Is your company committed to ensuring your digital content is accessible to current and future employees with disabilities, or have you fallen behind?
July marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a pivotal law enacted in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. This landmark legislation has significantly advanced the rights and opportunities for people with disabilities, laying the foundation for a more inclusive society. As we celebrate this milestone, it’s essential to reflect on the progress made and the work still needed to ensure digital accessibility for all, including organizations’ employees. With the increased shift to remote work, virtual events, and videoconferencing, companies must prioritize making websites, apps, documents, and other digital content accessible to their employees with disabilities. This commitment not only aligns with the ADA’s goals but also fosters a more inclusive workplace.
Here are a few ways to enhance your digital accessibility to ensure your entire workforce can access your digital content:
- Conduct an internal digital accessibility assessment: As technology continues to advance, auditing and assessing your digital accessibility on all platforms is very important. Aim to hire an outside organization to audit your policies, processes, website(s) and apps for accessibility to gain a clear, objective understanding of issues and needs. This should include reviewing employee portals (which include time reporting, payroll information, etc); meeting and event platforms; sales and content management systems; and all assets and systems employees interact with in their jobs. Don’t forget to look at your recruitment technology as well, as many are inaccessible and hindering qualified candidates with disabilities from applying for your open positions. Accessibility assessments can guide your future training and remediation efforts. They will also help you prioritize the work in order of greatest need.
- Develop a plan and include the right people: One in four Americans identify as having a disability, which means it is critical to include people with disabilities in your digital accessibility planning process. Plans should incorporate ways to assess and remediate accessibility for websites, apps, documents including employee handbooks, videos, training manuals/platforms, virtual meetings, etc. Consult internal IT teams or a vendor specializing in digital accessibility services to make sure they are involved in this process. Be sure your plan provides clear guidelines about maintaining digital accessibility moving forward, as well as continual training to remain up to date on accessibility best practices.
- Stay up to date on WCAG requirements: It’s impossible to know if your digital content is accessible when you are unaware of its potential access barriers. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are important assets for businesses and organizations who want to make their content accessible to all people. These guidelines specify access barriers to look for when reviewing a website, applications, or digital documents. While these barriers may not initially be noticeable, people without disabilities often notice an improved experience when digital content provides better structure and usability.
- Ensure Continuity: Your overall digital environment will continually change, as will regulations and standards, so ensure accessibility consistently remains top-of-mind whenever your company makes plans to change any of its digital content (i.e. web platforms). By doing this, you will avoid falling behind and out of digital compliance and continue to demonstrate your commitment to full disability inclusion.
Want to learn more about how to ensure your digital content is accessible? Find more resources HERE!
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Michael Caprara Chief Information Officer, The Viscardi Center |