Introduction
Following accessibility practices allow us to deliver exceptional product experiences more efficiently. Following these practices has many benefits, including:
- Opening up access to the market by reducing barriers to access
- improving content engagement by providing multiple means of engagement
- Reducing overall effort by following a shared and documented set of web standards that avoid costly and time-consuming auditing and retrofitting
- Growing market share by setting ourselves apart from the competition and leading in access and engagement for all employees
These objectives can be reached through a series of shared responsibilities across product teams. Specifically, accessibility is achieved across a mix of:
- Content
- Design
- Code
Suggested approach
Accessibility is not accomplished through auditing and retrofitting; it’s about everyday practice.
We need to start in the right place, especially with code, or we’ll constantly play catchup with audits and retrofitting instead of efficiently delivering accessible product experiences.
Two other considerations that support accessibility efforts include:
- Effective documentation of accessibility-related implementation requirements
- Testing across the content, design, and code phases
Let’s review effective communication and documentation before we dive into more detail on content, design, and code practices.