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Gaadys

Gaadys

Honoring advances in digital accessibility

Join us for an inspiring night as we celebrate outstanding digital products that support the GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) Foundation’s mission to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement.
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2 of the 3 Gaadys trophies, one which reads 'In recognition of elevating accessibility to a first-class citizen' and the other displaying the back side of the trophy, a wood keyboard design with dark green, textured material for the keys. Both are on a gold cube base with the word 'Gaady' and a QR code.
Our Vision
Gaadys Awards recognizes and celebrates contributions from individuals and groups that advance the GAAD Foundation’s vision: Accessibility is built into the product development lifecycle for technology and digital products.

When is it?

The Gaadys will take place in November 2024.

Where is it?

This is a hybrid event with attendees joining us in person in San Francisco, California and virtually on Zoom.

Who are the nominees?

Teams, companies or individuals who have created an outstanding digital product while incorporating accessibility in every stage.

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Gaadys Nomination Guidelines

Know a project or team that deserves to be recognized? Submit your nomination below. Have a question? Email the Gaadys at the GAAD Foundation at gaadys@gaad.foundation

Eligibility

Nominee must be a project team, company or individual who has created an outstanding digital product, application, and/or website that meets accessibility standards (V2.1 Level AA and above), exceeds expectations, and has integrated accessibility throughout the product development process.

  1. To be considered, the digital product or technology must have been developed no earlier than 2022 and must be in production/available for use today.
  2. The applicant must:
    • attest that the digital product or technology must, to the best of their knowledge, at least conform to W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.1 Level AA; and
    • provide details on how the team performed accessibility testing (e.g., how often, what tools and methods used). Note the product or technology may be subject to an accessibility spot-check.
  3. Accessibility must be baked into the product development process, and this must be demonstrated through your application responses and supporting documentation.
  4. We will not accept nominations that utilize accessibility overlays (what are accessibility overlays?).

Selection Criteria

Evaluators are open to all applications that meet the eligibility criteria.
Evaluators will be considering the following in making final selection of Gaadys winners:
  • Degree of difficulty
  • Creativity in solving accessibility problems
  • Involvement of disabled people in early stages of the product
  • Degree of commitment to accessibility across the entire user journey (e.g. onboarding, documentation, support, etc.)
  • Scale and diversity of user base
  • Specific and measurable impact of the product in improving quality of life or employment opportunities for people with disabilities
  • Extent to which accessibility features or improvements extend to any/all users, regardless of disability status

Ready to nominate?

The deadline for nominations is June 15, 2024.
Tell us about your project *
Tell us about the product development process *
Provide a summary about why this product is outstanding in accessibility *

Who were the 2023 Gaadys Winners?

Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker

Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker is an open-source, free WordPress plugin that helps developers and content creators make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. The plugin includes WordPress-specific rules that allow users to scan, monitor, and report on the accessibility status of their website in real-time as content, themes, and plugins are updated.
The plugin is designed to be affordable and accessible to everyone, including small businesses and individuals with limited budgets. The free version of the plugin includes unlimited scanning of posts and pages, and there are no per-page fees or API credits. The plugin also works even on basic shared hosting, making it a viable option for websites of all sizes.
In addition to helping users find accessibility problems, the Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker comes with extensive documentation on how users can fix the issues that have been identified. This makes it an excellent teaching tool for learning web accessibility.
The plugin was developed with the input of WordPress users, developers, accessibility professionals, and screen reader users. The development team is committed to making the plugin accessible from day one, and they have taken steps to ensure that the reports are designed for keyboard navigation and proper color contrast. The plugin also has a VPAT ( Voluntary Product Accessibility Template ) that outlines its accessibility features and compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.
Learn more about Equalize Digital's Accessibility Checker

Unilever & Zappar: Driving Inclusive Packaging

Accessible QR (AQR) Code project is a groundbreaking initiative that revolutionizes the way visually impaired and blind individuals interact with everyday products. The project addresses the challenge of including accessibility solutions on product packaging due to size constraints by evolving the QR code to be accessible for all.
AQR codes can be scanned at a distance and provide users with product information and how-to-use instructions, while adapting to their smartphone accessibility settings. This makes it possible for visually impaired individuals to independently navigate products and access essential information, ensuring inclusivity and enhancing the overall shopping experience.
The AQR Code project is a significant contribution to the field of accessibility and has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of millions of people. The project was developed in response to the needs of 285 million people worldwide who have moderate to severe visual impairments. It uses existing and widely adopted accessibility apps, making it easy for users to get started. The project is scalable and can be used on a variety of products.
Learn more about Accessible QR Codes

Studio 24: W3C Website Redesign

Studio 24, a digital agency specializing in accessibility, recently redesigned the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) website with a focus on making it more accessible to people with disabilities.
The new website meets the highest level of accessibility standards, WCAG 2.1 AAA, and was developed with input from the W3C community. It features a number of accessibility features, including:
  • A keyboard-only navigation system
  • High-contrast text and images
  • ARIA labels for all non-visual elements
  • Support for screen readers and other assistive technologies
In addition to the redesign, Studio 24 also developed an open source accessible front-end starter kit called Amplify. Amplify can be used by developers to create accessible websites and web applications.
The W3C website is a valuable resource for web developers and designers, and the new redesign makes it even more accessible to everyone. Studio 24's work on this project is a shining example of how accessibility can be achieved without sacrificing design or usability.
Visit the new W3C website

Thank You to Our Captioning Sponsor

3Play Media
We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to 3Play Media for their invaluable support in making the 2023 Gaadys accessible to all. Their generous contribution of professional captioning services has ensured that every moment of this special event is enjoyed by everyone.