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Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Activity Ideas for Students

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is an annual event focused on spreading awareness about digital accessibility and taking action to make websites, apps, and other digital tools usable for people with disabilities and the assistive technologies that enable independent access. Celebrated on the third Thursday in May, GAAD events and celebrations take place around the world with in-person, hybrid, and online events that amplify the experiences of how people with disabilities access digital content, the impact of inaccessibility and access barriers, and strategies for designing and improving technology so that it can be more accessible for all.

While many GAAD events are targeted at professionals or hosted by companies or other organizations, teachers and students can celebrate GAAD with activities and lessons that introduce digital accessibility concepts and skills in a hands-on, practical way. Curated by an assistive technology specialist with low vision, here is a list of free/low-cost activity ideas for celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day and teaching students about digital accessibility, organized by topic.

What is assistive technology?

Assistive technology is defined by the Tech Act as “any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” A simpler way to define assistive technology might be “any tool, device, or software that helps people with disabilities do things they might otherwise find hard or impossible.”

Assistive technology can include items that are specifically designed for people with disabilities, as well as items that are made for everyone and also make things accessible for people with disabilities; for example, consumer technologies like computers can be used by anyone, and also have accessibility features that can enable people with disabilities to access information or perform tasks that would otherwise be impossible.

Even though it includes the word “technology”, assistive technology is more than high-tech devices like computers or tablets. Assistive technology also includes simple items that don’t require electricity, like high-contrast markers or magnifying glasses. That said, GAAD primarily focuses on mid-tech or high-tech assistive technology, such as:

  • Accessible keyboards
  • Tablets, smartphones, computers, eReaders, smart speakers, and other consumer technologies with accessibility features.
  • Text-to-speech software that reads text out loud
  • Screen readers for using a computer, tablet, or phone without looking at the screen
  • High contrast or vibrantly colored items
  • Screen magnification and display scaling that makes on-screen items larger.
  • Refreshable braille displays, which connect to another device to display text or other information.
  • Alternative input devices like eye gaze, voice controls, and switch access, or accessible mice (accessible mouse/mouse alternatives)

It is important to avoid touching or messing with someone else’s assistive technology, as this could prevent them from being able to perform tasks or access information independently.

Activity ideas for learning about assistive technology

  • Is this AT? Hold up an item and explain how it could be used as assistive technology by someone with a disability, or explain why it isn’t assistive technology. This could also be designed as a scavenger hunt activity where kids can locate items that could be used as assistive technology. This could also be used to introduce accessibility features that are built-in to tablets, phones, computers, or other technologies that students are familiar with.
  • Create AT. Find instructions online or on social media for DIY assistive technology or accessibility hacks that students can create. Alternatively, have students write a short story about something that could be used to help a person who has trouble using their arms, seeing, hearing, or similar. Example stories could be about a talking computer, a pair of glasses with captions built-in, or a hands-free TV remote.
  • Ready, SETT, go! Provide a prompt that introduces a student with a disability, their environment (e.g. classroom, workplace), and the task(s) they need or want to do with technology. Have students identify potential tools or examples of ways to make this task accessible for the student. Some of the tools might be things that actually exist, some might not, but the point is to get students thinking about accessibility and inclusion. Students could also research potential products/AT devices online.
  • AT in the news. Read an article about assistive technology or accessibility, or watch a video where someone is using assistive technology. Discuss the technology and how it can be used to enable access (or present access barriers that will need to be addressed)

Websites to explore

Related links

Built-in accessibility features

Many operating systems offer built-in accessibility features that can make technology accessible to people with disabilities without requiring the purchase of additional software. While these accessibility settings may not have as many customization options as specialized assistive technology software, exploring the accessibility menu of a computer, tablet, smartphone, or other device can introduce users to a wide array of options for customizing how they use their device and can make technology easier or more efficient to use.

