by Bright Ewuru | May 8, 2024 | Articles
With one in six people worldwide experiencing a significant disability, accessibility has become more important than ever. Businesses and organisations have a growing responsibility to provide accessible ways to interact and access products and services.
As Global Accessibility Awareness Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to take a look at accessibility in your own organisation.
In this article, we’ll dive into the meaning of accessibility and how to improve accessibility in the workplace.
Accessibility refers to the extent to which an organisation’s environment, facilities, communication channels, products and services are usable and available to everyone, including persons with disabilities.
It emphasises inclusivity and the elimination of barriers that may prevent persons with disabilities from enjoying the full experience of what an organisation offers. In this regard, accessibility encompasses physical, digital and communication experiences.
While physical accessibility in an organisation focuses on how well an organisation’s environment is designed and maintained to accommodate people with disabilities, digital accessibility includes the design and development of digital products and services to enable disabled persons to interact with such technologies. Communication accessibility ensures the communication channels and materials are suitable for persons with speech, hearing or cognitive disabilities.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are integral parts of the conversation about accessibility in the workplace. Accessibility involves nurturing an overall welcoming culture and respect for diversity in the organisation. What’s more, accessibility is often a legal requirement today, with multiple accessibility laws worldwide.
Accessibility is good for everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Organisations that ensure accessibility enjoy:
Learn more of the reasons why we’re focused on accessibility at Award Force.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a yearly event dedicated to raising awareness about accessibility and inclusion for individuals with disabilities. It highlights the need to create inclusive experiences that are accessible to persons with significant disabilities. The day has become a vital opportunity for individuals and organisations to learn about accessibility best practices and check in on their progress.
The event was inspired by Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion, a web developer and a web accessibility consultant respectively, in 2012, and is observed on the third Thursday of May each year. This year, in 2024, Global Accessibility Awareness Day is May 16.
To set the stage for boosting workplace accessibility, identify your organisation’s accessibility needs. Collect insights from relevant individuals and groups in your organisation. Consider consulting accessibility experts to assess your organisation and uncover any barriers to accessibility.
It’s important to craft a comprehensive accessibility policy statement that captures your organisation’s commitment to accessibility. Also, establish the rules relating to your organisation’s compliance with relevant accessibility laws and identify the parties responsible for enforcing accessibility policies. Outline procedures for collecting and addressing accessibility-related concerns and requests.
While good accessibility includes physical accessibility, it also means creating a user-friendly digital experience for people with disabilities.
Check the accessibility of your website and organisation’s intranet to ensure usability for all users. W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative provides a comprehensive listing of web accessibility evaluation tools to help determine if your web content meets accessibility guidelines.
Leverage assistive technologies such as screen readers, closed captioning, screen enlargement applications and voice recognition programs to improve digital accessibility.
To be fully compliant with accessibility standards, consult the WCAG 2.1 AA Standards (WCAG), EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements, and the Revised Section 508 Standards. Compliance with these will put you in good standing.
It’s important to provide training for your employees on accessibility to ensure alignment with your objectives. Accessibility training can take the form of self-paced tutorials, in-person workshops conducted by accessibility experts or virtual training sessions.
Regardless of the format, these training sessions should cover:
To improve accessibility in your workplace, it’s essential to integrate it into your recruitment process. Consider using plain language, clear formatting, descriptive language and alternative formats to make job postings more accessible.
Include a statement in the job posting and other communications to candidates inviting them to notify you of their accommodation needs; assure them that such requests will be handled with confidentiality.
It’s important to evaluate your organisation’s accessibility level regularly. Standards and guidelines can change, and it’s imperative to regularly check your website and content for accessibility compliance. Feedback and relevant metrics will pinpoint areas that need improvement.
Accessibility across your organisation can break down barriers and provide a user-friendly experience for everyone who comes across your business or organisation. Use these tips above to improve accessibility and open your organisation to the wider public.
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