UW Global Accessibility Awareness Day (UW GAAD)
GAAD is an annual global event, designed to engage people around the world in talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion.
Each year, the UW commemorates GAAD by offering a day of lectures, workshops, and other activities related to digital accessibility. In 2026 we have even more reason to celebrate GAAD – the incredible amount of hard work and dedication our community has devoted to making UW a more accessible university for our students, our colleagues, and the public!
This year we will be celebrating with a hybrid event, in person and on Zoom. GAAD 2026 at UW will highlight digital accessibility efforts from across our community and will feature presentations, panels, and guest speakers who represent a wide range of units and disciplines. We hope you’ll join us!
Save the date
UW’s 2026 GAAD celebration is happening on Thursday, May 21, from 10:00 am to 4 p.m. in room 250 at the HUB and online.
GAAD 2026 sessions are free and open to the UW community, but registration is required. Join us for one session or attend them all!
Program details, including panel discussions and research presentations, are tentative and subject to change. The tentative schedule:
| Activity | Start Time | End Time |
|---|---|---|
| Community Partners: Working together to build digital accessibility (presentation) | 10:00 am | 10:50 am |
| Lightning Talks highlighting Accessibility Milestones achieved by teams across UW | 10:00 am | 11:50 am |
| Lunch (bring your own) and Networking | Noon | 12:45 pm |
Keynote address / Thoughts from Leadership:
|
12:45 pm | 1:45 pm |
| Digital Accessibility and Course Alignment (presentation and discussion) | 2:00 pm | 2:50 pm |
| Challenges and emerging solutions in accessible Math/STEM (panel) | 3:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
Evening Agenda
| Activity | Start Time | End Time |
|---|---|---|
| The Office of Public Lectures presents: What Does Law Mean in Crisis? How Crip Feminist Technoscience Will Save Us – with Ly Xīnzhèn M. Zhǎngsūn Brown | 6:30 pm |
Learn More
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day | The GAAD Foundation
- UW GAAD Archives
Questions?
Contact ATS Events at ats-events@uw.edu.