Some examples of built-in accessibility features available on mainstream devices include:

  • Screen magnification program for making items on the screen larger
  • Increasing the cursor size
  • Dark mode, invert colors, or other display filters
  • Keyboard access
  • Options to adjust screen resolution or display scaling
  • Read aloud or text-to-speech
  • Screen reader/speech synthesis tool
  • High contrast display mode
  • Adjustable font size with options for large print
  • Dictation for typing
  • Virtual assistants with options for voice controls

Activity ideas for learning about built-in accessibility features

  • Explore accessibility settings. Scroll through the accessibility settings menu available on a student’s computer, tablet, smartphone, or other personal device, and identify features that could be used by someone with a disability, or that the student can enable for themselves.
  • Create accessibility riddles. These are a great way to introduce accessibility settings or concepts related to accessibility, or to have students practice identifying different accessibility features. Teachers can either write these for students, or have students write their own. Examples of features to write about include:
    • Zoom/screen magnification
    • Screen readers
    • Text-to-speech
    • Large print
    • Dark mode/invert colors
    • Keyboard shortcuts/keyboard access.
  • How does this work? Enable a built-in accessibility setting and navigate the class website, an application that students use frequently, or another familiar digital tool. How does this accessibility setting change how someone interacts with content? Some potential features to consider enabling include:
    • MacOS/iOS: Hover Text, Smart Invert, Reading View, Speak Text
    • ChromeOS/Android: Select-to-speak, high contrast mode, Reader Mode (may need to be downloaded)
    • Windows: Contrast themes, text cursor/mouse pointer settings, color filters
  • Imagine accessibility. Have students design an application or setting on their favorite device that could help make it easier to use for someone with a disability. Some examples could include captions on a phone call, an app that lets someone know when they are about to run into a wall, or a voice assistant that can open doors.

Websites to explore

Related links

Screen readers and text-to-speech (not the same thing!)

A screen reader enables users to access text, images, and user interfaces without looking at the screen. Screen reader software reads information out loud using synthesized speech so users know what is on the screen, so users can navigate their device using a keyboard or gestures instead of using a computer mouse. Blind users can’t use a mouse (but can use touchscreens), though someone who has low vision or some usable vision might use a mouse and a screen reader at the same time.

Screen readers are typically “always on,” and it is reasonable to assume that someone wouldn’t be able to use their device if their screen reader was turned off or not working. Examples of popular screen reader software include VoiceOver, JAWS, NVDA, ChromeVox, Narrator, TalkBack, and Orca.

Text-to-speech enables users to access text and images by reading information out loud when prompted by the user. Text-to-speech can be activated as needed using a shortcut, hotkey, or gesture. Once text-to-speech finishes reading all of the text/visible content on a page, it shuts off until the user activates it again; the user might not need to read everything on the screen or may only need help reading text. Text-to-speech does not use any specific gestures or require the user to change how they interact with their device. Text-to-speech may also be used by people with other disabilities like dyslexia or ADHD for making it easier to follow along with text.

Activity ideas for learning about screen readers and text-to-speech

  • Turn on text-to-speech for a reading activity. Many applications, web browsers, and operating systems offer built-in text-to-speech, which may also be labeled as speak, speak text, read aloud, listen, TTS, select-to-speak, or similar. Alternatively, introduce students to a text-to-speech application that they can use at school or home if a district-wide/school-wide subscription is available. Immersive Reader is a free tool that offers text-to-speech and can also display text with large print.
  • Learn about keyboard shortcuts. Introduce concepts of keyboard access by having students practice using keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys on their computers. Many applications also publish a list of supported keyboard shortcuts that can be enabled with or without a screen reader.
  • Listen to a screen reader. Use a screen reader to explore the school website, an application/website that is familiar to students, or a document; alternatively, use the Screen Reader Training website linked below. Observe how information is read out loud and note barriers like unlabeled buttons, inaccessible images, or other elements that make it challenging to access the content. I recommend practicing with a few keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys prior to the activity (tab, enter, arrow keys are especially critical). For an even bigger challenge, hide the screen from the audience!

Websites to explore

Related links

Keyboard access and keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard access enables users to control their computer or other devices using only their keyboard, instead of using a mouse. This can include keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys, which can be used to perform tasks or simple functions without having to rely on the screen or other prompts. Examples of common keyboard shortcuts include select all, cut/copy/paste, bold/underline selected text, switch programs, and lock device. These keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys may vary across operating systems, though many are very similar; for example, the Windows shortcut to copy text is Control + C, while the Mac shortcut is Command + C.

A list of hotkeys or keyboard shortcuts for operating systems and popular software programs can be found online, and many web applications will have a list of keyboard shortcuts available as part of accessibility documentation or instruction manuals. Some applications may require users to manually enable keyboard access or keyboard shortcuts within the settings/preferences menu, or allow users to create their own custom shortcuts.

