Today, Thursday 20 May 2021, marks the tenth anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
GAAD was originally inspired by a blog post written by web developer Joe Devon back in 2011. He encouraged developers to come together to bridge the accessibility gap by raising awareness and global standards.
According to the World Health Organization, over a billion people have some form of disability; and the rates of disability are increasing due to population ageing and increasing chronic health conditions. Yet, despite people with disabilities representing around 15% of the global population, they are often ‘overlooked’ or ‘left out’ of diversity initiatives, programmes and basic workplace inclusion discussions, according to a recent report.
There are many different ways that you can get involved and learn more about GAAD. This includes attending a virtual event, spreading awareness, or contributing directly to a digital accessibility effort. Check out the GAAD website for a list of virtual events and resources.
WORKPLACE DISABILITY & ACCESSIBILITY
Also check out a series of articles on the state of disability and accessibility in the workplace here on the Fair Play Talks website. Some of the latest stories include:
- The Valuable 500 reaches its goal of getting CEOs of 500 international organisations to commit to putting disability inclusion on their board agendas.
- Employee trust is key to understanding the needs of staff with disabilities worldwide, according to new global research.
- The Business Disability Forum (BDF) urges the UK Government to listen to employers to close the disability employment gap.
- The Business Disability Forum launches series of free resources to help employers support disabled colleagues return to the workplace safely.
- People with disabilities ‘critical’ and ‘essential’ to the US pandemic response, confirmed non-profit SourceAmerica.
- Staff with disabilities are less engaged are largely ignored, reveals new study.
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