There are more than one billion people around the world with disabilities or impairments.

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), members of the Brock and Niagara communities are invited to learn about digital accessibility during a webinar on Tuesday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m.

Digital accessibility refers to the ability of people with disabilities or impairments to independently consume and interact with digital applications and content.

The 90-minute webinar, “Creating Accessible Online Digital Environments for Workshops, Learning and Meetings,” will be facilitated by Web Developer Mitch Baird, a recipient of the University’s 2023 Accessibility and Inclusion Recognition Award.

Participants will gain an understanding of how to create and participate in more inclusive digital environments, with focus on the accessibility features of Microsoft Teams webinars, Microsoft Sway and Microsoft Stream.

The event is being hosted by Brock’s Human Rights and Equity Office in partnership with the Anti-Ableism and Mental Health Committee — a working group of the President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity and Decolonization — and the Brock-Niagara Centre of Excellence in Inclusive and Adaptive Physical Activity.

Brock students, faculty and staff, and members of the Niagara community, can register for free through Teams.

University website owners and page administrators can visit Brock’s web and digital accessibility web page for resources on a wide range of tips and best practices, including the proper use of colour contrast, closed captioning on videos, using descriptive links and making social media more accessible. The page, which will be continually updated, is part of the University’s plan to increase web accessibility and better serve those visiting Brock web pages.