Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) – 21 May 2026

GAAD is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities.

Accessibility is essential in every area of life. From online services and documents to physical environments, our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can access information, participate fully, and engage with our services.

As a UK local authority, we have a legal and moral responsibility to make our digital content accessible. Under the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

Everything we publish, whether on our website, intranet, or digital platforms, must meet accessibility standards.

Why accessibility matters

In the UK, almost 1 in 4 people are living with a long-term illness, impairment, or disability. Many others experience temporary or situational barriers, such as:

• a broken arm limiting device use
• poor lighting affecting screen visibility
• temporary hearing loss

Designing with accessibility in mind benefits everyone, not just those with permanent disabilities.

Improving accessibility in our work

We all play a role in making our digital content inclusive. To support staff:

• guidance is available for creating accessible digital communications
• each Resource has an Information Co-ordinator who can provide advice
• accessibility should be considered from the outset - not added later

Why not take part in an accessibility challenge today? For example, try navigating a website without using a mouse. Small exercises like this can help build awareness of the barriers some users face every day.

Types of accessibility needs to consider

When creating content, it’s important to think about different user needs:

Visual

• Provide alternative text (alt text) for meaningful images
• Ensure content can be navigated using a keyboard
• Use clear contrast and readable fonts

Hearing

• Add captions to videos
• Provide visual alternatives to audio information

Motor

• Ensure content works with assistive technologies
• Avoid interactions that require precise or complex movements

Cognitive

• Use our writing guide
• Write in plain English
• Keep layouts uncluttered and consistent
• Break information into manageable sections

Building an inclusive culture

Accessibility is not just a technical requirement - it’s about creating an inclusive culture where everyone can participate equally.

By making small, thoughtful changes in how we design and share information, we can remove barriers and improve experiences for residents, colleagues, and service users.

Find out more

• Visit: https://accessibility.day/
• Read guidance on creating digital communications