Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a time to talk, think, and learn about digital accessibility. More than one billion people worldwide have a disability or impairment.
With a few small changes, you can make your digital content more accessible for all. Here are three steps to help you get started today:
1. Attend an Event
There are several events available to celebrate the day. Here are a few to choose from (links open in a new window):
2. Explore Available Resources
There is no shortage of resources about digital accessibility! From blogs and videos to online courses and tutorials, there is a wealth of information available to learn more about the how, what, when, where, and why of accessibility.
Type ‘digital accessibility‘Â into your favorite search engine, or explore one of the following resources (links open in a new window):
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day Resources
- World Wide Web Consortium Web Accessibility Initiative
- Rooted in RightsÂ
- WebAIM: Accessibility In Mind
- Boise State Webguide: Web Accessibility
3. Review Your Digital Content
Ready to make your content more accessible? Pick a webpage, an image, a video, or a document, and do a quick review! A few small changes may make your content even more accessible for your users.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you go. Don’t know the answer? Open each link to learn more.
Webpages
Images
Videos
Documents
Bonus Challenge — Lose your mouse for an hour
Not everyone can use a mouse and keyboard accessibility is an often overlooked element of accessible content. This can lead to some pretty significant barriers.
To learn more about keyboard accessibility, challenge yourself to lose your mouse for one hour or more and only use your keyboard.
Try out some of these helpful keyboard shortcuts in the process! You might find some that make your own experience more accessible: