May 15 holds special significance for many of us in the accessibility community — it's the day we proudly celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
Behind this crucial annual event lies a dedicated organization: the GAAD Foundation. It's more than just the curator of a single day; the GAAD Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making digital accessibility a fundamental aspect of technology and product development.
The journey of the GAAD Foundation began on Sunday, November 27, 2011, when Joe Devon penned a post on MySQLTalk.com challenging his fellow back-end programmers to increase their knowledge about accessibility. "Let’s work together and fix this oversight in our knowledge."
This post caught the attention of accessibility professional Jennison Asuncion, leading to their collaboration and the inaugural Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May 2012.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day quickly resonated globally. Individuals, organizations, and schools worldwide championed the day through events and discussions. Recognizing the need for a more permanent structure to fuel this vital work, the GAAD Foundation was officially formed in 2021, coinciding with GAAD's 10th anniversary.
The foundation, a living tribute to Joe Devon’s father, Charles Devon, aims to "disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement."
To help accomplish that goal, the GAAD Foundation has several other initiatives, along with Global Accessibility Awareness Day:
- Speakers Fund
The Speaker Fund provides funding for mainstream tech pros who work in digital accessibility and / or identify as someone with a disability who wants to present at a digital accessibility event. - GAAD Pledge
The GAAD Pledge is a bold initiative that annually partners with a single Open-Source project to lead the way in accessibility, setting a new standard for making inclusive design a central part of open-source development. Some pledge takers include Drupal, Intel, and Joomla, to name a few. - The Gaady’s
The Gaady Awards honor and celebrate individuals and groups whose contributions support the GAAD Foundation's vision. The 2024 Gaady Award winners include GoodMaps: Indoor Navigation app, OpenACR by CivicActions, and the Washington State Parks website by Anthro-Tech. The next Gaady ceremony will be held on November 20, 2025, in San Francisco, CA.
By collaborating with organizations, supporting professionals in the field, and promoting awareness, the GAAD Foundation works to ensure that accessibility is not an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of digital innovation.
Understanding its history, embracing its mission, and supporting its current goals, we can all contribute to ensuring that technology empowers everyone, regardless of their abilities. Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a powerful reminder of this ongoing work.
Be sure to join us and our partner Promet Source on May 15 at 2 p.m. EST for "Mastering Digital Accessibility—A Partner Webinar." Our CPWA and CPACC-certified experts will explain the critical role both automated and manual testing play in building a comprehensive accessibility strategy.
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