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 & Department Head, Inclusive Citizen Sector, 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.