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Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) occurs each year on the third Thursday of May. GAAD brings focus to digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people world-wide who live with disabilities or impairments. The purpose of the day is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion.
Digital accessibility refers to the ability of people with disabilities/impairments to independently consume and/or interact with digital applications and content. It also refers to the practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to, websites, digital tools and technologies. Accessibility is critical to ensure Texas agencies provide good customer service and is also required by state and federal law. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is considered accessible when people with disabilities can:
- access the same information;
- receive the same services;
- operate the same functionality; and
- achieve the same goals.
Some common ICT accessibility barriers include images on webpages that lack a text description for blind users (known as alt text in HTML), video or multimedia content without synchronized text captions for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, or web content with poor color contrast for individuals with low vision, or non-descriptive text for hyperlinks (e.g., “click here”).
The U.S. Department of Justice recently published a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to strengthen web and mobile app access for people with disabilities. The rule establishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for state and local governments to follow for their web content and mobile apps. This will also include information created or made available by a private entity on behalf of the state or local government. Visit the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines website for more examples of how state and local governments are required to make their content accessible. While the minimum is Level AA, state and local governments can exceed the minimum to Level AAA.
The GCPD website includes training videos for making documents accessible. Numerous topics are included such as:
- Making Documents Accessible
- Productivity/Accessibility Tab
- Requirements to Make a Document Accessible
- Making an Existing Document Accessible
- Colors and Contrast
Governor Abbott has issued a Proclamation declaring Global Accessibility Awareness Day, May 16, 2024. In the Proclamation, the Governor states, "Through digital access features, we can help people unlock their full potential and, by so doing, promote prosperity and security throughout our state."
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