MCC Daily Tribune

Celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day Today

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (https://accessibility.day/)!

Thursday, May 15, 2025, help the GAAD Foundation celebrate the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments. You can participate in GAAD by attending a virtual event or move from accessibility awareness to action with some simple steps no matter what industry or role you have.

Attend One of the Many Virtual Events:

Committing to Change – University of Montana, May 15, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 4:20 PM EDT
Join us for a virtual event on the theme of ‘Committing to Change,’ which will spark conversations and enhance understanding about digital access and inclusion. GAAD 2025 will include a keynote presentation from Dr. Ludmila Praslova, author of The Canary Code, and several breakout sessions in the areas of advancing accessibility in higher education, disability culture & justice, and universal design. Visit the GAAD event website for more information.
What’s Your Accessibility Rating? – Open LMS, May 15, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EDT (United States of America)
This year, Brickfield Education Labs and Open LMS have partnered to unveil the latest version of a self-assessment tool that allows you to rate your accessibility knowledge and skills, as we continue the tradition to join the Global Accessibility Awareness Day celebrations Register to get access to Brickfield’s self-assessment tool. Then, join one of our 3 global events on Thursday, May 15 to understand your rating, compare it with your peers, and learn how to improve your skills and the quality of your eLearning experiences
Intro to Assistive Technology – Workday, May 15, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM EDT
In the spirit of GAAD and as the next webinar in our monthly Workday Accessibility Level Up series, we’ll be talking about some of the many kinds of assistive technologies that people with different disabilities use. We’ll also discuss things to keep in mind when building a digital product to make sure people with disabilities, and the assistive tools they use, can interact with your product.
Accessibility Fundamentals Bootcamp – Deque University, May 15, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
If you’re new to accessibility, Deque’s Accessibility Fundamentals session is the perfect place to start—and it’s free! Led by the same accessibility experts trusted by the world’s biggest brands, this session is for everyone: policymakers, designers, developers, testers, and more.
Leveraging AI for Accessible and Inclusive Learning: Practical Strategies for Diverse Learners – Online Learning Consortium, May 28, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
In an era where inclusivity is essential to educational success, AI offers powerful tools to help educators create more accessible, equitable, and engaging learning environments. This interactive webinar provides practical insights into harnessing AI to meet the diverse needs of all learners, with special attention to students experiencing visible and invisible disabilities—such as mobility, sensory, cognitive, and learning challenges.

Turn Awareness to Action:

Watch a Disability Awareness video. There are a lot to choose from both online and offline. To begin, here’s a 3-minute Disability Sensitivity video that has an audio described version, too.
Read about updated disability language. This is a great Disability Style Guide from the National Center on Disability and Journalism. Or, check out the book Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau.
Incorporate your newfound knowledge into daily life. Once you’re ready for more, choose a topic from the following sections to journey onward. One step today leads to another and another.

Rebecca Orvetti
Computing & Information Technology Services
05/15/2025