Global Accessibility Awareness Day: Creating Experiences That Support All Students

[susan_winslow]

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), a moment that calls us to reflect on what it truly means to create learning experiences that support all students. 

We believe that an investment in education is an investment in human potential, and it’s that belief that drives us to design materials that support a wide range of learning needs from the start. But we don’t do this alone. Every product we build is shaped by conversations with educators who tell us what’s working, what's not, and what students need next. That feedback matters because no two learners are alike. Each brings different goals, strengths and challenges to the classroom. 

At Macmillan Learning, our mission is to inspire what’s possible for all learners. That mindset has helped guide our shift from content provider to a learning company. Importantly, one that’s focused not just on what we build but how we build it and who it serves. Creating a company culture that prioritizes accessibility is an important part of that evolution.

Yes, accessibility is a requirement -- especially with the Title II updates to the Americans With Disabilities Act on the horizon. But for us, it’s more than a requirement. It's a responsibility. And it’s one we take seriously. 

What We’re Doing

Over the past few years, we’ve made and continue to make improvements to our digital products and workflows to better meet the needs of students and instructors with disabilities. That includes testing new tools that identify issues earlier in development, expanding accessibility training across teams and listening to educators and students with disabilities to better understand their lived experiences. 

In the last year, our accessibility and learning science and research team partnered to ask some important questions about how students with disabilities were experiencing college. We spoke to them about topics running from the level of support they get from instructors to the challenges they come across in their coursework to better understand the barriers they’re facing and how we could better support them and make class more accessible.

We also leaned into the expertise of our Accessibility Advisory Board, made up of disability services officers across the country. Their insights have helped shape everything from our upcoming catalog updates to our blog content, conference presentations and support materials. 

For the sixth year in a row, we’ve been recognized by Benetech as Global Certified Accessible, validating that our digital learning content is “born accessible.” This certification affirms that our materials meet rigorous EPUB accessibility standards aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA+ guidelines. It’s a milestone we’re proud of, but we know it’s only one piece of a much bigger picture.

Inside Our Walls

Our commitment to accessibility extends beyond our products. Training and education remain central to that effort—ensuring every employee understands how accessibility connects to our broader mission, and how they can make a difference. A huge part of that internal culture is thanks to our AVID Community (Awareness of Visible and Invisible Disabilities). Their work helps remind us that improving accessibility helps make learning clearer and more effective for all students.

Just as we ask students to think critically, we challenge ourselves to do the same. We listen, we learn, and we evolve alongside the educators and learners we serve. We know we still have work to do, and that’s a good thing.

We’re excited to share more throughout 2025, including new initiatives and partnerships that continue to put accessibility at the heart of learning. Because when every student has the chance to succeed, that’s when we truly inspire what’s possible