Activity ideas for learning about keyboard access and keyboard shortcuts

  • Find a list of keyboard shortcuts. Locate or create a list of keyboard shortcuts for a website or application that students use often. An example of a list of Canvas keyboard shortcuts is linked below.
  • Engage with a keyboard access activity. Find a game or activity that students can play using their keyboard. Compare the gameplay with the keyboard vs a touchscreen/mouse.
  • Practice typing skills. To enable students to use keyboard shortcuts effectively, provide resources for practicing touch typing skills. This isn’t really an accessibility-themed activity or something specific for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, but this is an important skill for students to develop!

Websites to explore

Related links

Alt text and image descriptions

Alternative text (alt text) and image descriptions are text-based descriptions of visual details in an image written primarily for people who are visually impaired (inclusive of blind, low vision, and neurological visual impairment). If an image fails to load on a website, alt text will be displayed in its place, and alt text is also used for search engine optimization and image search tools. If an image does not include alt text, someone who is using assistive technology like a screen reader will not be able to access the image; it will be invisible to them.

Image descriptions are another strategy for providing text-based media descriptions, and often are longer and more detailed than alt text. They are exposed as part of a caption or image body text, meaning that they can be read by anyone, and identify key visual details that would be used to help someone understand what’s in an image, providing helpful context and clarification about what is there. Image descriptions can be formatted, structured as lists, read with large print or braille, or used with other reading tools like search features.

High-quality alt text answers the following questions:

  • What is in the image?
  • Why is this relevant?
  • What would someone need to know about this image in order to understand it?

Adding alt text and image descriptions to images, gifs, and other visual content enables users with visual impairments to access information independently. While this is not technically alt text, it is also important to make sure that buttons and other UI elements are labeled accurately for screen reader users, as unlabeled buttons can make it difficult or impossible to access software or digital content.

Activity ideas for learning about alt text and image descriptions

  • Turn a picture into (less than) a thousand words. Practice writing alt text or image descriptions for images, student artwork, or other visual content. One helpful strategy for writing alt text is to imagine that someone is talking about an image on a podcast or on the phone with a friend, where the audience cannot see the image for themselves. What details would be important to mention?
  • Enable alt text reminders. Enable alt text reminders or accessibility checkers on social media or on applications/websites that students use frequently. This can also include built-in tools like the Accessibility Assistant in Microsoft products.
  • Compare AI-generated alt text and human-generated alt text. AI-generated alt text descriptions are often too verbose and share irrelevant details, or miss the point of an image and fail to acknowledge important details. Compare an AI-generated alt text description for an image along with a human-written description and note what information is included or excluded. Note: have students compare stock images, educational content like math problems or historical photos, or photos of their lunch. Do not upload photos of students or identifying information.

Related links

Braille

Braille is not a language, it’s a code!  Braille has its own writing system, with six dots in each braille cell (though some systems use eight dots). The different combinations of raised dots are used to show letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols. Almost all modern languages can be transcribed into braille, and each language has its own system of how braille is encoded. With uncontracted braille, also known as Grade 1 braille, each braille cell represents a single letter, number, or symbol. Contracted braille, also known as Grade 2 braille, has cells for specific letter combinations and words, which can help make it faster to read and is typically used for signs and transcripts.

Examples of assistive technology that can be used for reading braille include:

  • Refreshable braille display: device that connects to a computer/phone/tablet and converts digital text into tactile braille. These devices come in multiple sizes that can display a set number of braille cells; 20-cell and 40-cell displays are common.
  • Braille printer/embosser: used for printing out physical braille, some models can also create tactile graphics. Braille materials can also be created with slate/stylus, brailler, or software like Duxbury or Braille Blaster
  • Braille notetakers and braille computers: Standalone devices for reading and/or writing braille. Some devices have an optional display for reading print

Braille technologies can be used along with a screen reader for listening to information read out loud or used without speech synthesis for silent reading. Deafblind users may also use braille displays to read captions/transcripts

Activity ideas for learning about braille

  • Enable a braille keyboard. Some braille users prefer to type with a braille keyboard, while others use a standard (or adapted) keyboard layout. Users can enable a braille keyboard by following the video instructions below, or use a program like Perky Duck (free for Windows and Mac) for six-key input on a computer.
  • Design tactile graphic or 3D model. Explore tactile graphic libraries such as the TGIL from APH or sample tactile graphics from Perkins School for the Blind. Have students design or modify a graphic that could be used by someone with a visual impairment to learn about a specific concept.

