Digital accessibility is gaining ground and becoming a larger part of our task list. Accessibility efforts typically start at a grass-roots level. Advocates for accessibility may be all around us, but unsure of how to start an accessibility process. Kevin will offer some simple steps to become the accessibility catalyst in your organization. He will offer advice on how to get more people on board, and where to find those people. When you leave this session, you will be equipped to return to your team and identify the resources to promote and expand your accessibility efforts.

1. Act With Digital Certainty

2. Become An
Accessibility
Champion
No Longer A
One-Man Band!

3. 1. Understand how to start an accessibility
program
2. Identify, get buy in from existing resources
needed to expand your efforts
3. Build the program with a list of specific
components
Goals
Becoming an Accessibility Champion

4. • Identify (realistic) goals
• Identify existing resources
• Identify legal/regulatory issues
• Identify current compliance/risk levels
Understand How To Start An Accessibility Program
Start an Accessibility Program

5. • Timelines
(marathon not a sprint)
• Action plans
• Define milestones
• Budgetary considerations
Identify Realistic Goals
Start an Accessibility Program

6. • Start new or remediate?
• Cost of starting early vs retrofit
Identify Realistic Goals
Start an Accessibility Program

7. • Staff Training
• Awareness
• Technical training
• Role-based training
• Faculty
• Staff
• Documents
Identify Realistic Goals
Start an Accessibility Program

8. • Ownership of digital properties
• Role-based team members
• Inventory
•Web pages
•Documents
•Multimedia
Identify Existing Resources
Start an Accessibility Program

9. • WCAG 2.0 (2.1)
• AODA/Section 508
• PDF/UA
Identify Legal/Regulatory Issues
Start an Accessibility Program

10. • Internal policies
• Federal or Provincial/State regulations
• Current issues on existing properties
• Timelines for compliance
Identify Current Compliance/Risk Levels
Start an Accessibility Program

11. • Management
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• IT Office
Start an Accessibility Program
Buy-In From Stakeholders
• Compliance/Legal
• Purchasing
• Other Community Stakeholders
• External Agencies

12. Existing Resources
Management
• Corporate responsibility
• Civil rights issue, not technology or policy
• ADA/Section 504 enforcement in US

13. Existing Resources
Management
• Regulatory/Compliance
• Institutional policies needed
• Policy must have “teeth”
• Risk management
Risk management is the identification, assessment, and prioritization of
risks, followed by application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control
the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events.

14. Existing Resources
Management
• Cost effective
• Accessible technology improves productivity
• It’s less expensive to build it right the first time
• Less support resources needed if individuals can
access information themselves

15. Existing Resources
Human Resources
• Corporate Responsibility
• Regulatory/Compliance
• Risk management
• Internal AND external resources
(1 in 5 employees)

16. Existing Resources
Marketing
• Increased market share
• Brand integrity
• Regulatory/compliance
• Risk management
• Customer relations
• SEO (NO!)

17. Existing Resources
IT Office
• Quality of work
• Efficiency
• Scalability
• Regulatory/Compliance
• Risk Management

18. Existing Resources
Purchasing
• RFP/bidding requirements
• Regulatory/Compliance
• Risk Management
• Validate bidders’ claims of accessibility
• Include assurances in contracts as well as RFPs

19. Existing Resources
Community Stakeholders
• Department Lead
• Faculty/Staff
• Blended classroom environments
• Use of multimedia
• Documents
• Disability Services Office
• Students with disabilities that go unreported
• Development/IT Teams

20. Existing Resources
External Agencies
• Quality of Work
• Differentiator that may lead to more contracts
• Regulatory/Compliance
• Risk Management

21. Build The Program With These Components
• A shared commitment
• Concrete plan and policy
• Sufficient support
• Ongoing evaluation
Building the Program

22. A Shared Commitment
• Buy-in
• Awareness education
• Organizational policies
• Budgetary considerations
Building the Program

23. Concrete Policy And Plan
• Communications/Transparency
• Visible Policy and Contact Info
• Implementation plan
• Remediation plan
Building the Program

24. Sufficient Support
• Divide work based on roles
• Education program
Building the Program

25. Building the Program
Ongoing Evaluation
• Monitoring tools and processes
• Continuing education

26. Kevin Rydberg
Senior Digital Accessibility Consultant
kry@siteimprove.com
@rydbergk
linkedin.com/in/kevinrydberg
Becoming an Accessibility Champion

27. Icons downloaded from flaticon.com
licensed by Creative Commons (CC 3.0 BY)
Authors:
• Freepik
• Smartline
• Dot-on-Paper
• Vectors-Market
• Marta-Copola
• Madebyoliver
• Hadrien