Create Your FY2023 Disability Inclusion Action Plan
For the past 11 years, Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) has been recognized across the world on the third Thursday of each month. This year's GAAD will be held on Thursday, May 19. The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than one billion disabled people across the world. As we head into the 5th year of recognizing GAAD at the President's Office, we are changing Global Accessibility Awareness Day to Global Accessibility Action Day as a way to encourage teams to establish actions they can take this coming fiscal year to improve disability inclusion for our employees and customers.
FY2023 Disability Inclusion Action Plan Examples
We've included a few examples of ways teams can take action, but encourage any teams that participate to establish their own action items for FY2023. If you would like to participate, please email the Digital Experience Team to let them know you are creating an FY2023 Disability Inclusion Action Plan. In addition, feel free to reach out to the Digital Experience team for help creating your action plan and to schedule periodic check-ins.
- Incorporate accessibility skills into your job postings. Teach Access partnered with several companies and higher education institutions, including the UMass President's Office, to develop an Accessibility Skills Hiring Toolkit. This toolkit provides skills that can be incorporated into several job roles, including legal counsel, project managers, and sourcing/procurement officers.
- Gain an understanding of disability etiquette and culture. Set up scheduled monthly book club discussions with your team and read a chapter a month of Demystifying Disability by Emily Ladau.
- Learn how to write an accessible email. Microsoft has put together quick email accessibility videos on each key email accessibility topic.
- Identify other actionable goals by reviewing the Inclusive by Design Toolkit. What stands out to you and your team as an area of interest? What do you feel you can take action on in the next year? What do you feel you can take action in the next three months?
Attend the Teach Access "Incorporating Accessibility Skills into the Hiring Process" Panel on May 19
Thursday, May 19 at 1:00 p.m.
This panel will focus on the benefits of including accessibility skills in your hiring processes. Each panelist will provide insight into their experiences with hiring staff with accessibility knowledge and skills in tech, higher education, and the disability community, highlighting how to use the Teach Access Accessibility Skills Hiring Toolkit to recruit and hire accessibility-skilled staff across a range of roles in your organization.
The panel will be moderated by Samantha Lynch Johnson, EIT Coordinator at University of Southern California and will include the following panelists:
- Cyndi Wiley, Digital Accessibility Lead and Assistant Professor, Iowa State University
- Brittni Wendling, Digital Accessibility Specialist and Graduate Student, Iowa State University
- Meenakshi Das, Software Engineer, Microsoft
- Carrie Farber, Director of Accessibility, Walmart eCommerce
CART and ASL interpreting will be provided. If you have additional questions or accommodation requests to make, email info@teachaccess.org. In addition, feel free to contact Kristina England at the UMass President's Office if you are interested in participating in Teach Access as a University member.
Weekly Disability Inclusion Office Hours
Have questions about Disability Inclusion? Feel free to sign up for one-on-one virtual office hours with Kristina England on Fridays between 1:00 and 3:00. Or contact Kristina if Friday afternoons do not work and you would like to schedule office hours another day of the week.
Questions?
Please contact the DEIA Communications team with any questions or feedback.