Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day in 2024

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an annual event aimed at getting people talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion. This year we celebrated the day with a webinar and then ran three deep dive sessions, each focusing on different areas of digital accessibility.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an annual event aimed at getting people talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion. 

To celebrate GAAD in 2024, the Testing Consultancy Digital Accessibility Practice hosted a live panel interview and a series of deep dive discussions featuring guest speakers Nadia Mattiazzo, the CEO of Women with Disabilities Victoria, Joe Di Niro from UsableNet and Hellen Keller Services and Sam Nuttal, The Neurodivergent Coach.

Showcasing each of the guest speaker’s lived experience and recommendations to improve digital access provided valuable insights which we explored further through sharing techniques that support inclusion and access for everyone. We thank everyone who joined us for our GAAD series and hope to see you at our next one in 2025!

Watch the GAAD Webinar

GAAD Deep Dive 1: The evolution of assistive technology and how to avoid building in barriers by Ben Crompton, featuring Nadia Mattiazzo the CEO of Women with Disabilities Victoria

In this session, Nadia and Ben discuss how assistive technologies have have evolved over time, common barriers within digital today, and techniques to avoid building barriers that prevent people’s access. Topics included in this session include:

  • Nadia’s reflection of the positive impact assistive technology has in empowering people with disability, while acknowledging rising complexity in accessibility issues due to increased use of non-text content, animations and complex components in digital experiences.
  • Accessibility guidelines, techniques and WCAG guidelines to avoid introducing barriers to users.
    • Focus management.
    • Text alternatives.
    • Robust implementation techniques.
    • Naming elements.
    • Inclusive user research and testing.
    • Factoring accessibility in from the start.

Recorded webinar details

GAAD Deep Dive 2: A false sense of accessibility: What automated testing tools won’t show you, by Beau Vass, featuring Joe DiNero from UsableNet and Hellen Keller Services

In this session, Beau and Joe discuss the role of automated tooling within an accessibility practice and limitations everyone should be aware of. Topics explored in this session include:

  • Joe’s reflection of how automated tooling assist in improving basic areas of accessibility issues, but fail to address complex issues that are becoming increasingly persistent and problematic.
  • A brief look at different automated accessibility tools.
  • How many issues are actually identified by automated tooling.
  • Accessibility defects automated testing cannot identify.
  • Guidance for how automated testing can be used within an accessibility practice.

Recorded webinar details

GAAD Deep Dive 3: Neuroinclusion by Simone Wisniewski, featuring Samantha Nuttal, The Neurodivergent coach.

In this session, Simone and Sam discuss the importance of neuroinclusion in social settings, digital products and services. Topics explored in the session include:

  • Sam’s experience starting her business ‘The Neuroinclusion Coach’ to support neurodivergent people navigating careers and recruitment.
  • Understanding how the terms ‘neurodivergent' and ‘neurotypical’ are related to neurodiversity and neuroinclusion.
  • Exploring different neurodiverse brain functions.
  • 7 techniques to support neuroinclusion for users.
  • A brief look at relevant WCAG guidelines from Level A to AAA conformance.

Recorded webinar details