The 2023 Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will take place on Thursday 18 May. Through events and activities, GAAD aims to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion in an increasingly technological world.
Accessibility and inclusion go hand-in-hand. Over a billion people around the world have disabilities or impairments that can make accessing technology more difficult, creating barriers to inclusion. The Agency is committed to accessibility and adopted an Accessibility Policy in its efforts to ensure its workplaces and outputs are as accessible as possible. The policy commitment applies to accessibility of information, access to the physical environment in the workplace and at Agency events and meetings, and to the procurement of goods and services.
As part of its commitment to information accessibility, the Agency website includes a translation and accessibility tool. The tool is described on the website’s accessibility page, alongside information about accessibility in other Agency materials.
Several Agency activities explore accessibility, in an attempt to widen efforts to improve digital inclusion in education. These include the Inclusive Digital Education activity, which provides information and recommendations to policy-makers in relation to inclusive digital education and blended learning. In addition, 2015’s ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning (ICT4IAL) activity, which was completed in partnership with other international organisations, resulted in a set of adaptable guidelines on creating accessible materials.
The GAAD website provides a number of accessibility resources and ideas on how to participate in the day. Over 70 events are taking place both online and in person to promote and celebrate digital accessibility. The GAAD website includes a list of events taking place around the world.