This May: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

by Elizabeth Parsons, IT Services • Published 5/13/26

This May: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

by Elizabeth Parsons, IT Services • Published 5/13/26

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is celebrated every year on the third Thursday in May. This day focuses on removing digital barriers and creating inclusive technology for everyone.

May 21, 2026 marks the 15th year of GAAD. It started with a single blog post by a Los Angeles-based web developer, Joe Devon. Devon’s blog post explicitly called for a Global Accessibility Awareness Day: “This will be a day of the year where web developers across the globe try to raise awareness and know-how on making sites accessible.”

Devon teamed up with accessibility professional Jennison Asuncion to launch GAAD, helping people learn how to build a digital world that includes everyone.

Start the Celebration!

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people live with a disability. Making things accessible ensures that no one is left out. Celebrate GAAD by building some new accessibility practices. Here are a few ideas:

Run the Ally Accessibility Report and the new Canvas Accessibility Checker to make sure your course content works for all students.
Caption your videos. Ensure every student can follow your lectures.
Design accessible documents and emails. Use clear headings and high-contrast colors. Get in the habit of running available accessibility checkers each time you edit.
Describe your images by adding a short "Alt Text" description so people using screen readers don't miss the message.
Be inclusive on social media. When you post for a club or event, add captions to your videos and descriptions to your photos.
Become an advocate for accessibility in your classroom, office or department. Your voice helps drive change.

Accessibility is a journey, not a one-day task. By making small changes today, we build a better university for everyone.

For more information on how to get involved, find all of this year’s official GAAD events on their website!

Learn More

Accessible gaming event draws students, staff

In addition to Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the AccessMU Center recently showcased accessible gaming controllers with a fun, student-organized event. Students, faculty, and staff stopped by to play with adaptive controllers and share pizza and donuts. The goal of the event was to display these kinds of gaming devices in a fun way and encourage students to engage with their favorite pastimes in new ways – helping them see how others may experience the same games.

The event was organized by the student employees of the AccessMU Center, and they enjoyed coordinating the day’s activities. Games played included various Xbox games and Super Nintendo, along with a Lego project as well. It was a fun reminder that gaming is for everyone!

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