Accessibility
Maturity
Embarking on the journey towards better accessibility often starts with small steps and a recognition of the need for change.
Accessibility maturity models help organizations understand their current standing and guide their progression towards creating more inclusive environments and digital products.
Congratulations, you’re an
Achiever
At the third level of accessibility maturity, your organisation has made significant strides towards embedding accessibility within its processes and culture. Accessibility initiatives are no longer ad hoc; they follow consistent, well-documented processes and may be guided by a strategic roadmap. Knowledge and skills related to accessibility have increased across the organisation. There may be roles designated for maintaining and improving accessibility standards, and responsibilities for individuals towards accessibility is more clearly defined (although might not yet be formalised).
The "shift left" approach - integrating accessibility early in the development process - is adopted, ensuring that accessibility considerations are embedded from the outset. This holistic view and integration represent a shift from seeing accessibility as a project with a fixed endpoint to understanding it as an ongoing program.
Organisations at this level have made clear progress and have fixed several accessibility issues. Internal buy-in at the department level has been achieved with executive support. However, there is no individual on the executive who has taken ownership of accessibility. Organisations in this phase are at an exciting juncture where their accessibility initiatives can truly gain momentum. The challenge now is to sustain this progress, formalise processes, and ensure that the cumulative knowledge and skills are not lost.
What this might look like
at your organisation:
Accessibility is treated as “business as usual” for most project teams, but maybe not all
Automated tools are used regularly in at least one of design, development or testing
Accessibility audits have been performed on major systems, and work is being made to act on the outputs
Developer and testing documentation and resources (style guides, component libraries, templates) include relevant accessibility guidance
Accessibility training is mandated across job roles directly involved in product development
Accessibility training is included in new staff onboarding
Acknowledgement that there is a need to have a strategy to deal with legacy systems
An accessibility messaging channel or hub is established with a person or team responsible for maintaining it
A process exists to remediate accessibility issues when they arise
A dedicated role or team exists for accessibility
Disability and impairments included in some design personas and user testing
Procurement/sales staff have received training on how to select/sell accessible products and services
For buyers, accessibility requirements are weighted heavily enough to consequentially impact vendor selection
Executive-level accessibility champion in place
There is policy that mandates accessibility for all digital platforms, but may not outline consequences for non-conformance
Policies point to WCAG 2.1
Budget available for accessibility training, benchmarking, and remediation
Public accessibility statement exists and identifies known issues and current plans to remedy them
Recruitment channels have been audited for accessibility
Accessibility capability is mentioned in all relevant job descriptions and is vetted for in the interview process
What’s next?
Now that you’ve determined what accessibility maturity level your organisation is at, it’s time to create an action plan to determine your next steps. Aleph Accessibility’s roadmap workshop will explore the 5 dimensions of accessibility to identify your strengths and areas for improvement, and craft an action plan that is strategic and specific to your organisation.
You can also explore auditing to help you establish a baseline or training options to upskill your staff.