Websites to explore

Related links

Colorblindness

When it comes to creating color palettes for websites or digital design projects, it is important to make sure that color is not used as the sole way of conveying important information or as the sole way of labeling something, as this can lead to accessibility issues for colorblindness or color deficiencies.

Here are a few general tips for creating accessible color palettes for colorblindness:

  • Avoid mixing shades of red and green together
  • Convert shades of red to magenta
  • Combine magenta or red with yellow and cyan for three-color combinations
  • Consider using magenta, yellow, green, and blue for four-color combinations
  • Pair blue with yellow/orange
  • Use a color contrast checker to ensure color(s) meet accessibility standards for contrast

Another strategy for determining if digital art/color palettes provides sufficient color contrast is to temporarily enable a grayscale view. This can be done within the device accessibility settings, or by doing the following:

  1. Add a new layer to the digital art that is solid black
  2. Ensure the layer is on top of all other layers, and set it to Hue
  3. After assessing the color changes, delete or hide the layer

Activity ideas for learning about colorblindness

  • Enable color filters. Enable color filters for device displays for colorblindness, or turn on a grayscale display. Have students identify examples of ways that information can be conveyed without the use of color (e.g. shapes or patterns) or examples of accessibility barriers encountered.
  • Preview color palettes for accessibility. Great for art-based activities, import a palette into a colorblindness checker to simulate what the colors might look like to someone who is colorblind, and evaluate ways to make colors easier to distinguish.

Websites to explore

Related links

Contrast

Contrast is defined as the difference of color that makes an object (or the foreground) visible against a background of a different color, with a contrast ratio showing the luminance of the brightest shade to the darkest shade. For low vision, high contrast color schemes may involve limited color palettes or removing non-essential colors, while other high contrast color schemes simply make colors easier to see against different backgrounds.

Some examples of common high contrast color schemes for low vision include:

  • White and black
  • Black and yellow
  • Green and black
  • Yellow and blue
  • Grayscale display

Other ways that high contrast color schemes may be used include

  • Using a solid-colored background to decrease visual complexity
  • Avoiding patterns, prints, or stripes that can make it more difficult to focus on objects
  • Adding a colored overlay to a page to make it easier to read text

There is no “universal” color scheme for high contrast and low vision, as preferences for color scheme can vary amongst individuals or be influenced by their specific vision condition. However, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines define enhanced contrast for text as having a minimum value of 7:1 for standard print text and 4.5:1 for large or bold text.

Activity ideas for learning about contrast

  • Find ways to improve contrast. Identify examples of low-contrast items or environments within the school/classroom and identify strategies that can be used to improve contrast for low vision. For example, using high contrast lined paper, putting a sticker on items so they don’t blend into similar colored surfaces, using markers that aren’t faded, etc.
  • Spot “invisible” colors. Use a color contrast checker to evaluate a website or application interface. Are there any low-contrast colors that make information more challenging to read? What are some colors that could be used instead?
  • Enable high contrast mode. Known as contrast themes on Windows, enable a high contrast theme for the duration of a class period (or longer) and observe how it displays on-screen content.

Websites to explore

Related links

Magnification

More than just handheld magnifying glasses, optical aids and magnification can help make objects larger and easier to see for people with low vision. Magnifiers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and magnification powers, and some tools like video magnifiers (sometimes called CCTVs) and screen magnification programs offer adjustable magnification powers so users can adjust the magnification power even further or apply filters that make content easier to see.

In digital accessibility, another feature that is commonly discussed is browser zoom, and how websites/applications look when someone zooms in on the page using keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl + + or when they zoom in on a page and increase the size of content. Many people with low vision will enlarge content 200%, 250%, 325%, or even 400% of its original size to see information more early.

