According to the World Health Organization, over a billion people (about 15% of the world’s population) have some form of disability, and the rates of disability are increasing due to population aging and increases in chronic health conditions (WHO, 2018). Thursday, May 18, 2023, marks the 12th 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 Twitter and tweet 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.
Online Workshops
Take your awareness of digital accessibility a step further by completing the OLC Accessibility Badge, or join OLC for an upcoming accessibility workshop this summer:
- ADA & Digital Accessibility | ongoing (self-paced)
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Online Learning | ongoing (self-paced)
- Accessible Course Design Using WCAG | Starts May 15th
- Practical Applications for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) | Starts July 24th
- Reframing Disability: Language, Media, and Universal Design | Starts August 7th
- Online Teaching Essentials: ADA & Digital Accessibility | Starts September 18th
- Digital Accessibility: Developing a Strategic Plan | Starts November 13th
New for 2023!
- Student Mental Health and Wellbeing in Digital Learning Environments | Starts June 5th
- Inclusive Assessment: (Un)Grading for Growth | Starts July 24th
- Trauma-Informed Pedagogy to Support Student Success | Starts October 2nd
On-Demand Webinars
- Designing Neuroinclusive Learning Environments
- Disability Equity by Design series
Blog Posts
- 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 – Items created for marginalized people are now being used for everyone to succeed. Dr. Carl S. Moore, Assistant Chief Academic Officer at the University of the District of Columbia, joins us on the blog to discuss variations of ability and ways we can extend access to all learners through digital means.
- Insights from the Field: Strategic Actions to Support DEIA in Online, Blended, and Digital Learning – Dr. Janue Johnson, Associate Professor at San Diego Mesa College and OLC faculty, shares some valuable insights for instructors looking to get started and incorporate DEIA principles into their courses.
Faculty Playbooks
- Optimizing High-Quality Digital Learning Experiences – High-quality digital learning experiences are built on the foundational principles of providing equitable, inclusive, accessible learning environments for all students. Building on these principles and the urgency to provide improved and equitable digital learning, 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 has been designed to provide instructors with examples to support putting student care into action. While the impetus for this playbook was the COVID-19 pandemic, the information and resources provided represent high standards of student support regardless of the environment. Each of these Six Recommendations for Caring for Students 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.