The 14th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is observed on May 15, 2025—continuing its mission of advocating for digital inclusion worldwide. Held every third Thursday of May, GAAD brings attention to the over one billion people living with disabilities and emphasizes that accessibility is not just a technical feature—it’s a fundamental human right.
As digital platforms continue to shape the way we learn, work, and connect, the need for inclusive digital experiences has never been more urgent. Ensuring that everyone can navigate and engage with digital content isn’t optional—it’s essential.
GAAD is more than just a day; it’s a global call to action. Its mission is to get everyone—designers, developers, content creators, and decision-makers—talking, thinking, and learning about accessibility and how digital barriers impact people with disabilities.
In this blog, we explore the purpose of GAAD, understand the current state of digital accessibility, highlight the most common accessibility issues, and discuss how organizations, including Round The Clock Technologies, are working toward a digitally inclusive world.
What is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)?
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) was first celebrated in 2012 with the goal of raising awareness about digital access and inclusion. What started as a single-day event has now evolved into a global movement.
In 2021, to commemorate GAAD’s 10th anniversary, the GAAD Foundation was launched. Its mission is clear and urgent: to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement. This mission is especially critical as technology rapidly evolves, and digital platforms become essential for daily life.
Each year on GAAD, thousands of people, companies, educational institutions, and governments come together to:
Promote accessibility training.
Share success stories and case studies.
Test digital products for accessibility gaps.
Encourage innovation in inclusive design.
Understanding Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility ensures that everyone—including people with visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive impairments—can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with digital products.
Whether it’s a website, mobile app, PDF document, or online video, digital accessibility means designing and developing content so all users can independently consume and engage with it.
Some key principles of digital accessibility include:
Providing text alternatives for images, icons (non-text content)
Enabling full keyboard navigation.
Designing for screen reader compatibility.
Offering captions and transcripts for audio/video content.
Maintaining color contrast and readable typography.
For a current snapshot of digital accessibility trends, WebAIM’s The WebAIM Million report provides valuable insights into how accessible the internet really is.
The State of Web Accessibility in 2025
While awareness around accessibility has grown, most websites are still not accessible to people with disabilities. A large-scale analysis by WebAIM in 2020 of one million home pages revealed sobering results:
Key Findings from the WebAIM Million Report:
98.1% of home pages had at least one WCAG 2.0 failure.
60.9 errors on average were found per home page.
Most Common Accessibility Failures (% of home pages):
Low Contrast Text: 86.3%
Missing Image Alt Text: 66%
Empty Links: 59.9%
Missing Form Input Labels: 53.8%
Empty Buttons: 28.7%
Missing Document Language: 28%
These statistics indicate that accessibility issues are systemic and widespread, affecting the usability and equity of digital spaces.
How Inaccessibility Impacts People with Disabilities
Over one billion people globally live with some form of disability. Ignoring digital accessibility not only alienates a vast segment of the population but also leads to lost opportunities—for users and businesses alike.
Here’s how inaccessibility affects different groups:
Visual Impairments
People who are blind or have low vision rely on screen readers, alternative text, and keyboard navigation. Missing alt text, poor contrast, or visual-only indicators can render entire websites unusable.
Hearing Impairments
People who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from video captions, transcripts, and visual alerts. Audio-based content without alternatives excludes them from essential information.
Motor Impairments
Those with limited mobility may need adaptive keyboards, voice input, or eye-tracking software. Interactive elements that require precise mouse control or are not keyboard-friendly create significant barriers.
Cognitive Impairments
People with learning disabilities benefit from clear structure, plain language, and consistent navigation. Cluttered layouts or confusing interfaces can drastically reduce comprehension and usability.
By making digital content accessible, we not only improve usability for people with disabilities but enhance the experience for all users.
How Round The Clock Technologies is Making a Difference
Accessibility is not a checklist—it’s a culture, and Round The Clock Technologies is committed to embedding that culture into every project.
Here’s how Round The Clock Technologies is actively contributing to a more accessible digital world:
Training Teams Across Domains
Accessibility isn’t the responsibility of a single role. RTCTek trains cross-functional teams—from UX designers to frontend developers and content strategists—on accessibility principles and best practices. These trainings cover:
WCAG 2.1 guidelines
Assistive technology simulation
Inclusive user journey mapping
Keyboard and screen reader testing
This empowers teams to build inclusivity into the foundation of every product, not as an afterthought.
Raising Client-Side Awareness
Changing the culture also means changing the conversation. Round The Clock Technologies educates and advises clients on the legal, ethical, and business implications of accessibility. This includes:
Accessibility audits during project planning.
Regular workshops and updates on evolving standards.
Recommendations tailored to specific industries and user groups.
Clients leave better informed—and more committed to inclusive design.
Offering Accessibility Remediation Services
For existing digital properties with accessibility issues, accessibility remediation is essential. Round The Clock Technologies provides:
Rapid issue identification using automated and manual testing.
WCAG-compliant fixes across HTML, CSS, and JS.
Integration support for screen readers, ARIA labels, and captions.
The goal is to remove barriers quickly while building toward long-term accessibility compliance.
Applying Universal Design Principles
Accessibility goes beyond digital. Round The Clock Technologies applies universal design across both digital products and physical environments, ensuring:
Visual and cognitive inclusiveness in digital UI/UX.
Accessible signage and navigation in real-world spaces.
Seamless omni-channel user experience for all users.
This approach aligns with the broader philosophy of designing for everyone—regardless of ability.
Using Paired Testing with Specially-Abled Users
True accessibility can’t be achieved without feedback from those who experience barriers firsthand. Round The Clock Technologies conducts paired testing, where:
A specially-abled user engages with the product.
A subject matter expert observes and notes accessibility gaps.
This method surfaces real-world usability issues that automated tools can’t detect, ensuring a more authentic and empathetic user experience.
Conclusion
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a powerful reminder that accessibility is a shared responsibility. As digital technologies continue to evolve, the imperative to make them accessible to all becomes more urgent.
There is still much work to be done. But with increased awareness, better tools, and a collective commitment to inclusion, a future where everyone can access and benefit from digital innovation is within reach.
RTCTek is proud to be a part of this journey. Through education, advocacy, design excellence, and ongoing remediation, the organization is actively reshaping what it means to build for everyone.
This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, let’s go beyond compliance. Let’s build a digital world where accessibility is the default, not the exception.