Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a global awareness day dedicated to digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities and impairments. It takes place every year on the third Thursday of May, and in 2026 it marks its 15th anniversary. The movement began with a blog post by Joe Devon, who wanted to encourage more conversations about accessibility in technology and design. His idea caught the attention of Jennison Asuncion, who reached out after seeing a tweet about the post. Together, they built the initiative into an international event supported by developers, designers, educators, companies, and accessibility advocates around the world. The purpose of GAAD is simple but important: to get people talking, thinking, and learning about digital accessibility. That includes making websites, apps, documents, and online experiences usable for everyone, including people who rely on screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, voice control, alternative input devices, and other assistive technologies. You can participate in many ways, including: Attending accessibility-focused talks, workshops, or virtual events Testing websites and apps with accessibility tools Learning accessibility standards such as WCAG Including accessibility reviews in everyday design and development work Listening to experiences shared by people with disabilities Hosting your own accessibility awareness session or event The official GAAD website is: Global Accessibility Awareness Day One of the most valuable ideas behind GAAD is that accessibility should not be treated as a once-a-year activity. The day serves as a reminder to make inclusive design and digital accessibility part of everyday conversations, workflows, and projects throughout the year.
