Events & Activities

Live conference aimed at rising awareness and competences, supported by examples of good practices and practical advices. Topics will focus on digital accessibility, on accessible environment and accessible culture on example of Museum. Accessibility professionals from Slovenia, users with disabilities and local communities are just few who will actively participate and transfer their knowledge and experience. The event will also present cross border activities to support all who want to improve the accessibility of their web solutions. The conference is organised by Institute for Digital Accessibility A11Y.s, Municipality of Nova Gorica, Association of the blind and visually impaired Novagorica, NSIOS and European resource centre on accessibility Accessible EU.

Em comemoração ao Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), o Banco do Brasil promove um painel com líderes das áreas estratégicas que mais vêm contribuindo para a evolução da acessibilidade digital na instituição. O objetivo é destacar iniciativas que geram impacto real nos produtos e serviços digitais, dar visibilidade às ações em curso e reforçar o compromisso coletivo com a inclusão. Durante esse painel com troca e reflexão, vamos conhecer experiências práticas, avanços conquistados e os desafios que ainda precisamos superar para consolidar a acessibilidade digital como um valor central no desenvolvimento tecnológico do BB.

A programação do GAAD 2025 continua com duas mesas redondas inspiradoras em sequência! Vamos debater como acessibilidade, IA e design podem ser ferramentas potentes para inclusão — e não apenas obrigações legais.

>>> 9h30 | Inovação Inclusiva Natura, Hand Talk e CI&T discutem como a acessibilidade pode ampliar o alcance de produtos, impulsionar a inovação e se tornar parte da rotina das organizações.

>>> 11h00 | Tecnologia que Inclui Alelo e CI&T apresentam um case real com IA e design, mostrando como decisões de UX, produto e desenvolvimento impactam diretamente a inclusão digital.

Training Agenda: Introduction to Digital Accessibility The Importance of Accessibility in Social Media Challenges in Creating Accessible Content in Social Media Creating Accessible Text Content Accessibility of Visual Elements Examples Summary

Subject: Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025 Celebration
Organizer: Aspire to Innovate (a2i) Program
Co-organizer: Friendship
Event Date: May 15, 2025
Venue: BIDA Auditorium, BIDA Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka-1207
Estimated Number of Participants: Approximately 250
Chief Guest: Honorable Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology
Special Guests: Secretary, ICT Division Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh Senior Director & Head, Inclusive Citizenship, Friendship
Guest of Honor: Mansur Ahmed Chowdhury, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)
Chairperson: Project Director, a2i Program

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is observed annually with the aim of raising awareness about inclusive digital accessibility for more than one billion people with disabilities worldwide, including over 16 million people residing in Bangladesh. The celebration of this day started in May 2012 in various countries, and it is observed on the third Thursday of May every year. The main goal of the day is to raise public awareness about inclusive digital technologies (such as websites, software, mobile applications, etc.) and assistive digital technologies for people with disabilities and to promote a positive attitude toward these technologies. Bangladesh is one of the first 20 countries to sign and support the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Articles 9 and 21 of this convention specifically emphasize equal access to information and communication technology (ICT) and inclusive information for people with disabilities. Additionally, initiatives have been taken to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the concept of “Leaving no one behind.” Furthermore, in 2022, Bangladesh took a significant step by supporting the Marrakesh Treaty to make books and learning materials more accessible to visually impaired individuals. The “Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013” identifies the overall development and digital inclusion of people with disabilities as an essential right. Furthermore, the ICT Policy 2018 provides guidelines on digital accessibility in both public and private sectors in Sections 3 and 4. In line with this, in 2022, the ICT Division approved the “Digital Service and Web Designing Guidelines for Inclusive Accessibility,” aligned with international WCAG 2.1 standards, marking a milestone for the digital services accessible to people with disabilities. The “National Digital Transformation Strategy (ICT Department Reform Roadmap)” also clearly mentions digital accessibility. According to the 2022 Population Census, 2.4% of the population in the country has some form of disability. On the other hand, according to the 2021 National Disability Survey (NSPD), this figure was 2.8%. According to the Directorate of Social Services database, over 3.5 million people with disabilities are currently registered, with nearly 2.4 million receiving disability allowances through mobile banking. Currently, Bangladesh has more than 33,000 government websites and over 1,000 citizen e-services. Additionally, various private services, such as job portals, e-commerce, news portals, and banking services, are also provided online. Therefore, ensuring the accessibility of these government and private websites, apps, and e-services for this significant disabled population is essential to ensure a citizen-friendly, inclusive public service system. a2i

