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Welcome to our June issue of the Accessibility Minute Newsletter! This newsletter is produced by the CU Boulder Digital Accessibility Office and covers one accessibility skill or topic per month. Please visit the DAO website to access past newsletters. As always, thank you for taking a minute (or two!) to read.

I Discovered my Content or Product is Inaccessible. Now What?

In this month’s newsletter, we’re exploring a common yet critical issue: discovering that your meticulously designed content or a fantastic newly discovered product is inaccessible. This can be disheartening, but it’s also a tremendous opportunity to make a positive impact. With that, we have outlined some guidance on what you can do next if you ever find yourself in this situation.

Understand the Issues

First and foremost, you must understand the issues that are causing your design or product to be inaccessible. From there, your next step should be to prioritize the issues and plan for remediation. Not all accessibility issues will be equally critical. Since this is the case, we recommend using a severity matrix to prioritize fixes, which we have provided below. Please note that the severity guidelines listed below are used by our office and are based on user experience. It may vary depending on your systems, processes, and circumstances.

• Severe issues represent items that create access barriers and need to be remediated immediately. Severe issues make a product unusable. If a user cannot complete X, Y, and Z tasks, then it is a severe issue. Examples of a severe issue could be:
  • Videos without captions.
  • Incorrectly programmed buttons that are not available to keyboard users or those who use assistive technology.
• Significant issues represent items that create a great deal of difficulty and should be remediated within a reasonable amount of time. Significant issues break Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or are difficult to overcome from the user's perspective. Examples of a significant issue could be:
  • Headings not used to provide structure or are completely missing.
  • A platform that requires end users to use their technology in complex and confusing ways.
• Minor issues represent items that are the lowest priority but would be good to remediate. Minor issues do not make or break a product or content, but fixing these issues will enhance accessibility and usability. Examples of a minor issue could be:
  • Tables that include empty data cells.
  • Lists that are not created programmatically.
• Usability issues can impact users of any ability. Examples of a usability issue could be:
  • Unclear, confusing instructions.
  • Cluttered or overwhelming content/layouts.

Once you understand the accessibility issues and their severity in your content or product, you should then create a reasonable timeline for the fixes and allocate resources to tackle them systematically. As accessibility issues range in severity, your understanding of how to address them may also vary. Identifying training opportunities and allocating time for training will need to be built into the timeline.

If there is a severe issue present in a new software/product that you do not have the ability to change yourself, then this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the vendor/organization’s development team. While the vendor works on remediating the issues, you will need to provide an option for alternate access and a way for users to contact you if support is needed. This is a “band-aid” solution that should only be used while the vendor is fixing the issue. If the vendor’s timeline for fixes is unreasonable or they choose not to fix the issue, you should consider a new, more accessible product.

Educate Yourself and Your Team

Accessibility is an ongoing team effort. Regardless of whether you find yourself and your team creating inaccessible content or purchasing/using inaccessible products, it is highly recommended to internally conduct or externally outsource regular training sessions and workshops to keep everyone updated on accessibility practices.

Monitor and Maintain

Accessibility isn’t a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing commitment. Regularly check your products for potential new accessibility issues, especially when updates or changes are made. Maintain an open feedback loop with end users to catch and address issues promptly and with vendors if functional issues are present that need to be addressed by their development team.

Discovering that a product or design is inaccessible can be disheartening, but it’s also a call to action. By committing to accessibility, you not only broaden your user base but also demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and diversity. Remember, the journey to accessibility is continuous and collaborative. Keep learning, keep improving, and keep advocating for a digital world where everyone can participate fully.

June Challenge

• Review your digital portfolio and ask yourself the questions presented in this letter. Are there things you should ask the vendor? Are there changes you can make to your created content?
  • If you identify issues, prioritize them (you can ask the DAO for help!) and then create your own timelines for addressing them.

DAO News

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DAO Office Hours are now the 4th Tuesday of every month from 1 to 2 PM MT. Our next office hours will be held on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024.