If you, or people around you, are new to accessibility, it can be hard to know how to raise the issue. Digital accessibility can be an especially tricky subject. Content creators, developers, educators, and others may become defensive if accessibility issues are raised around their content or service.
Here are some tips for making accessibility more immediate, real, and relevant for people with less exposure to the topic. You don’t need to pack all of these tips into every conversation but having them ready can make the conversation easier for everyone.
Demonstrate accessibility in real time
People with less exposure to accessibility often don't understand the If you can, demonstrate examples of accessibility keyboard or screen reader barriers, enhanced navigation, color contrast issues, or other issues that would prevent someone from effectively working with a document, application, or website.
Present accessibility as a matter of degree
Avoid framing a system's accessibility only in binary terms like accessible and inaccessible. Recognize that content can be more accessible to one person and less accessible to another. Use phrases like "more accessible", "less accessible", and "how accessible". Acknowledge that a system might work well for some people but could use a little fix to work better for others.
Focus on the benefits of accessible content
Accessible content has benefits beyond those afforded users with disabilities. Support for high contrast and magnification can benefit a user in a brightly lit environment; captions can benefit a person viewing a video on the bus to work, text-to-speech can let someone with eye strain at the end of the day read their email. Remember, accessible design is good design, resulting in clean, robust content that lasts longer, needs less maintenance, and causes fewer calls to your help desk.
Acknowledge that everyone shares less accessible content
It's no secret--every website, every application, every media collection presents an accessibility in one way or another. If you recognize that accessibility issues are ubiquitous, the conversation can flow freely toward shared responsibility and away from individual embarrassment.
Recognize accessibility efforts
Rather than only calling out accessibility failures, consider amplifying good accessibility practice and outcomes. If you work around individuals and groups who create and share accessible content, let them know they're seen and appreciated. Mention a web developer's great work with ARIA, or a graphic designer's creative application of high-contrast color palettes.
Present accessibility as the right thing to do
Almost anyone can agree that accessibility is the right thing to do, although they may not agree or understand why. For some people, accessibility is the right thing to do because it mitigates risk and complies with regulations. For others, accessibility is the right thing because it results in more robust content. Still others will see accessibility as leveling the playing field by providing all people access and opportunity to the same content, programs, and services.
Refer to legal and policy obligations
This isn't everyone's first choice when discussing accessibility, but sometimes you may need to cite rules and regulations. Legal and policy requirements are laid out in the ADA Fact Sheet and the University of Iowa IT Accessibility Policy. Technical standards for compliance include the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Be matter of fact and mix legal and policy references with some of the suggestions listed above. Above all, emphasize that you are not providing legal advice and that any questions should be referred to the Office of General Counsel.
Stay up-to-date
Above all, keep current on the state of accessibility at Iowa. Stay informed through trainings, websites, and articles. Reach out to Accessibility@IOWA with questions or for more information. Finally, keep the conversation going--together, we can make accessibility a natural part of our shared experience at the University of Iowa.