Events & Activities

This May, Level Access is offering a full month of programming designed to educate, inspire, and empower organizations to advance digital accessibility. Visit our GAAD hub for exclusive training opportunities, including free access to the Level Access Academy, our online learning platform, for the Month of May. You’ll also find on-demand workshops with accessibility experts and a readymade kit for planning and executing an impactful GAAD celebration at your organization.

Thirty years ago, JAWS for Windows launched with a simple mission: to make digital content accessible through speech. It revolutionized how blind users navigated the early Internet — and it hasn’t stopped evolving since. But what other assistive technologies have truly moved the needle — and for whom?

On May 14, 2025, at 4 PM ET, join us for a special Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) event spotlighting the technologies, breakthroughs, and people that have shaped digital accessibility over the years.

Led by Matt Ater, this fireside chat will have thought leader and JAWS user Jennison Asuncion, the Head of Accessibility (A11y) Engineering Evangelism at LinkedIn and Co-Founder of Global A11y Awareness Day & GAAD Foundation, for an inspiring discussion.

They’ll explore how JAWS went from its early DOS-based roots in 1995 to integrating AI-driven features today — making digital spaces more accessible every step of the way.

They’ll also discuss:

• The most meaningful innovations in assistive technology — from the past to the present.
• Breakthrough moments in JAWS history — from virtual cursors to touchscreen gestures.
• How assistive technology empowers users and informs digital design.
• What the future holds for assistive technology and digital accessibility.

Be part of this meaningful milestone and gain insights that can inform your own accessibility efforts. Register now to save your spot!

Join us in celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by pledging your time to improve accessibility in WordPress. Whether you’re a developer, designer, content creator, or site owner, your skills can help make the internet more usable for millions of people with disabilities. Whether you work on a plugin or theme, contribute to WordPress core, or make your own website more accessible, you’re helping create a more inclusive internet for everyone. This event is a virtual contributor day encouraging people to pledge time to contribute to accessibility on or for WordPress websites on May 15th. The idea is that we’ll all come together and make a meaningful dent in known accessibility issues. Learn more about how you can help and make a pledge on our website.

Most digital accessibility efforts in government have focused on the executive branch. The Minnesota State Legislature and Courts have independently adopted accessibility policies. This session will explore how the teams planned and engaged stakeholders to rollout the policies. Presenters will discuss:

• Why their respective branches chose to adopt accessibility as a standard or policy.
• Key challenges in implementing accessibility.
• Strategies, tools, and processes that were useful/helpful.

You are invited to register for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 15, 2025. Join us for a virtual event on the theme of ‘Committing to Change,’ which will spark conversations and enhance understanding about digital access and inclusion. GAAD 2025 will include a keynote presentation from Dr. Ludmila Praslova, author of The Canary Code, and several breakout sessions in the areas of advancing accessibility in higher education, disability culture & justice, and universal design. Visit the GAAD event website for more information.

This year, Brickfield Education Labs and Open LMS have partnered to unveil the latest version of a self-assessment tool that allows you to rate your accessibility knowledge and skills, as we continue the tradition to join the Global Accessibility Awareness Day celebrations Register to get access to Brickfield’s self-assessment tool: https://lnkd.in/gESpfzyN Then, join one of our 3 global events on Thursday, May 15 to understand your rating, compare it with your peers, and learn how to improve your skills and the quality of your eLearning experiences

In the spirit of GAAD and as the next webinar in our monthly Workday Accessibility Level Up series, we’ll be talking about some of the many kinds of assistive technologies that people with different disabilities use. We’ll also discuss things to keep in mind when building a digital product to make sure people with disabilities, and the assistive tools they use, can interact with your product.

This special GAAD session Nichols Strategies’ Digital Accessibility Professional Learning Community for school communications professionals will focus on how we build consent and capacity to prioritize accessibility at all levels of our organizations.

On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, join WP Accessibility Day board members, Bet Hannon, Joe Dolson, and Amber Hinds, and lead organizer, Isla Waite, for a conversation about the current state of accessibility in WordPress, how they see it changing in the future, and what’s in the works for the WP Accessibility Day nonprofit and event this year. The panel discussion will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Kick­start your efforts in just 60 min­utes with proven strate­gies that work in gov­ern­ment settings. Join us on Global Accessibility Awareness Day for a free, one-hour webinar packed with practical steps, real examples, and insights from public sector leaders who’ve been in your shoes—and found a way forward.

Panelists:

• Janet Shimabukuro, Assistant Director of Customer Experience, Washington State Department of Revenue
• Beckie Bean, Accessibility Consultant, Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology
• Moderator: Suzanne Boyd, Founder and CEO, Anthro-Tech, Inc.

You’ll walk away with:

• Proven, high-impact wins you can launch now—even under budget freezes or lean staffing
• Strategies to kickstart accessibility projects
• Tips for leadership buy-in and keeping momentum
• Real success stories from government teams that overcame funding and resource roadblocks
• Live Q&A where experts tackle your questions and give actionable 1-on-1 advice!

All registrants will receive

• Full webinar recording
• Downloadable starter guide to kick off your accessibility journey