Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day – Join Us in Making a Difference!
On Thursday, 15th May, we will be celebrating the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD).
GAAD is all about getting everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital accessibility. It’s a day to reflect on how we can make the digital world more inclusive for everyone.
This year, we’re thrilled to be partnering with Waverley Borough Council and Teignbridge District Council, to help raise awareness and upskill their teams. Throughout May and June, we will be delivering a series of workshops for staff at both councils.
Here is a quick overview of what we will be covering:
Introduction to digital accessibility
This session is for anyone who is new to digital accessibility or needs a quick refresh. We explain what digital accessibility is and why it’s crucial for you and your service users. We also explore the challenges people face when accessing services online and cover what you need to know to start making a difference.
How to create accessible documents in Word
Do you write documents that get published as PDFs on a website or intranet? This session will help ensure your documents are accessible to everyone. It covers the basics of accessible PDF creation with practical demonstration tutorials to support you in creating and publishing accessible PDFs.
What’s new in WCAG 2.2
Local authority websites play a crucial role in sharing information and providing services to the public. Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 is vital for ensuring inclusivity. In this session, we’ll cover the 9 new WCAG 2.2 criteria that address issues faced by people with cognitive conditions, low vision, and mobility disabilities.
Writing for your customers
Whether you’re drafting emails, crafting blog posts, writing letters, or creating any kind of content for your service users, the way you convey your message matters. This session is aimed at anyone relying on their writing skills to communicate with their customers. We’ll explore how well we understand our audience, if we are using our customer’s language and the advantages of using Plain English and Plain Numbers to keep our content simple and concise.
Creating and structuring effective content
If you create online content, this session is for you. You will learn essential skills for structuring your web pages and creating effective, user-friendly content. Discover why good content matters, how users access and read websites, and get practical tips on making your content relevant and valuable. Learn about the power of clear copy and design, structuring content with the Inverted Pyramid, encouraging user action and minimising friction.
Tailored Learning Experiences
We understand that everyone learns differently, which is why we aim to deliver these sessions in a variety of ways. Waverley Borough Council has opted for a mix of in-person sessions and bitesize live remote sessions. Teignbridge District Council has requested live remote sessions tailored to different audiences, including managers, and system administrators. Both councils are also taking advantage of our e-learning courses, allowing staff to work through the content at their own pace and revisit tutorials as often as they like, providing an opportunity to review and embed their learning.
Get Involved!
If you’re interested in running any of these live training sessions or accessing our e-learning courses, please get in touch. Let’s work together to make the digital world more accessible for everyone!
