What is World Accessibility Day?

World Accessibility Day (also known as Global Accessibility Awareness Day or GAAD) takes place each year on the third Thursday of May. It’s a global event created to shine a light on something many of us take for granted: the ability to use digital tools, websites and content without barriers.

The goal? To get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, especially for the more than 1.3 billion people worldwide who live with a disability (World Health Organisation).

You can find more information and ways to get involved at the official site: accessibility.day

Why Accessibility in Learning Deserves Your Attention

Let’s get real. We live in a world where learning happens online, on demand and on screen. But not everyone accesses digital content the same way.

In the UK alone, over 14 million people have a disability. This includes visual, hearing, motor and cognitive impairments (Scope UK). This will affect people in your workforce right now.

If your learning isn’t built with them in mind, it’s exclusion.

And the business case is crystal clear:

• Accessible organisations outperform competitors by up to 28% in revenue

• Inclusive practices double net income, on average (Accenture, 2020)

• Failing to meet accessibility standards can result in legal action under the Equality Act 2010

  
  

But beyond the stats, here’s the bigger truth:Accessible learning is better for everyone.

It forces clarity. It encourages better structure. It reduces cognitive overload. And it shows your people — all of them — that they matter.

What Inaccessible Learning Actually Feels Like

Imagine:

• Navigating a course that only works with a mouse when you use a keyboard

• Listening to a narrated video with no captions while working in a noisy space

• Trying to complete a course when the contrast is so poor you can barely read the text

  
  

Frustrating? Definitely. Excluding? Completely.

And these aren't edge cases. They're everyday experiences for millions.

Accessibility is a Design Principle

At Popcorn, we don’t believe in building accessible alternatives. We believe in building accessible-by-default.

That means:

·        Keyboard-friendly navigation

·        High-contrast, colour-safe designs

·        Alt text that actually describes what matters

·        Logical, intuitive content structure

·        WCAG 2.3 AA compliance baked into every piece of custom eLearning content and digital learning solution we deliver

And we test it. Over and over again until it’s right.

What Can You Do Today?

Here are 5 simple ways to honour World Accessibility Day with action, not just awareness:

1. Audit your current learning

   Look at your top 5 courses. Would someone using a screen reader or keyboard-only input get the same value?

   
   

2. Ask learners who face accessibility challenges for feedback

   No one knows what works better than the people using it. Listen. Learn. Improve.

   
   

3. Use clear language and layout

   Accessibility is also about tone, readability and structure.

   
   

4. Train your team

   Your instructional designers, developers and project leads should all understand accessibility basics. (Ask us if you'd like help.)

   
   

5. Make accessibility part of every design brief

   Not an afterthought. Not a “phase two”. From day one.

   
   

Final Thought: Make Inclusion the Standard

World Accessibility Day is a reminder. But it’s also a challenge.

It’s not enough to build learning that works for most people. We need to build learning that works for everyone.

Because inclusive learning isn’t a favour. It’s not charity. It’s smart, scalable, and frankly, long overdue.

At Popcorn, we’re serious about accessibility. Not because we have to be. But because we think it’s what great learning should be.