Every year, Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) reminds us of a simple truth: the internet should be usable by everyone. On this day, celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May, we come together to raise awareness about digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities.
At A11y Pros, accessibility isn’t just a checklist—it’s our mission. As we mark GAAD 2025, we reflect on how far we’ve come in the world of digital accessibility and how far we still have to go.
What Is Global Accessibility Awareness Day?
GAAD began in 2012 with the goal of sparking conversations and actions around making the digital world more inclusive. It’s a day for designers, developers, business leaders, and policymakers to take a closer look at the barriers people with disabilities face when using the web, apps, or other digital products. Learn more about GAAD at the official GAAD website.
Why GAAD 2025 Is More Important Than Ever
In 2025, digital accessibility is not optional. Legal pressures are growing—especially under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508—and public expectations are rising. Businesses that fail to prioritize accessibility risk not just lawsuits, but losing customers and damaging their reputation.
This year’s GAAD theme is a call to go beyond compliance. It’s about creating digital experiences that are usable, intuitive, and equitable for everyone. Accessibility isn’t just about avoiding risk—it’s about expanding opportunity.
Key Areas of Focus for 2025
- WCAG 2.2: Now fully adopted, WCAG 2.2 introduces critical updates, including focus appearance and target size improvements. Understanding and implementing these changes is essential.
- Accessible Design Systems: More teams are investing in reusable, accessible components to scale inclusive design.
- AI and Accessibility: With AI-driven content and interfaces on the rise, accessibility considerations must be baked into these technologies from the start.
- Proactive Testing and Audits: Leading organizations are embedding manual and automated accessibility testing into CI/CD pipelines and QA workflows.
What You Can Do Today
- Audit your website or app for WCAG 2.2 compliance
- Add alt text and proper labels to images and form fields
- Test with a screen reader or keyboard-only navigation
- Publish an accessibility statement that outlines your commitment
- Work with experts to remediate issues and build accessible experiences
For more guidance, visit resources from WebAIM, Deque Systems, and the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative.
How A11y Pros Can Help
At A11y Pros, we specialize in helping organizations move from reactive fixes to proactive accessibility strategies. Whether you’re looking for a full audit, remediation help, or WCAG 2.2 training, we’re here to support your journey toward digital inclusion.
Let’s make GAAD 2025 more than a hashtag. Let’s turn awareness into action.
Contact us to schedule your accessibility audit or consultation.