Global Accessibility Awareness Day

In support of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Nishal Desai Co-founder & Director at Imin and two members of the lived experience advisory board, Samantha Gough and Stephen Miller shared their views on why digital inclusion is so important, and how greater digital inclusion can help with our mission to champion inclusion and empower disabled people to become more active.

Inclusion is integral to an equitable society and as our lives get more intertwined with technology and the digital sphere, the importance of digital inclusion is only going to increase. There are so many useful tools and resources to take advantage of to build greater digital inclusion and ensure disabled people are easily able to access your organisations content, products, sessions or services.

Find out what the experts had to say below and check out the link at the end of the article to lots of helpful tips and resources.

Nish

"I've spent the last ten years trying to make it easier for organisations to make information about physical activities more digitally accessible, and in that time I've learned two key things: firstly, that organisations are really willing to improve digital accessibility, because they recognise its importance; but also, that they need as much help as possible because just putting data on a webpage or app isn't enough. Everybody Moves is a leading example of a campaign that is pushing for greater quality of information, not just quantity, tailored to their audience insight. It's through platforms like Everybody Moves that we can make significant strides in encouraging a broader range of individuals across society to engage in physical activity."

Stephen

As someone who relies heavily on computers and technology, digital accessibility is vital. I have always used a word processor to write, without that technology my ability to learn, to work and create would be severely hampered. I worked as a web developer for many years, so I know how digital accessibility can enable or disable people, just as in the physical working space. With so much of our lives connected to the Internet and more services only available online, making sure technology is inclusive and accessible should be a priority. We hear a lot about the negative aspects of digital technology and the Internet, but there are lots of positive aspects around connecting and empowering people that can be exploited.

Samantha

I am registered blind, I rely on technology and braille for my day to day life to access the world. Social media is also a big part of my life and to have alt text picture description and audio description to make posts and videos accessible is huge for me to enjoy content online.

Here at Every Body Moves we are continually striving to improve everything we do in terms of inclusion and accessibility. If you want to join us in this aim, are part of an organisation that runs inclusive sessions and want to find out how to promote them to a huge part of the disabled community via our website you can register and complete a simple form here.

To help you on your journey to greater digital inclusion, here are some recommended accessibility features, technology, tools, and learning resources from the team behind Global Accessibility Awareness Day that you can apply to your organisation.