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10th Annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day

May 10, 2021

From the Office for Social Ministry

More than 1 billion people in the world are living with some form of disability or impairment and many have trouble accessing information technology, web-based services and digital content.  That’s why we’re asking you and your parishioners to help us celebrate the 10^th Annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 20^th by talking story, thinking and learning about the issue and ways to improve inclusion and digital access for all.

Rooted in gospel values of affirming the dignity of each person, the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) has been dedicated to promoting the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in church and society for more than 40 years. People with varying abilities are immersed in each of our parish communities, yet we may not be aware of who they are and what challenges they face in our churches and in their daily lives.

For instance, vision-impaired folks have trouble seeing images and text and use a keyboard instead of a mouse to interact online. Those who are hearing-impaired need captioning for video presentations and visual indicators in place of audio cues. People with motor-impairments may need alternative keyboards and adaptive hardware to help them type and navigate on their devices. And those with cognitive disabilities need an uncluttered screen, consistent navigation, and the use of plain language.

On May 20, 2021 the NCPD is partnering with Catholic Polytecnic University to co-sponsor a free online learning session entitled, A CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY. Thursday, May 20, 2021 @ 2:00 PM ET (8:00 AM Hawaii Time) 

The purpose of GAAD is to bring attention to the need for improving digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities.  The presentation will include some practical advice for making Catholic parishes and organizations digitally accessible.  For more information and to register for this unique online session, visit the NCPD website.