Why we’re focused on accessibility at Award Force 

This post was written by Rachel Martin, product manager at Award Force.

I’m the accessibility “champion” at Creative Force (the makers of Award Force and Good Grants). It’s not an official role but something I fell into accidentally, and something I have embraced to the point where I now wonder whether my boss regrets giving me this responsibility.

For example, I’ve become that colleague saying, “Where are the captions for that video?” and “That colour contrast needs improvement” or “Your images need alt text”. 

I’ve come into this role because whenever users report accessibility issues, the problem lands on my desk. And, in fixing these issues, I have learned it’s not enough to be reactive and fix things when they’re reported. 

Accessibility is required company-wide from the ground up. And that’s what we’ve done at Award Force. We now have an accessibility strategy which includes training for all employees and encompasses not just our products but our marketing sites, demo sites and help centre. We’ve come a long way already. But there’s always lots of work to do. 

Why is accessibility important?

To create better products

Anyone can win an award, which is why Award Force is for everyone. Accessibility is closely linked to usability for all because accessibility improvements benefit everyone. How?

• Closed captions are useful whether it be a way to access content in different languages, or when you’re in a noisy environment with lots of background noise or when accents are difficult to understand.
• Meeting minimum colour contrast requirements benefits not just the visually impaired but also anyone looking at their device in places where there’s lots of glare—such as when you’re sitting outdoors and dealing with glare from the sun.
• Voice control was originally implemented for users with physical impairments but now has widespread adoption by millions of other people. 
• Audio descriptions are useful for anyone who likes to do more than one thing at once. For example, if you’re watching TV while cooking dinner, it doesn’t matter if you miss a facial expression or a non-verbal interaction because the audio description will keep you informed.

To reach more users and increase revenue

At least 15% of the world’s population have a recognised disability and they have an estimated annual disposable income of $6.9 trillion. That means it is simply good business to be inclusive of these individuals. 

To drive innovation

Accessibility drives innovation because it seeks to dismantle barriers created by disabilities. For example, the first commercial email service was created by Vint Cerf who is hearing-impaired and needed an alternative to telephone communication. Of course, now it is used universally throughout the world. Accessibility pushes us to think beyond traditional solutions for a more human-centred approach. 

To reduce legal risks

Accessibility is often a legal requirement to ensure people with disabilities have the same digital access to information as everyone else.

In the United States, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. In UK the Equality Act 2010 also prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and explicitly applies to websites. The EU adopted the Directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications in 2016 to ensure the 80 million people in the European Union with a disability are not excluded from accessing digital content.

There are so many important reasons why accessibility is important. But, also, consider this: as we age we become more likely to acquire a disability as almost half of people aged 60 and over live with a disability. That’s a 50% chance that one day it could be you.

More on accessibility

Learn more about our accessibility features at Award Force.

Learn how to make your awards program more accessible.