be completed at any time.
Communicating with and About People with Disabilities
Another way to increase your awareness about accessibility is to learn more about how to talk to others about the topic. Here’s a brief overview from the Center for Disease Control about using people-first language when communicating with and about people with disabilities.