Join OHIO DAN in celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 20, 2021, marks the tenth anniversary for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD is an event that promotes digital accessibility and inclusion to individuals with disabilities and impairments. This year, the OHIO Digital Accessibility Network (OHIO-DAN) is working to spread knowledge and awareness to the OHIO campus community on best practices for usability and accessibility. 

The Digital Accessibility Network hopes that by conducting different interactive opportunities for the campus community, users can: 

• Gain awareness of the issues and challenges those individuals that are differently abled encounter;
• Foster an environment of inclusivity through further education and awareness of digital accessibility;
• Discover ways that they can make improvements to their own work to become more accessible.

As GAAD nears, check out both the OIT and OHIO social media channels for more information and helpful tips to become more accessible.

There will also be a special Ask the Experts livestream on Thursday, May 20 at 2 p.m. with OHIO experts Carey Busch, interim Dean of University College, Greg Kremer, professor of mechanical engineering in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, and John McCarthy, professor and interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions. The livestream will allow for the OHIO community to hear from experts in the field on ways we can make improvements to become more accessible, as well as accessible challenges often present today. Viewers will have the opportunity to also ask these three experts their own questions regarding accessibility. View the livestream here. 

The OHIO-DAN is a University-wide, interdisciplinary group of volunteers who are committed to helping Ohio University not only improve its current tools to meet accessibility goals, but also incorporate best practices in coding, content creation, and the IT purchases made. 

Want to be more involved? Consider joining the OHIO-DAN, where participants are encouraged to support efforts across all Ohio University campuses to improve digital accessibility for everyone.