RECITE ME Event

Celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an annual event on the 18th of May to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion. Every year Recite Me gets behind this fantastic initiative, and this year is no different, find out what we have planned below.

Countdown to Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024

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What is Website Accessibility and Why is it Important?

Digital accessibility is about ensuring your website can be accessed by everyone regardless of barriers, it’s making sure you haven’t excluded people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments from your content. You can try our free accessibility checker here.

Around one in five people in the UK have a disability that can make accessing a website difficult. If we don’t make websites accessible we risk excluding this group of people. Without an accessible website, people may encounter obstacles doing everyday tasks online such as managing their finances or ordering their shopping.

Making your website accessible also has a range of business benefits from improving your brand’s reputation to acquiring high-quality staff. Read more about why web accessibility is important to your business here.

Around 1 in 5 people have a disability

Over 2.2 billion people have a visual impairment

Around 20% of people have a learning difficulty

Around 15% of people are neurodivergent

40% of households have at least 1 disabled adult

Why should organisations get involved in GAAD?

The big picture objective for GAAD is to get as many people talking about, thinking about and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities as possible. However, organisations taking part in the event may experience a number of business benefits as a result of their involvement. Some of these benefits include:

Brand Recognition & Reputation: Every year the noise created by the Global Accessibility Awareness Day is getting louder and louder. Organisations that are serious about the day and what it means to so many around the world can help to shine a light on the work they are doing to help create a more inclusive world. Which can help to gain consumer confidence, trust and build long-lasting relationships.
Employee Development: Getting various teams within your organisation to take part in the Global Accessibility Awareness Day can provide an array of benefits. Depending on the type of event or activity, employees can build on their ability to work together as an effective team, improving communication skills and learning to be more empathetic and understanding of individual differences.
Networking: As with all awareness days it allows for different departments, organisations and even industries to come together. This can help to create new connections and strengthen existing ones.
Positive Workplace Culture: Being an ambassador for global accessibility is the right thing to do and your employees will recognise that. Organisations that promote inclusivity and accessibility tend to have employees with high levels of job satisfaction and pride for the company they work at. Creating a positive working environment is great for productivity and employee well-being.

On-Demand Website Accessibility Workshop

Find out how to make your website accessible and compliant with our WCAG Workshop for GAAD 2023.

Our 45-minute workshop will take you through the world of online accessibility compliance including, what is WCAG, what accessibility laws should you be looking at, how can you make your website accessible and 5 takeaways to get started straight away.

Resources

Our resources will help you engage, educate, and communicate the importance of online accessibility. Follow the link below to download social media posts, graphics, and a blog that you can share on GAAD.

Recite Me Pledge to Walk 1 Million Steps to Support Local Charity

On Thursday the 18th of May (GAAD), the Recite Me Team will be walking 1 Million Steps to raise money for North East charity the Chronicle Sunshine Fund.

This amazing charity provide specialist and adapted equipment to children aged 0-19 living with disabilities, additional needs, and chronic and terminal illnesses – a cause we wholeheartedly support.

The walking route will include lots of North East sights along the way, so keep an eye on our social media for photos and updates on how we are getting on. If you would like to support the team and donate to this incredible charity follow the link below.

Check the Accessibility of Your Websites Homepage

Do you want to get a head start for GAAD and start thinking about accessibility now? Use our Accessibility Checker to run a free check of your website homepage.

The world of accessibility and making your website compliant with a law or standard can be a confusing and daunting subject for many, but the Recite Me Accessibility is changing the way organisations address WCAG issues on their websites.