Global Accessibility Awareness Day Conference (Virtual/Free)
May 21, 2026
9:30 AM - 2:45 PM America/Chicago
What’s Happening?
Join us for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 21, 2026! This online event will get the accessibility community talking, thinking, and learning more about digital access and inclusion.
This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Shanna Kattari, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, will present “At the Intersection of Access and Justice.” The session will explore how disability justice, rooted in Black, Brown, queer, and trans disabled leadership, challenges institutions to move beyond compliance and embrace disability as both a cultural identity and a justice movement.
GAAD will also feature a variety of engaging sessions designed for participants at all levels of accessibility knowledge and experience.
Who is this for?
- Faculty and instructors
- Staff and administrators
- IT professionals and developers
- Content creators and communicators
- Accessibility professionals and advocates
- Anyone interested in learning more about digital accessibility and inclusion
What do I need to know?
- Date: May 21, 2026
- Time: 9:30 AM to 2:45 PM CST
- Registration: Advance registration is required. Register for GAAD Day.
- More Information: Visit the GAAD webpage for full details on keynote and session tracks
Session Schedule:
9:30–9:55 AM | Welcome
- For all tracks.
10:00–11:00 AM | At the Intersection of Access and Justice
- For all tracks. Keynote presentation with Dr. Shanna Kattari.
11:15–12:00 PM | Session 1
- A1: Accessible by Design: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and ARIA Techniques That Scale
- B1: Designing and Building Accessible Email Communications
- C1:Supporting Accessibility Across Languages
12:00-1:00 PM | Lunch break
1:00–1:45 PM | Session 2
- A2: A11y: A Developer’s Guide to Retrofitting Sites for WCAG Compliance
- B2: Math Accessibility
- C2: Building Confidence Through Better Accessibility Conversations
2:00–2:45 PM | Session 3
- A3: Where did my (keyboard) focus go?
- B3: What's Metadata Got To Do With It?
- C3: Open-Source Web Accessibility Tools from the University of Illinois
Accessibility Info:
Accessibility is central to GAAD. Event features will include accessible virtual content and inclusive session design to support a wide range of participants.
For any additional access requests or questions, please reach out to the GAAD Planning Committee using the contact information below.
Date posted
May 18, 2026
Date updated
May 18, 2026