I’ve been working with my team on a couple of new digital experiences for a large nonprofit aimed at advancing the arts and arts education. I’ve worked with this organization for a while and have done many digital projects for them in the past. These two projects are a little different than some of the past projects as they not only include replatforming, a fresh design, and a set of new features aimed at better engaging with audiences and making content publishing/managing more efficient, but they also focus on accessibility.

A focus on accessibility is something that I’ve seen increase over the past couple of years.

Perhaps it’s because organizations finally realize the size of the potential audiences they could be alienating by not designing, creating, and building accessible digital projects/products. An audience that according to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility includes 25% of adults in the U.S., and 40% of adults over 65 years old. Maybe it’s because of the increase in lawsuits that have been filed recently as highlighted in an article last week published in the Wall Street Journal. Or maybe it’s due any number of other reasons.

We’ve all seen accessibility in action. From elevators and ramps to captions on TV.  From braille on signs to the color pallet and font size on street signs. The modern world offers many ways to accommodate all individuals. The digital world should be no different. Technology is meant to empower individuals. To push the envelope and challenge the norm. To promotes change and promise of a better tomorrow. So, it makes sense that the digital experiences of today are accessible.

WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) is a great place to start. These guidelines are developed through the Web Accessibility Initiative in cooperation with a variety of organizations around the world. The most current accessibility guides are WCAG 2.1 (yes these guidelines change and are constantly being evaluated as new technology emerges). Basically, these technical guidelines are meant for digital developers, content creators, and content administrators. They seek to highlight the ways that digital experiences should be created if they are to be truly inclusive.

When we’re developing new digital experiences our thinking about audiences and engagement should not stop at how audiences will consume content across devices. We need to also consider how content appears to screen readers, for users who only use a keyboard, for users who are colorblind, and for users who cannot hear our media.  

Where do I start?

All worthwhile things in life are work. Creating compelling, accessible digital experiences is no different.

The thing about accessibility is that there are varying levels (Level A, AA, and AAA). One of the first steps is the decide what level of compliance you need to adhere to. From there you should conduct an audit (or have an expert conduct an audit). Remember my post about having a good digital strategist? A good digital strategist will be able to connect you to a person, or a team of people who can help guide you through the process. Once you know what you are striving for and where you stand you can put your plan in place.

It’s important to keep accessibility in mind throughout your digital process. From designing new experiences to enhancing current experiences there are tools to help you along the way. I’ll share some of the tools my team uses in upcoming blog posts, so stay tuned.