Global Accessibility Awareness Day #GAAD 2020 by Local Guides

Google Maps contribution stories
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Caption: Global Accessibility Awareness Day logo. The word GAAD in an unclossed circle with a keyboard at the left tip.

Hello Local Guides, the Global Accessibility Awareness Day #GAAD is marked every third Thursday in May. GAAD was initiated by Joe Devon to create awareness around making digital contents and tools accessible for Persons with Disabilities.

This year, marking its ninth anniversar, GAAD has come in timely as the world has embraced virtual living during this global pandemic. Most of our activities are dependent on digital solutions due to the lockdown. Students are learning via electronic platforms , employees are working from home, businessmen are meeting online and families bonding via social media. But are these digital tools accessible and inclusive? How are the visually impared able to follow video conferencing and do people with auditory impairment understand voice calls? These are some of the gaps that can be closed during GAAD campaigns.

Designers, web developers, legal counsels, user experience researchers, tech enthusiasts, parents, teachers, students, local guides and everyone should be part of the quest to make accessibility possible for everyone.

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Caption: An image showing an accessible parking area with “No Parking” sign at Google Campus in San Jose.

What can you do during the Global Accessibility Awareness Day?

1.Contribute accessibility information on Google Maps

  1. Create awareness about the topic online and offline

  2. Volunteer to become an accessibility advocate by joining One Accessibility Project

  3. Join our #GAAD virtual meetup on May 20, 2020

Here is the Google Meet link :point_right:

http://meet.google.com/erd-reqf-bwz

What have you planned to do to help make the world more inclusive and accessible? Feel free to host #GAAD Virtual meetups in your community during the week or month and share across social media.

Youu can learn more about accessibility by reading our weekly post on Connect.

#GAAD2020 #GAAD #a11y

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@EmekaUlor Yes, We will celebrate this day from our own side. Thanks for informing about this special day.

Happy Guiding!

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let’s celebrate this day whatever this pandemic days @EmekaUlor

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This is so awesome @EmekaUlor

I will check the times and hopefully can join in on the meet up.

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Hello @EmekaUlor thanks for creating much needed awareness about Accessibility. The least we could do is to provide information and pictures on Google map to help people with such limitation.

I am happy you raised questions on Accessibility for people with sensory impairment on digital platform. provision like voice messages and pictures are there but still basic ,and a lot more can be done.

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Thanks for the useful post @EmekaUlor

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@EmekaUlor This is really amazing! I look forward to it.

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