May 19 | Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2022

Thursday, May 19, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get those who create digital content (websites, online courses, digital materials, online documents, software, mobile apps, media, etc.) thinking and learning about making digital technology accessible and inclusive to people with varying abilities.

Take a moment to celebrate GAAD by reviewing or participating in one of the following events or activities:

GAAD Events

Time Commitment = 30 minutes or more

• GADD 2022: Virtual Accessibility Awareness Lab – May 18 (provided by Deque)
• GADD 2022: Accessibility Fundamentals Bootcamp – May 19 (provided by Deque)
• 11th Annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day – May 19 (provided by Digita11y Accessible)
• UW GAAD Workshops 2022 – May 19 (Provided by the University of Washington)

Activities

Time Commitment = 15 minutes or less

• Review WSU’s Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Policy – EP7
• Learn How Accessible Digital Content Benefits Everyone (perspective videos)
• Explore How People with Disabilities Use the Web
• Review an Introduction to Web Accessibility
• Add alternative text descriptions to images you upload to Canvas, social media, or a web page.
  • Alt-texts: The Ultimate Guide
  • Social Media Alternative Text
• Learn about Headings & Accessibility
• Watch a video with the captions on Video Captions
• Learn about Writing for Web Accessibility
  • Bonus reads:
    • For Writers: Creating Accessible Content
    • Designing Scannable Content
    • Writing Headings
• Try Microsoft’s dictation tool in Microsoft Word 365
• Use only the keyboard to navigate a web page to understand Keyboard Accessibility

Time Commitment = 30 minutes or more

• Learn the basics of digital accessibility by completing WSU’s Web Accessibility Training. This training should be completed yearly for anyone that creates digital content.
• Access “An Introduction to Screen Readers” recorded webinar, provided by Deque
• Test web accessibility by using a Screen Reader and/or VoiceOver
  • Using JAWS to Evaluate Web Accessibility
  • Using NVDA to Evaluate Web Accessibility
  • Using VoiceOver to Evaluate Web Accessibility
• Create accessible color contrast ratios in your designs and digital content
  • Contrast and Color Accessibility
  • WebAIM’s Color Contrast Ratio Checker
• Test a web page’s digital accessibility using WAVE
  • Wave Help: What is WAVE and How do I use it?
  • WAVE – WebAIM’s Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool

Enjoy the day! In the next few weeks, take one piece of information you learned from Global Accessible Awareness Day and use it to improve the accessibility of the digital content you create at WSU.  

If you have questions please contact Wendy Steele, WSU’s Accessible Technology Manager, at wsteele@wsu.edu.