Fun! Accessibility Daze — a GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) rap song via YouTube. A transcription is inline below.
Lyrics:
GAAD’s the celebration, this year a musical potion. Sight, sound, touch for all a sonic solution. AWOL, Coop, y’all ready to set it in motion? Yeah.
We come from many places with different biologies to celebrate GAAD and accessible technologies. Why we do what we do, it isn’t a mystery. You just have to go back in time and learn a bit of history.
It started way back in 2011 with nothing more than a blog post by Joe Devon. He was ashamed by devs’ lack of inclusivity, so he suggested we raise awareness of accessibility. Joe’s idea, it was really quite simple. On this day, the idea, it would ripple. Jennison saw the post and had a revelation to help Joe form a foundation, ain’t that amazing? Yeah.
Give them a standing ovation, they made it happen. Bring attention to tech exclusion, that’s why we’re rappin’. Digital access for all is our mission, so bring us your attention, show you how to make a difference. Get ’em.
One in six people on Earth have disabilities. It’s not a lie, the largest minority unequivocally. When sites and apps aren’t built to be accessible the experience is tough, and we need to be more flexible. Visual, auditory, motor, even cognitive, 1.3 billion, all the same, no one’s prerogative. GAAD is the first step to clear the haze. We’re here to pave the way through accessibility days.
Did you know that most sites and apps, they ain’t accessible? The worst part is most bugs are easily addressable. We can’t be followers. No, we got to be the leaders. Alt text on images enabling screen readers. Closed captions available when you play a video. Accessible content should be nothing more than trivial. Motor disabilities can make it impossible to interact with sites when navigation’s illogical.
Maybe with AI, we can open a eye to UI that’s usable without batting a eye. Whether they can’t use their eyes, ears, or any other senses, enable your websites. Don’t put up any fences. I said “screen reader” before, but let me rewind. It helps the dyslexic and others, not just the blind.
We can all make a difference all of the time. Don’t call me crazy. Just design your app to meet the W-C-A-G.
SPEAKER: Find out how to get involved. Visit accessibility.day. Glad to be GAAD — Global Accessibility Awareness Day.