Accessibility is all around us, often in ways we don’t even realize. Nobody thinks twice about a curb cutout going into a crosswalk or the sound that plays when the sign switches from Walk to Don’t Walk. These are all examples of accessibility that have become part of our everyday lives.
For decades, physical spaces have been designed to allow everyone the same access to public spaces. Initially, contractors and architects needed help determining the best way to meet accessibility requirements. Over time and by building accessibility into their culture, some have excelled at creating beautiful, functional public spaces while providing everyone access.
This same concept can be applied today to our technology. In the physical space, the tools are things like braille, curb cuts, ramps, and automatic doors; online, our tools are transcripts, screen readers, color contrast, keyboard navigation, alt tags, subtitles, and so many more. We can build amazing accessible websites and applications online similarly if we make accessibility a habit.
Let’s dive into some of the critical concepts used at Modern Tribe to help build successful, award-winning, accessible projects.
Building the right team
It isn’t enough to have one or two people at your organization well-versed in creating accessible solutions. Each member of your team needs to know how their role contributes to the final product and what that means for accessibility. Accessibility isn’t expensive when it has been infused into your team’s process from the sales stage all the way to final project handoff. It also helps you meet your budget and timeline goals.
Training
Accessibility is not just the responsibility of developers. Involve all team members, including designers, project managers, and quality assurance testers, in the accessibility process to ensure that all aspects of the website are accessible.
Provide regular training on accessibility best practices to ensure that your team stays up-to-date with the latest guidelines and techniques. This can include internal training sessions or external workshops and conferences.
Make sure that all members of your team understand the importance of accessibility and the impact it can have on users with disabilities. Educate your team on the WCAG guidelines and the types of disabilities that can affect web users.
Make accessibility a priority
Ensure everyone on your team understands that accessibility is a non-negotiable requirement for all projects. Incorporate accessibility into your project planning and prioritize it alongside other development requirements. Include these requirements in the testing notes and scope for each feature.
Encourage feedback from users with disabilities and collaborate with accessibility advocates to ensure your team constantly improves its accessibility practices. This can include participating in accessibility-focused communities, such as the WordPress Accessibility Team, or partnering with accessibility consultants.
Implement accessibility tools
Use accessibility tools, like browser extensions and screen readers, to help identify and fix accessibility issues. Encourage your team to use these tools regularly and to take accessibility issues seriously.
There are several tools available for testing accessibility. Manual testing involves navigating the website and checking for accessibility issues, such as keyboard accessibility and color contrast. Automated tools can scan your website for accessibility issues and report any problems found, such as missing alt text for images or incorrect use of heading tags. Some popular automated testing tools include AChecker, WAVE, and Axe. You can also sign up for services that will check your sites at specific intervals to notify you if something changes.
Do a holistic audit before delivering a project
It sounds like a no-brainer at this point. However, even if you have incorporated accessibility best practices throughout the process, you must do a holistic audit before handing off a project. There are two main goals that this accomplishes. First, it allows you to have a baseline for all future development. You always want to continue improving the inclusive nature of your website. You need the reports to know the direction you are moving. The second is that you pay attention to the data that you collect. By making the accessibility report a part of your deliverable, you tell your clients, team members, and the rest of the industry that you have made accessibility a habit in your organization.
Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and credited for creating the World Wide Web, said, “The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”
We are many years out from this statement and the web continues to get more accessible every day. By incorporating accessibility into your team’s culture and processes, you can ensure that accessibility becomes a habit and is incorporated into all aspects of your projects.