Today Is World Accessibility Awareness Day (May 17th)

May 17, 2018 · Posted by Leon in UX · Add a comment

Why should you care about accessibility?

Well, if you are walking, talking, and cognating right now, you are what we call "temporarily-abled." There will come a time in everyone's life when you are no longer as able to get around as easily, whether because of age or injury. You will then fall into the category of "disabled." All being disabled means is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect upon one's ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Sadly, getting old fits into that category.

"My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn't accessible." -- Stella Young

Want to know what it's like being blind and using the internet? Check out this 18-minute podcast.

Do you work on the web? Check out the resources below to learn more.

Old man using a tablet Photo Credits: Sigismund von Dobschütz

What You Can Do Today

The official Global Accessibility Awareness Day site shares a series of events all over the world. See if there is one in your area!
Join #GAADTweetChat with @debraruh at 11:30 am IST for accessibility essentials, tips on making PDFs accessible, and more.
The BBC is hosting Access All Areas 2018, a livestream running from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm BST, with sessions on digital access/inclusion, accessible gaming, workplace design, and more.

What You Can Do on a Regular Basis

For a dose of accessibility every Monday, sign up for David A. Kennedy’s newsletter Accessibility Weekly.
Axess Lab has a great collection of articles with practical accessibility tips. Start with “Practical Examples of Accessibility Improvements” and then dig into their archives for much more.
A Book Apart has some great resources as well. Read Accessibility for Everyone by Laura Kalbag and Geri Coady’s Color Accessibility Workflows Brief.

How do you think about accessibility? Is there a regular person in your life that is considered disabled? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!