This Thursday 15th May 2025, we’re celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) — a day that shines a spotlight on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people worldwide with disabilities.
At YUDU, we believe that accessible design is better design — for everyone. GAAD is an opportunity not only to reflect on the barriers some users face, but to actively raise awareness, improve digital experiences, and build a more inclusive world.
We’re proud to support our customers in making their digital publications more accessible, and we’re encouraging all YUDU Publisher users to take part. Here are six ways you and your team can mark GAAD and make a difference:
1. Enhance the Plain Text Version of Your Publication
Every publication created on YUDU Publisher includes an automatically generated plain text version — but this is just the foundation. To bring it up to WCAG 1.0 AAA standards, you’ll need to manually enhance it by:
- Organising content using semantic headings
- Including ALT text for non-decorative images
- Ensuring content reads in a logical order
- Applying structure to links, tables, and lists
This improved version becomes a vital alternative for users who rely on assistive technology like screen readers or require simplified layouts for cognitive ease.
2. Use Built-in Accessibility Features
YUDU Publisher has several key features designed with accessibility in mind:
- Keyboard navigation shortcuts so users can browse without a mouse
- Screen reader compatibility to help assistive tech interpret your content
- Dynamic text resizing via reflowable mode to support users with low vision or reading difficulties
Test these features yourself and encourage your team to explore how your publication performs for users with different needs.
3. Build Accessibility into Your Source Content
Accessibility begins at the source. By creating content with accessibility in mind, you’ll make the whole publishing process easier and more inclusive. Here’s how to get started:
- Use descriptive, structured headings
- Add ALT text for images during content creation
- Label graphs and charts beyond just using colour (e.g. labels, textures, or patterns)
- Ensure that any documents (Word, PDF etc.) used are properly tagged and formatted
- Use plain, clear language
- Write meaningful link text — avoid “click here”
Making these small but crucial changes upstream will result in far more accessible digital publications.
4. Familiarise Yourself with the European Accessibility Act (EAA)
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes into effect in June 2025, introducing new legal obligations for digital content creators across the EU.
Now is the time to familiarise yourself with the requirements and implications. If your organisation distributes digital publications within the EU, you’ll likely need to demonstrate compliance. This means reviewing your current content, testing your output, and understanding how tools like YUDU Publisher support your accessibility journey.
5. Host an Accessibility Review Session
Why not mark GAAD by organising a short accessibility review session with your team?
- Review your latest digital publication together using reflowable mode
- Explore the plain text version and check how it reads with screen readers
- Run a quick audit: are headings clear? Are images labelled? Can text be resized without breaking the layout?
- Share any learnings and agree on one or two accessibility improvements to apply to future content
Creating this internal awareness goes a long way in embedding accessibility into your team’s workflow.
6. Experience Accessibility Challenges First-Hand
A simple but powerful activity: challenge your team to work without a mouse for an hour or two. Rely solely on the keyboard to navigate websites and your own digital publications.
This small act of empathy can reveal just how inaccessible many digital experiences are when mouse-free navigation isn’t considered — and will highlight the value of keyboard shortcuts and accessible design.
Other ideas include:
- Using a browser plugin to view content in monochrome, simulating colour vision deficiency
- Testing your publication at 200% or 300% zoom to check if layout or functionality breaks
- Trying a screen reader to hear how your content is interpreted
How YUDU Is Championing Accessibility
Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and at YUDU we continue to enhance the platform so that customers can publish content that meets rising expectations and evolving standards.
New Audio Feature (In Development)
We’re currently developing a feature that will allow you to convert your publication into an audio version — making content more accessible for blind and partially sighted users, and offering a flexible format for users who prefer to listen.
Upgrades to Support EAA Compliance
With the European Accessibility Act coming into effect next month, our Developers have been hard at work enhancing the YUDU Publisher platform to align to these new requirements. Work is now complete on our web and iOS interfaces, and we are putting the finishing touches on the Android version.
Let’s make accessibility a habit, not a one-off event.
This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we invite all YUDU Publisher customers to take one step forward — whether it’s enhancing a text version, exploring the platform’s accessibility features, or reflecting on how content is created. Inclusion starts with intention.
