How to Do Your Part for Global Accessibility Awareness Day in 2024

While there is far more awareness about accessibility than ever before, we’re still not quite where we need to be, particularly online.

A study by WebAim (1) showed that well over 95% of all websites are producing WCAG 2.0 errors. This means that a large percentage of the disabled community is still encountering barriers online. 

This is where Global Accessibility Awareness Day comes in.

Let this be the year you get more involved – here’s how.

The Purpose of Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Imagine wanting to buy a new dress online, sign up for an eBook service, or engage with a video only to realize you cannot use a website in the way you were hoping to. This is what countless people living with disabilities need to deal with every day.

This is also the exact reason why Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) was created. 

Launched in 2012, GAAD takes place on the third Thursday of May every year, placing the focus on accessibility worldwide (2) for a full 24 hours. 

GAAD aims to start a conversation around the fact that too many people are still having poor online experiences due to inaccessible and non-compliant websites. 

The hope is that more businesses will make web accessibility a top priority, ensuring everyone has equal rights and opportunities on a day-to-day basis. 

Doing Your Part for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

If this is a movement you would like to get behind as a business or website owner, there are a few things that you can do, all of which will benefit your customers as well as your business.

• Check Your Site for Issues. One of the first steps you can take is to test your website for WCAG and ADA compliance errors using Accessibility Checker.
• Publish an Accessibility Statement. If you want to avoid damaging and costly ADA lawsuits, be sure to publish an accessibility statement on your site in a visible place. 
• Get Familiar with WCAG. In order to make your website accessible and fully compliant, it’s important to get familiar with WCAG, which forms the basis of global web accessibility laws. WCAG states that an accessible website is one that’s perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. 
• Find an Accessibility Solution. One of the fastest and easiest ways to make your site accessible is to use a web accessibility solution such as accessiBe or Userway. These automated tools will remediate some of the errors on your site without any input on your part.
• Spread the Word. If you know of other website or business owners who don’t know about web accessibility and ADA requirements, make them aware of GAAD.
• Learn Sign Language. Get more involved in the disabled community by taking the time to learn sign language. You never know when you might need it and it’s another way to do your part. 
• Keep Educating Yourself. Since you want to provide customers with the best possible online experience, make a point of bookmarking your favorite web accessibility and WCAG resources to stay up to date on the latest developments and act changes.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, getting involved in Global Accessibility Awareness Day is easier than you might think. Not only are you helping create a more inclusive society, but you’ll be making positive, long-term changes to your business. 

Check Accessibility Checker, if you’d like to make your website accessible.

Learn about accessibility guidelines and resources here:

• A Guide to Google Tag Manager Accessibility
• Essential CSS Accessibility Guidelines for Beginners
• Checklist for WCAG Compliance