Designing for Dignity: Why Accessibility is Everyone’s Business – Celebrating GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day)

Each year on the third Thursday of May, we observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)—a day meant to spark conversation and action around digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities.

Accessibility is not about just ticking boxes. It’s about creating a world—online and offline—where everyone is included, empowered, and treated with dignity.

Why It Matters

Navigating the digital world may be effortless for some—but for others, it’s filled with challenges that can turn a simple task into a daily struggle.

• A blind user trying to buy groceries online, but the website has no screen reader compatibility.

• A candidate who is hard of hearing missing key instructions during an interview video because it wasn’t captioned.

• A person with limited mobility unable to apply for a job because the form can only be filled out with a mouse.

  
  

These are not hypothetical scenarios. They happen every day:

Real Story #1:When Microsoft launched Seeing AI, a free app that uses AI to describe people, text, and objects to the visually impaired, it revolutionized how blind users navigate the world. One user shared how he was able to identify currency and read product labels at the grocery store independently for the first time.

Real Story #2:A UX designer at a fintech company recalled a customer with dyslexia struggling to understand a key section of their website. By switching to plain language and breaking up complex paragraphs, the company saw not only improved accessibility—but increased engagement across all users.

These examples highlight a universal truth: accessible design is better design—for everyone.

Everyone Has a Role to Play

Accessibility is often seen as a tech issue. But in reality, it’s a people-first mindset that transcends departments and job titles.

• Writers can ensure proper heading structure, avoid jargon, and add meaningful alt text to images.

• Designers can choose color palettes that support low vision users.

• Developers can enable keyboard navigation and test with screen readers.

• Marketing and HR teams can caption videos and ensure PDFs are readable by assistive technology.

Little Changes, Lasting Impact

Making digital spaces more inclusive doesn’t always require sweeping changes. Even simple steps can make a powerful difference:

✅ Add alt text to all images

✅ Use clear, high-contrast colors

✅ Avoid conveying meaning with color alone

✅ Caption your videos and live events

✅ Test digital content using assistive tools

The Future is Accessible—If We Build It That Way

As we reflect on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, let’s remind ourselves that designing for difference isn’t a burden—it’s a privilege. When we build with accessibility in mind, we create better products, stronger teams, and more inclusive communities.

Let’s not wait for someone to ask. Let’s be proactive. Let’s design for dignity.

Posterity Celebrates GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) – 15th May 2025

Posterity proudly celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on 15th May 2025 with a series of engaging and educational initiatives aimed at promoting digital accessibility and inclusion.

The event began with an awareness session on digital accessibility, emphasizing the importance of designing inclusive digital experiences for all. This was followed by an impactful audio description session of Bollywood movie clips, helping sensitize the audience to the experiences of individuals with visual impairments.

A key highlight of the celebration was an interactive activity zone featuring experiential kiosks:

• High colour contrast displays to demonstrate accessible design.

• A dyslexia simulator to showcase reading challenges faced by individuals with dyslexia.

• Noise-cancelling headphones to simulate the experience of those who are hard of hearing.

• Partially blind simulation glasses to help participants understand the perspective of individuals with vision impairment.

These activities helped attendees empathize with the lived experiences of people with disabilities and reinforced the message that accessibility is not optional—it is a right. Digital inclusion ensures that everyone can navigate, interact with, and benefit from technology equally.

At Posterity, we remain committed to creating an accessible world—because accessibility is for everyone.