There is always something to celebrate
Every day seems to have a special name, a reason to remember or observe something. This article is, for example, written on the “Bad Poetry Day”. One may wonder who invented all these days, and if they didn’t have anything better to do?
Silly or not, it does help to get media attention if you connect a message to the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) or similar, which many of us of course benefit from.
Our research onto the topic is shallow, to say the least. But looking at the United Nations, here representing a serious and non-commercial player in the field of declaring special days, a stunning 223 international days (or weeks!) are already listed on the UN website. Most of them are based on a resolution. What happens when they run out of days?
A similar inflation can be seen in anniversaries, where no number is too uneven, and no occasion is too insignificant, to celebrate. But hey, that’s good news, isn’t it? A reason to celebrate can only be positive, and facilitating awareness raising is also good. So let’s delve into two important celebrations: The Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) Anniversary and the Internation Association of Accessibility Professionals is turning 10 years.
Web Accessibility Directive Anniversary
The reason IAAP EU, together with the European Disability Forum, is celebrating WAD annually, is that the directive was the first EU-wide legislation on digital accessibility. A real milestone. The legislation is also unique in the way it is enforced with a combination of national monitoring, requirements on self-declaration and a mechanism for user feedback. WAD implementation has supported less mature member states to get accessibility higher up on the agenda, and it is driving demand for accessibility expertise. WAD not (yet) a revolution, or a silver bullet solution. But it is worth celebrating, in an event where leading experts share knowledge and best practices. You are welcome to listen, learn and be inspired on the 24th of September – free of charge and open to all.
Web Accessibility Directive Fourth Anniversary 24 September
IAAP 10 years
The story of IAAP may be just as strategically important, with a fast-growing global member-organisation transforming the accessibility community from a grassroots movement into a real profession. With 7000 members in more than 100 countries, and over 6.000 professional certification holders, the association has made a big difference in professionalising the accessibility industry. This makes it easier to recruit as well as procure services, as there is a globally recognised system for showing proof of competence. If you are interested to know more about what IAAP offers in Europe when it comes to membership and certification, join the next informal online Drop in-session on the 5th of September and ask the panelists literally anything!