The City of Seattle went all in on accessibility this past Thursday, marking its third annual reflection of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). A full slate of virtual events, tailored for city workers, aimed at ramping up their digital know-how for the betterment of all Seattle's residents, especially those with disabilities.

In response to a recent Department of Justice ruling mandating web content to adhere to WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines, the city's digital experts, dressed in their civil servant best, teamed up with the ADA Title II Compliance Program, Customer Service, and Department of Neighborhoods Communications squads to emphasize the day's mantra, "Digital Accessibility Compliance: It Starts with You," as reported by TechTalk.

Seattle's GAAD Planning Team came out swinging with eight skill-building sessions for the municipal workforce, covering everything from legal rights to on-the-ground victories within city hall. As usual, attendees also heard from the disability community through heartfelt interviews about personal challenges and triumphs. It was a day chock-full of learning and tech empowerment, aimed at making the city’s online spaces navigable by all.

Not one for skimping on the details, the event boasted impressive figures: 6 hours of instruction, 7 planners across 3 departments, 3 expert guests, and 9 staff speakers. A digital support crew of 12 pitched in. Run the numbers, and you’ll find that 159 unique staffers showed up, representing 85 different city teams, each soaking in an average of 2.5 hours of wisdom, as TechTalk notes.