9 ways to promote accessibility for Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024
Annie Mannion | 08 Apr 2024Coming soon: the 13th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) takes place on Thursday, 16 May 2024.
GAAD drives accessibility focus
GAAD offers a great opportunity to promote digital accessibility and inclusion within your organisation, and get people thinking about how tech can help transform the lives of disabled people.
Perhaps you're an accessibility champion trying to get your senior team to understand the importance of accessibility and need help to drive action? GAAD provides a focus for all.
Here are 9 ways you can bring digital accessibility to the attention of your organisation:
1. Download free factsheets about accessibility
Use GAAD as a way to enthuse your organisation about how they can help improve access for disabled people. Share our easy-to-digest range of factsheets that provide advice and information about how computers and other digital technologies can help people with a range of conditions and impairments.
Popular factsheets include:
- What is AI and how do I use it?
- Accessible video captioning
- How technology can support with symptoms of Long Covid
- Creating Accessible Documents
You might also be interested in our Easy Read factsheets.
2. Discover how accessibility removes barriers
Increase your confidence in meeting the accessibility needs of your diverse workforce (and customers!) by attending our Disability Awareness Training and offering it to your team. Learn from disabled people who share their experiences in our compelling set of courses.
Watch a taster of what you'll learn on the courses:
Feedback on our training includes:
- "I found the demo of the screen reader really useful - amazing to actually see/hear from someone who uses one rather than just reading about the theory of the tools which don't get the messages across for me as well as today's session did." - attendee of the Removing visual barriers course
- "I found Rina's authentic and open conversation about her experience really insightful and helped my confidence in how to work better with people with neurodiversity conditions,. Thank you!” - attendee from Beyond Green of the Removing neurodiversity barriers course
Book Disability Awareness training
3. Use data to emphasise the benefits of improving digital accessibility
Check out AbilityNet's recent Attitudes to Digital Accessibility report. Its findings indicate that organisations generally fall into one of two categories: accessibility leaders and accessibility laggards.
The report used the AbilityNet Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) framework to highlight its findings.
In advance of GAAD, share the Digital Accessibility Maturity Model across your organisation to help you understand your accessibility gaps:
Download your FREE Maturity Model
4. Book cost-effective training for all
Teach your staff about important accessibility and inclusion topics, including making your content accessible, accessible PDFs and ensuring Accessible Social Media, with AbilityNet's in-house training and eLearning.
Browse our catalogue for inspiration.
In our Accessible Workplace modules, learn language dos and don'ts, and receive practical advice to avoid creating unnecessary barriers for disabled people including your employees and customers.
Chat with us about training/eLearning
5. Attend FREE webinars and training courses
Join our free training courses and free webinars on digital accessibility inclusion.
In our popular webinar on 17 April How can AI help disabled people? with Robin Christopherson MBE, Microsoft, and Headway the brain injury association we discussed the myriad of ways AI (Artificial Intelligence) can improve your life!
6. Bring in a speaker to inspire your colleagues
AbilityNet's expert speakers have lived experience of disability and can talk with enthusiasm and authority to inspire your teams. We offer engaging speakers on a variety of topics, for both GAAD and beyond.
7. Get free step-by-step tech advice on My Computer My Way
Search our simple 'how to' guides to make your device easier to use.
Follow step by step instructions on how to adapt your phone, computer or tablet to meet your needs.
8. Conduct some user research and audit your site
GAAD helps shine a spotlight on disabled people and their needs. Put them at the heart of every project by getting a diverse range of user testers to regularly review your digital content and services.
Also, conduct an audit to delve into your current digital products to gauge where you can make improvements and, importantly, ensure you comply with current legislation.
Get user research and audits advice
9. Podcast: Learn more about GAAD from its co-founders
Find out the GAAD co-founders' accessibility tips for the future - to celebrate a previous GAAD we spoke to its co-founders, Jennison Asuncion and Joe Devon in our podcast: GAAD's co-founders discuss hybrid events and the #GAADPledge.
Want to chat about other inclusion topics?
AbilityNet is a charity that has been operating for more than 25 years, to help disabled and older people use technology.
Digital accessibility is not just a moral imperative, it is also a business imperative, and AbilityNet can help you chat over your needs with no pressure to buy services from us!
Further resources
- Visit the GAAD website for more info
- Help disabled and older people in your community: Become an AbilityNet volunteer
- Learn about our free resources
- Sign up to our newsletter to find out about our upcoming webinars and events
