Thursday, May 21, 2026
Take your awareness of digital accessibility a step further by completing the OLC Accessibility Pathway and earn your badge.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1.3 billion people (16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us) have some form of disability, and the rates of disability are increasing due to population aging and increases in chronic health conditions (WHO, 2023).
Thursday, May 21, 2026 marks the 14th anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This day aims to raise awareness about digital accessibility and inclusion, highlighting the importance of ensuring digital products and platforms are accessible to people with disabilities. GAAD emphasizes the need for universal design principles, encouraging developers, designers, educators, and organizations worldwide to remove barriers in technology and digital content, creating an inclusive environment that benefits everyone.
There are many different ways that you can celebrate GAAD this year, including attending a virtual event, sharing your commitment to accessibility on social media using the #GAAD hashtag, educating your team about inclusive practices, contributing directly to a digital accessibility effort (such as captioning a video), and by checking out the compiled OLC resources below. By getting involved, you can help contribute to creating a more equitable and accessible digital environment for all users.
FEATURED WEBINAR
May 27, 2026 | 1:00 pm ET
This panel brings together professionals across accessibility, technology, and higher education to discuss practical strategies, emerging tools, and collaborative models for addressing accessibility at scale. Panelists will share firsthand experiences implementing new solutions and explore what it takes to move from compliance to genuine inclusion.
Instructional Designers’ Perceptions of Accessible and Inclusive Online Course Design – Results of this study indicated that instructional designers play a critical role in advocating and advancing initiatives related to designing accessible and inclusive online learning experiences.
The Use of Generative AI to Support Inclusivity and Design Deliberation for Online Instruction – This paper explores how generative AI can streamline content generation processes, enhance adaptability to individual learner needs, and improve feedback mechanisms, ultimately fostering more engaging and inclusive learning experiences.
Signs of Serendipitous Universal Design for Learning in Online Courses – This study suggests that sensemaking could ease instructor transitions from serendipitously implementing strategies aligned with UDL to deliberately designing a course using a robust understanding of UDL as a framework.
New Federal Digital Accessibility Requirements: What Higher Ed Needs to Know and Do Now – Details the upcoming federal digital accessibility requirements and lists OLC resources that can help your institution meet the compliance deadline.
Teaching Accessibly and Teaching Accessibility: The Key to Equitable Education – Explores why both teaching accessibly and teaching accessibility matter and how they work together to create a more inclusive education.
Rethinking the Student Experience – Through a personal journey with Cushing’s Disease, the author highlights insights gained into the importance of empathy, accessibility, and proactive support for students with disabilities.
Top Recommendations to Increase the Accessibility & Inclusiveness of Your Presentation – Effective practices and strategies that presenters and educators can utilize to create more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible presentation environments.
OLC Facilitator Spotlight: Wendy MacColl – In this edition of our Facilitator Spotlight Series, Wendy MacColl shares strategies and takeaways for those just starting out on their accessibility journey or setting strategies that scale.
Seeing the Unseen: Raising Awareness of Invisible Disabilities – This author shares a personal story about the importance of creating learning environments where students with invisible disabilities can feel safe, seen, and supported.
Explore our comprehensive, curated library of accessibility-related tools and resources or enroll in an self-paced workshop as part of OLC’s Accessibility Pathway.
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OLC Accelerate is the premiere online learning conference showcasing groundbreaking research and highly effective practices in online and digital learning across K-12, higher education, and corporate L&D.
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OLC Elevate is a bold new initiative from OLC that brings high-impact digital learning discussions, hands-on workshops, and thought leadership directly to your regional community.