Accessibility: A core quality and a shared responsibility

David Sloan, UX Research Lead, TPGUK UXPA GAAD Event, 21 May 2015

Accessibility as Compliance Audit

Results in Bugs that Need Fixing

What if we define accessibility as

making a commitment and demonstrating progress?

What would accessibility look like?

Accessibility maturityMoving your organization along the continuum toward a mature approach to accessibility

A four stage continuum of accessibility maturity

Stage 1: Identification

Identify and repair accessibility issues based on standards compliance

Context• Customer for software company puts accessibility

requirement in contract• Vendor is asked for evidence of state of

accessibility of product

Potential outcomes• Clients have accessibility documentation• Clients work to fix issues • Clients engage for retest and revised accessibility

documentation

Stage 2: Prioritization

Prioritize evaluation and repair activities based on real-world impact

Context• Transit system provider with legal obligation to

provide accessibility• Group of people with disabilities demanding

accessibility improvements

Potential outcomes• Clients focus on issues that impact stakeholders• Clients fix issues related to accessible user

experience

Stage 3: injection

Inject accessibility best practices into the design and development process

Context• Vendor has customers that demand accessible

products• Vendor knows that remediation is costly and

ineffective• Vendor knows current processes do not support

accessibility

Potential outcomes• Clients address accessibility issues during the

design/development process• Clients build internal capacity for accessibility

Stage 4: integration

Integrate accessibility best practices into culture and practice

Context• Advocacy group makes a complaint to University

about digital accessibility• University cannot fix all IT services• University understands it must fix culture and

process to respond

Outcomes• University makes visible commitment to providing

accessible IT services• University embarks on initiative to address

shortcoming in existing services• University establishes policy and processes to

support accessibility in new services

An Accessible Design Maturity Continuumuxfor.us/mature-it

More reading

Accessibility process standardsEngaging your organization in activities that demonstrate commitment and show progress

Thank you!@sloandrdsloan@paciellogroup.com