Activity ideas for learning about magnification and optical aids (a type of assistive technology for low vision)

  • How high can we go? Use the Ctrl ++ (Command ++) shortcut to enlarge a web application. How does the display change at higher levels of browser zoom? Is all of the content still readable? (use Ctrl + – to zoom back out again). The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) requires developers to ensure text can be enlarged to at least 200% (double) its original size without loss of functionality.
  • Enable screen magnification. Open a screen magnification application (Windows Magnifier, MacOS/iOS Zoom, etc.) and use it to enlarge a PDF, image, or other fixed layout page. Use the Invert filter to improve the contrast of the page or make certain colors easier to see. Another option is to use a magnifier app that connects to a device camera (e.g. iOS Magnifier)

Websites to explore

Related links

Create accessible documents and presentations

Learning how to create accessible documents and presentations is an important skill for the workplace, and can also help students with visual impairments/assistive technology users engage with online and hybrid classes more effectively. There are many components that go into creating accessible documents and presentations, which include:

  • Using heading tags to organize information.
  • Creating ordered/unordered lists.
  • Adding alt text and/or image descriptions, or marking images as decorative.
  • Adjusting the reading order for slides (helpful for screen readers)
  • Using responsive file formats that support the use of assistive technology effectively, such as Word documents (docx). PDF is generally considered less accessible due to its fixed layout.
  • Writing equations so they can be read by screen readers, using formats like MathML and LaTeX.
  • Choosing an easy-to-read font and avoiding decorative fonts.

Again, this is not an exhaustive list of how to create accessible documents, but these strategies can make a huge impact on accessibility!

Activity ideas for creating accessible documents and presentations

  • Sort by heading level. Have students practice organizing information into different categories or sub-categories that are in a logical order. Here is an example of how heading levels are organized:
    • H1: Represents the main title of the page or content. There should only be one H1 heading on a page.
    • H2: Indicates main sections or chapters. Multiple H2 headings can be used, each introducing a new topic under H1.
    • H3: Sub-heading for H2 sections, providing further detail on a topic. H3 headings can introduce subsections or other key concepts.
    • H4: Sub-heading for H3 sections, often used to highlight specific points of examples. Helpful for clarifying complex topics.
    • H5: Sub-heading for H4 sections, used for even more specific details. Not frequently used.
    • H6: Sub-heading for H5 sections, used to provide additional notes or supporting details. Rarely used.
  • Create an accessible project about accessibility. Write a paper or create a presentation about an accessibility-related topic that intersects with an area of interest, and make sure it is accessible to audiences who use assistive technology.

Related links

Audio description

Audio description, sometimes referred to as descriptive audio or described video, is an additional narration track designed with nonvisual access in mind, providing details for all key visual elements of a video so that audiences with visual impairments can fully participate and engage with content. Audio description is delivered during natural pauses in dialogue or music and can help viewers better understand what is going on.

Most audio description content posted online is “open”, meaning that it does not require any special equipment or headphones to listen to the additional description track. At movie theaters or plays, Audio description for Broadway plays is typically played on an assistive listening device (ALD) or audio description device, which is about the size of a cell phone, or on a user’s personal device with a specific app.

Audio description provides information about visual elements in media for visually impaired viewers who may otherwise miss out on these details. However, it may be confused with other tools that make movies and other types of content accessible, including:

  • Captions, which provide a transcript of spoken content and other key sound effects
  • Assistive Listening Devices for hearing aids, like FM systems or induction loop systems, which are designed to amplify sound. These may also be called Assisted Listening Devices, or ALDs.
  • Copies of song lyrics or sheet music, which “describe” what songs sound like.

In the past, I have received all of these items when requesting audio description devices or access, even at events that advertised audio description access. Some venues may have both captioning and audio description options available for assisted listening devices, so it’s important to make sure the correct option is selected before engaging with content.

Activity ideas for learning about audio description

  • Watch a movie with audio description enabled. Browse the Audio Description Project to find a movie with audio description and enable it while watching the film. The 2023 Dungeons and Dragons movie has an especially cool audio description track narrated by Sue Perkins that many of my sighted friends raved about!
  • Write or record audio description for YouTube. Have students create audio description for their favorite YouTube videos with the free YouDescribe website, which does not require any special equipment.
  • Find an educational video with audio description. The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) has several audio described and captioned videos that can be used in classroom settings.

Websites to explore

Related links

More resources for teaching students about accessibility and Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

Published May 16, 2020. Updated March 2026

Reference
Lewis, Veronica. (2020). Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Activity Ideas for Students. Veroniiiica. https://veroniiiica.com/global-accessibility-awareness-day-activity-ideas/ (Accessed on March 30, 2026)
Filed Under: Blind and Nonvisual Access, Design, Disability and Chronic Illness, Education, Expanded Core Curriculum, Low Vision, Media Accessibility, Self Determination, Social Interaction, Social Media
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