Presidential Press Release: Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day with GitHub, Community Access, and Open Source Possibility done the BITS way!
For Immediate Release
From Jeff Bishop, President, Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS)
In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day — Thursday, May 21, 2026
Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS) is proud to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day and its powerful mission: getting people talking, thinking, and learning about digital access, digital inclusion, and the more than one billion people with disabilities and impairments across the world. GAAD 2026 will be observed on Thursday, May 21, 2026, marking the 15th Global Accessibility Awareness Day. (GAAD)
At BITS, we believe deeply that accessibility is not an add-on, a checklist, or a special request. Accessibility is opportunity. Accessibility is independence. Accessibility is justice. Accessibility is how we make sure that every person can read, learn, create, work, contribute, and fully participate in the world around us. BITS exists to empower blind and low vision individuals through technology, community, education, advocacy, and equal digital access. (Blind Information Technology Solutions)
This year, BITS is celebrating GAAD in a truly historic and magical way. Michael Babcock and I are honored to travel toGitHub headquarters in San Francisco to participate in GitHub’sOpen Source Assistive Technology Hackathon, taking place May 21–22. We will serve as instructors and facilitators in theGitHub Learning Room, helping participants learn GitHub contribution workflows, keyboard-first navigation, screen reader strategies, open source collaboration, pull requests, code review, and accessibility-centered contribution. (GitHub)
We are deeply grateful for the support, encouragement, contributions, and significant effort that the GitHub accessibility team has put forth to make this journey possible. Partnerships like this are where the magic happens. When lived experience, open source, accessible design, community mentorship, and world-class platforms come together, we do more than teach tools. We build bridges. We create pathways. We open doors. We help people understand that they do not have to be an AI scientist, a professional developer, or a longtime GitHub expert to begin contributing in meaningful ways.
In celebration of GAAD, BITS and Community Access are also pleased to share the greatly revised, expanded, and more professional version of the learning material we began developing months ago: the GIT Going with GitHub workshop website. This accessibility-first learning ecosystem includes aCourse Guide, Get Going with GitHub starter guide, Challenge Hub, GitHub repository, GitHub discussions, and a full podcast episode index. The workshop hub currently includes dozens of chapters, appendices, challenges, worked solutions, and companion podcast episodes, all designed with screen reader users first. (Community Access)
We encourage anyone interested in learning GitHub, open source contribution, accessible workflows, Markdown, issues, pull requests, VS Code, GitHub Copilot, and Accessibility Agents to begin exploring the materials remotely. This is open to the world, not just BITS members! Start with the GIT Going with GitHub home page, then move into the Course Guide, the Pre-Workshop Setup Guide, and the Challenge Hub. Learners may also listen through the podcast companion series or subscribe through the RSS feed. The course is built for people who want to learn by doing, contribute to real open source projects, and grow their skills one step at a time. (Community Access)
While Michael and I are at GitHub, we will be focused on supporting the in-person hackathon and will not be able to provide live remote support. However, BITS members and friends are encouraged to continue learning, experimenting, asking questions, and sharing discoveries. If you need help, please post in the BITS Development group through the BITS email list information page, and we will follow up as soon as we are able. The BITS Development space is intended for technology professionals, aspiring developers, and anyone interested in building professional-level technology skills. (Blind Information Technology Solutions)
This GAAD, we invite you to do more than celebrate accessibility. We invite you to practice it. Learn something new. File an issue. Write accessible Markdown. Explore a repository. Open a pull request. Listen to a podcast episode. Try a challenge. Share what you learned. Mentor someone else. Support open source assistive technology. Build something that helps someone participate more fully in the world.
On behalf of BITS, Community Access, and everyone working to make technology more inclusive, we wish you a joyful, meaningful, and action-filled Global Accessibility Awareness Day.
Happy learning, happy contributing, and happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!
Jeff Bishop
President, Blind Information Technology Solutions
A special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind
Learn more about BITS: bits-acb.org
Join BITS: bits-acb.org/join
Explore Community Access: community-access.org
Start GIT Going with GitHub: community-access.org/git-going-with-github