GAAD for Good 2023: Built without barriers

To celebrate the 12th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) and help raise awareness for digital equality, we hosted a virtual half-day event that shared our industry-leading accessibility expertise.

Watch the on-demand event

GAAD is close to our hearts

GAAD is a global event dedicated to getting everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital accessibility and inclusion. With more than 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide, we need to build a digital world that's accessible to everyone.

Digital accessibility drives everyone here at Siteimprove. It’s embedded into our platform, culture, and history – and we think every website owner should be on board too. If all websites got their accessibility fundamentals right, then we’d have an open internet for everyone, regardless of their ability.

That’s why our theme for 2023 was built without barriers. Watch along as we imagine a world where nothing stands between users and information. Then help us make it a reality.

How we celebrated GAAD for Good 2023

GAAD for Good 2023 was jam-packed full of tips and expert insights, including two informative webinars. These webinars were led by our industry experts, customers, and partners, who served up the latest accessibility content and resources. We kicked things off with an introduction from Nicolas Hamilton, one of British motorsport’s most inspirational figures, who opened our event by sharing what digital accessibility means to him. Here’s a quick rundown of the topics we covered throughout the day:

Technical accessibility tips for your website
How accessibility drives better UX, marketing performance, and business results

Speakers

Nicolas Hamilton

British Touring Car Championship Driver

Nic Hamilton was told as a child that he would never walk due to his cerebral palsy and would spend his life reliant on a wheelchair. Not one to be told he cannot do things, with determination and grueling training he not only walked unaided, but he started to realize his dream: to be a racing driver.
In a notoriously competitive and tough sport, Nic Hamilton has established himself as a potential future champion, an achievement in any context, but even more so for someone who was told as a child that he would never walk. As well as racing Nicolas is focused on sharing his inspirational story and his belief that your ambition is limited only by your attitude. Delivered in his genuine, down-to-earth, friendly manner, Nicolas’ keynotes recount his personal story of motivation, facing down challenges and overcoming adversity as well the lessons in teamwork that his sport has instilled.

Kevin Andrews

Electronic and information technology accessibility coordinator at Georgetown University

Kevin is tasked with ensuring websites and other digital technologies used and purchased by Georgetown meet accessibility standards and guidelines, and advises the GU community on best practices for making their websites and other digital materials accessible for everyone.

Christina Adams

Digital Accessibility Software Engineer at Siteimprove

Christina Adams is a Digital Accessibility Software Engineer at Siteimprove and is a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. Christina’s work is focused on crafting impactful user experiences and is a champion of inclusive process improvements. As an accessibility subject matter expert she helps drive accessibility initiatives and provides educational and consultative services to our customers worldwide. With a deep technical understanding of the web alongside a passion for design and user experience Christina is helping to create a more inclusive and accessible web.

Darren Murphy

UX Strategy Manager at Ricoh

I have worked in the IT industry for over 20 years and have spent 10 of those working for Ricoh UK, having spent 4 years at University in Aberdeen. I am a passionate advocate for ensuring people are at the centre of any development cycle or design process. My main goal is to help organisations understand the needs of their employees and customers whilst ensuring that any solutions or products are accessible and inclusive as possible.

Kevin Rydberg

Managing Accessibility Consultant at Siteimprove

Kevin Rydberg is responsible for guiding and supporting organizations on their journey to create accessible websites. With 18+ years of experience in the multimedia and web development space, including enterprise redesign and accessibility overhauls, Kevin is a critical partner for Siteimprove customers when it comes to creating successful and sustainable accessibility programs.