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 16, 2024, marks the 13th anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD was originally inspired by a blog post written by a web developer named Joe Devon back in 2011, where he encouraged developers to come together and work to bridge the accessibility gap by raising awareness and global standards.
Celebrate GAAD with us this year by following @gbla11yday on X and post using the #GAAD hashtag. Don’t forget to check out the GAAD Facebook page too! A full list of events and activities can be found at https://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org/events/.
There are many different ways that you can get involved and learn more about GAAD, including attending a virtual event, spreading awareness, contributing directly to a digital accessibility effort (such as captioning a video), and by checking out the compiled OLC resources below.
Upcoming Events
Featured Webinar: 5 Recommendations on Supporting Neurodiverse Students in Teaching & Learning
May 23, 2024 from 2-3 PM US Eastern Time
Discover how designing and facilitating classes with neurodiversity in mind can foster remarkable outcomes, including enhanced student retention, deeper comprehension, elevated achievement, and heightened course satisfaction. By embracing an inclusive approach, we not only empower neurodivergent students but also cater to the diverse learning needs of an underserved population, thereby fostering a more equitable educational landscape.
Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to the field, this presentation equips you with the tools and insights needed to create a more inclusive and empowering learning environment for all students. Join us as we embark on a journey towards educational excellence through the celebration of neurodiversity!
Featured Webinar: Empowering Accessibility: Strategies for Success
June 5, 2024 from 2-3 PM US Eastern Time
Description: Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice released revisions impacting Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and web accessibility. It emphasized the obligations of public universities, community colleges, and public schools to make web content and mobile applications accessible. Accessible learning begins at an institutional level, but it will not be without a new set of challenges.
Join Elisabeth Greenwood, Instructional Technology Specialist and Chair of the Academic Affairs DEI Task Force at the University of Central Florida, and Lee O. Conerly, Ph.D., Director of Academic Instruction at Coastal Alabama Community College, as they discuss accessibility in higher education. They will discuss how to identify and adopt accessible technologies and share how to use proctoring tools, such as Honorlock, not only to protect exam integrity but also to uncover faculty professional development needs and aid students in accessibility advocacy.
On-Demand Resources
Webinars
- Catch up on the Disability Equity by Design webinar series with Dr. Amanda Kraus
Faculty Playbooks
- Optimizing High-Quality Digital Learning Experiences – The focus of this playbook is to help faculty strategically embed technologies with learning outcomes to amplify the effectiveness of student learning experiences, especially for minoritized students.
- Caring for Students Playbook –This playbook provides practical recommendations, concrete strategies, and resources to support instructors in operationalizing equity-focused, inclusive teaching strategies that put student care into practice by acknowledging student challenges while identifying student assets.
Online Learning Journal
- Faculty Perceptions on Accessibility in Online Learning: Knowledge, Practice and Professional Development – This study examined the level of readiness of faculty in designing and delivering accessible online courses to meet the needs of all learners, including students with disabilities.
- Online Presentations with PowerPoint Present Live Real-Time Automated Captions and Subtitles: Perceptions of Faculty and Administrators – The purpose of this study was to identify challenges that participants could encounter when using real-time automated captions, and to determine what they describe as potential uses, challenges, and benefits of the feature.
OLC Insights Blog
- 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.
- Accessing Ability Through Digital Means – Dr. Carl S. Moore, Assistant Chief Academic Officer at the University of the District of Columbia, joins us to discuss variations of ability and ways we can extend access to all learners through digital means.