Honoring advances in digital accessibility
Join us for an exciting 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.
Our Vision
The Gaady 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 Gaady Awards will take place on November 20, 2025.
Where is it?
Attendees will join us in person in San Francisco, California.
Who are the nominees?
Teams, companies or individuals who have created an outstanding digital product while incorporating accessibility in every stage.
Gaadys Nomination Guidelines
Know a project or team that deserves to be recognized?
Email us at gaadys@gaad.foundation
Email us 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 (e.g. WCAG V2.1 Level AA and above), exceeds expectations, and has integrated accessibility throughout the product development process.
- To be considered, the digital product or technology must have been released no earlier than 2023 and must be in production/available for use today.
- The applicant must:
- attest that the digital product or technology, to the best of their knowledge, conforms to W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines V2.1 Level AA or other relevant accessibility standards; 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.
- Accessibility must be baked into the product development process, and this must be demonstrated through your application responses and supporting documentation.
- We will not accept nominations that utilize accessibility overlays (what are accessibility overlays?).
Selection Criteria
The winner will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Degree of difficulty
- Creativity in solving accessibility problems
- Involvement of people with disabilities in early stages of the product
- Degree of commitment to accessibility across the entire user journey (e.g. onboarding, documentation, support, etc.)
- Extent to which accessibility features or improvements extend to any/all users, regardless of disability status
The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2025.
2024 Gaady Awards Winners
GoodMaps: Indoor Navigation appBy GoodMaps
GoodMaps is revolutionizing indoor navigation by making complex spaces accessible for everyone. Their innovative technology helps people with disabilities, language barriers, or simply a need for guidance navigate confidently and independently.
OpenACRBy CivicActions
CivicActions is streamlining government procurement by making accessibility compliance easier and more efficient. Their innovative OpenACR platform simplifies the process of creating, sharing, and maintaining accurate accessibility data, empowering vendors and procurement officers alike.
Washington State Parks websiteBy Anthro-Tech
Anthro-Tech breaks down barriers to the outdoors! Their innovative redesign of the Washington State Parks website makes it accessible and inclusive for everyone, ensuring all visitors can easily plan their adventures and experience the beauty of nature.
2023 Gaady Awards 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 CheckerUnilever & 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 CodesStudio 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 websiteStay in the Loop
Sign up for Gaadys news and updates.