Looking to get plans in place for a successful 2024? Attendable can help ensure you deliver authentic accessibility, from the planning stages of your next event, to delivery and beyond. To help focus the mind, today we want to provide a spotlight on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, known as GAAD for short.
When is it?
This year GAAD is on the 16th of May. Organisations big and small will hold events to shine a spotlight on all the work being done and still to come, in the world of digital accessibility. From large scale celebrations and awareness events, to smaller in-house training and conversations, GAAD can be a great launch pad to further your organisations commitment to accessibility. So, start planning today and make the first step speaking to Attendable. As an inclusive events agency with a wealth of inclusion experience, we can help you proceed with confidence.
What is it?
The purpose of GAAD, according to its creators is to, “get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion”. There are over a billion people with registered disabilities and impairments. We are now studying, working, shopping and socialising online more than ever. However, the current digital environment is not equipped to provide equal access for all users.
GAAD research has found that even basic measures such as low contrast text, audio description and alt text are missing from the majority of websites, and these are just a few of the many examples of barriers to digital equality. GAAD is all about making changes to further digital inclusion.
What you could do to participate, and how we could help.
There are so many ways to get involved with GAAD, here are a few ideas from Attendable to make a start:
- Accessibility is currently a hot topic. If your organisation is already making progress and can share learnings and what good looks like, why not create an online or in person showcase to celebrate? Attendable can help from choosing the best platform or venue, putting together an agenda, arranging speakers, recording content and ensuring a fully accessible delegate experience, in-person and online.
- Offer staff, client or stakeholder training on what digital accessibility means to your organisation, why it matters and what the next steps look like for you. Attendable can help with webinars, training videos, podcasts, a formal conference style training day or more informal lunch and learn style event to deliver this.
- Ask your employees and service users- what works and doesn’t? If you have staff utilising assistive technology, would they want to demonstrate its uses and challenges, for colleagues? Seeing assistive technology and the difference it can make can be so inspiring and help instigate positive change. Attendable can support the production and delivery of training and demonstration events. In addition, useful how-to guides on key topics to get right, from how to develop inclusive joining instructions, to how to adapt to difference audience requirements can be found at on our website.
- Engage with your social media community- sharing ideas and top tips but also seeking feedback on your own output and what could be better. Follow accounts that get it right to learn from their example. If you aren’t sure where to start, contact us today to see how we can help you.
- Take this opportunity to host a “Fix your content day”- allocate a resourced time to make your commitment to improving the accessibility of your digital presence, content and events. Attendable can provide consultation service to review your existing communication and procedures and provide recommendations of how to improve.
- Add in captions, alt-text and audio description to your existing content and train staff to do this as standard practice going forward.
On GAAD many organisations who are expert in the field offer free training and guidance on the software already out there to do this. Take up your place! We hope that some of the ideas above have inspired you to include participation in GAAD to your plans for the year ahead. Remember you don’t have to already be a multinational organisation or an expert in digital accessibility to get involved and make a difference. Planning to ensure that your organisations output is more accessible benefits everyone. Get in touch with Attendable today and make a start!