Disability Innovation Lab: The only institution within the Bangladesh government working on digital accessibility for people with disabilities is a2i. For this purpose, a dedicated unit called the Disability Innovation Lab has been created. The main objective of the a2i Disability Innovation Lab is to make websites, mobile applications, web content, and digital services more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. This lab provides technical assistance to various government and private organizations on digital accessibility and organizes training programs to raise awareness and build capacity on the subject. The Disability Innovation Lab supports innovative initiatives with technical assistance, promotion, and financial grants. Among the most successful innovations is the “Multimedia Talking Book,” which has opened new horizons for inclusive education for students with disabilities from Class 1 to Class 10. Additionally, platforms such as “Accessible Dictionary,” “Digital Classroom,” and “Muktapath” are playing a supportive role in ensuring accessible, inclusive, and quality education for students with disabilities. More than 33,000 websites connected to the national portal have already achieved “Accessibility level-A.” To evaluate the accessibility of these digital services, a special audit panel, consisting of people with disabilities, regularly assesses the accessibility of websites.

GAAD 2025 Celebration: On May 15, 2025, the 14th edition of the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will be celebrated worldwide. Since 2022, the ICT Division’s a2i program has been observing this day. Through the local celebration of this day, people with disabilities will be able to learn about disability-friendly websites, mobile apps, and digital services. Additionally, public and private service-providing institutions are expected to become more aware of making their digital services accessible and will be encouraged to do so. To achieve the main objective of GAAD and to motivate local institutions to stay in sync with global progress, awards will be presented in three categories to initiatives and institutions contributing to the advancement of accessibility.

Possible Participants in the Celebration Event:
1. All Ministries/Departments (Chief Innovation Officers);
2. Selected private organizations providing important services (representatives);
3. Government and private organizations working with people with disabilities (representatives);
4. Development partner organizations (representatives);
5. Donor organizations (representatives);
6. Print, electronic, and online media (representatives);
7. Banking and financial service providers (representatives);
8. People with disabilities who were affected by the July movement.

The University of Washington is hosting a hybrid event for faculty, staff, and students, in person and on Zoom, featuring a full day of lectures and workshops; plus an early evening public event with Dr. Joshua Miele as he shares from his new book, Connecting Dots.

Join RMIT’s Learning Design team and the University of Liverpool for a collaborative knowledge exchange on digital accessibility practices. RMIT will showcase the Inclusive Digital Learning Initiative (IDLI) and our user-centered approach to accessibility. Discover how we collaborate directly with diverse learners to test, gather feedback, and iteratively improve our Canvas environment. The Centre for Innovation in Education team at Liverpool will cover recent projects around improving digital accessibility to learning & teaching and showcase tools to help make further improvements in the future. This partnership event celebrates both institutions’ commitment to creating inclusive digital learning experiences that address real student needs and remove barriers to education.

Philips Accessibility Day was created as an internal event, for designers to learn how accessibility can vastly improve experiences for healthcare professionals and patients.

This interactive training for state staff highlights practical steps to improve digital accessibility across New Mexico agencies. Participants will explore key tools, such as WAVE, and view live demos of accessibility testing. They will also learn how to document issues using a structured spreadsheet. A screen reader demonstration will provide valuable insight into how blind users navigate digital content. The session concludes with a Q&A session for additional staff support.

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.