It’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day on Thursday, May 17, so we’re sharing a few ways you can participate. Even if you don’t attend an event in person, GAAD encourages you to spend an hour experiencing the impact of digital accessibility first-hand. Set aside an hour to browse the web without a mouse, check color contrast, or use a screen reader if you haven’t before. Check out more details on how to try these—and other ways to participate!

Keep reading for our roundup of a few ways you can participate in GAAD in person and from home on May 17, as well as accessibility-related resources that are available all year. 

On May 17

• The official GAAD site shares a series of events all over the world—from Brisbane to Atlanta. There’s even an event in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport!
• RedShelf is hosting a free webinar. They’ll review their approach to accessibility and explore ways to implement similar practices.
• Apple stores around the world are hosting workshops about accessibility on Thursday. Find your local store to see if they’re participating and reserve your spot.
• Join #GAADTweetChat with @debraruh at 11:30am IST for accessibility essentials, tips on making PDFs accessible, and more.
• BBC is hosting Access All Areas 2018, a livestream running from 9:30am to 4:30pm BST, with sessions on digital access/inclusion, accessible gaming, workplace design, and more.

Accessibility All Year

• For a dose of accessibility every Monday, sign up for David A. Kennedy’s newsletter Accessibility Weekly.
• A List Apart has a fantastic collection of posts on accessibility. Get started with “A DIY Web Accessibility Blueprint.”
• Heydon Pickering, the accessibility editor for Smashing Magazine, explores a common interface component and suggests a way to make it accessible in every post on inclusive-components.design.
• Axess Lab has a great collection of articles with practical accessibility tips. Start with “Practical Examples of Accessibility Improvements” and then dig into their archives for much more.
• Read Accessibility for Everyone by Laura Kalbag and Geri Coady’s Color Accessibility Workflows Brief. Buy them both and get 10% off!

Follow us on Twitter, where we’ll be sharing more accessibility finds all week and throughout the year.