When it comes to discussing accessibility with stakeholders, there are two inevitable hurdles: convincing them it’s a worthwhile pursuit, and calming them down when they realize just how much effort that actually requires. If you’ve ever broached the topic, you’ve likely encountered one of three classic reactions: annoyance, full-blown panic, or a state of paralysis that invokes a deer in headlights.
With looming compliance deadlines like ADA Title II and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the conversation (and action) is unavoidable, so let’s look on the bright side. Yes, accessibility takes time and effort, but the good news is that the following guidelines should help keep the panic at bay.
1. Stop Thinking in Absolutes
Accessibility isn’t a question of whether it is or it isn’t. Rather, it is a spectrum of less accessible or more accessible. The less accessible the content is, the fewer people can engage with it, while greater accessibility means more people can participate. What we are trying to achieve is a situation where as many people as possible can engage with our content.
While WCAG 2.2 states that a web page must fully meet a given level to claim conformance, this is about ensuring transparency and consistency, not enforcing a rigid rule. So, how should you frame this in conversations? Simply put, there’s no failure in working towards accessibility, only progress.
2. Keep it Incremental
One of the biggest misconceptions about accessibility is that it requires a perfect, one-and-done solution. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that everything must be flawless from day one, but that’s not the case. Just like any other aspect of development, small, incremental improvements over time add up to significant results.
The key is to keep moving forward, even if you can’t make everything perfect right away.
Whether it’s improving color contrast, adding captions, or streamlining navigation, each step you take brings you closer to a more inclusive experience. So, when talking to stakeholders, remind them that accessibility is about progress not perfection.
3. There is no Endpoint
This one sounds a lot more ominous than I mean it and I promise there is no jump scare ahead. What I’m saying is that there will never be a point where everything on the internet is fully accessible because the ideal of ‘fully accessible’ is constantly evolving. Even WCAG, the most comprehensive set of web accessibility guidelines, acknowledges that simply meeting all of its criteria doesn’t necessarily address every user’s unique needs.
For example, when scrolling parallaxes became popular with HTML5, it was hailed as visually impressive but for users with vestibular disorders, they are considered ‘pure evil’ (Corradini, 2019). So, what does this mean? It’s actually good news. If there’s no fixed endpoint, there’s no race to finish. Organizations have the time and opportunity to understand their specific users’ needs and, more importantly, to innovate accessible solutions to both new and long-standing challenges.
4. The Maintenance Phase
Once inaccessible content has been made more accessible and new content is designed with accessibility in mind from the outset, the maintenance phase is exponentially easier. At this stage, the heavy lifting of retrofitting older content is behind you, and the focus shifts to ongoing monitoring, and more excitingly, improvement. Maintaining accessibility is less about fixing major issues and more about staying proactive and ensuring that any new content or features meet accessibility standards from the start and addressing other issues as they arise.
When accessibility is integrated into your workflow, it becomes a natural part of the content creation process, not a separate task. Additionally, by maintaining an accessible platform, you help future-proof your content, ensuring that it remains usable as new technologies and devices emerge. This means that accessibility not only improves user experience, but future-proofs your content.
Final Word
Ultimately, when discussing accessibility with stakeholders, you can acknowledge that accessibility is an elephantine task. But then ask them this. How do you eat an elephant? When you’re met with bewilderment and protests of why that’s relevant (or, relephant), you can offer the simple answer: One bite at a time.
