What my running experience taught me about digital accessibility
More and more organizations need to do “something” about accessibility. At first, this can be as intimidating as Mount Everest is for a mountaineer. Because there is a lot involved. For example, how do you get the organization on board? Accessibility is therefore a long-term process. It's like a marathon. As a marathon runner and digital accessibility researcher, I happen to have experience with both. Put on your running shoes, and I'll take you through the marathon process of accessibility.
Phase 1 (the start)
The start of a marathon is a challenge. The energy of the music and other people quickly gives you the idea that ‘I'm going to fix this and run away at full speed from the start’. But a marathon is not a sprint, just as accessibility is not.
Accessibility is not something you can just tick off your list. Be aware that it affects many people in the organization. And you need to get them all on board. That means you first need to create awareness within the teams. From communication to web developers. Everyone needs to understand what accessibility is and why it is so important.
The reason you need to get so many people on board is that accessibility affects many processes within the organization. So you have a lot to deal with. Just like at the start of a marathon, you need to start slowly. Make a good overview of your digital environment:
- Which sites are there?
- What is our goal with the sites?
- Do we have apps?
- Do we make extensive use of PDFs, infographics, or video?
This raises many more questions than you might think. For example, your corporate identity comes into play, because is it accessible? And what about the technology of your website? Has the supplier taken accessibility into account?
It is not without reason that I referred to accessibility as a marathon. And how do you run a marathon? Exactly: step by step. On to the next phase!
Phase 2 (getting into the rhythm)
Now comes the challenging part. You have successfully completed the start and must now attempt to find your rhythm and maintain your pace. You are aware that the second half is approaching, where you will need to make decisions and take action.
As an organization, you have now started the inventory. That's great, because you are now making progress. Time for the next step in the process. During a marathon, you can't carry unnecessary baggage. So decide what can be discarded, because that will save you a lot of work. But also decide what you need to complete the second half of the marathon. In other words, the energy that will get you to the finish line.
- Which websites are important to us and which ones can actually be removed?
- Are all PDFs and other media files still up to date and relevant?
- What accessibility knowledge do we currently have in-house and what is still missing?
- What tools are needed?
- Do we have the budget and capacity to implement this?
Phase 3 (grit your teeth and push on)
The third quarter of a marathon is the ‘grit your teeth and push on’ point. You realise that you have already used up quite a bit of energy, but you really want to reach the finish line. In this phase, it is time to make choices and adjustments:
- Does the corporate identity need to be adjusted?
- What adjustments are needed according to the accessibility studies of the selected websites?
- How much work is needed to make our documents and media accessible?
Phase 4 (the finish line is in sight)
Is it already time for the next accessibility marathon? If you have the basics in place, you don't have to start all over again, of course. But your website, documents, and other digital resources are constantly evolving. Accessibility issues can quickly creep in. That's why accessibility needs to be part of your normal work processes. So don't take off your running shoes just yet. In this phase, you look at things like:
- How do we deal with the websites now that they have been examined (making them future-proof)?
- How do we ensure that colleagues remain enthusiastic and aware (through awareness sessions)?
- Can we approach certain things differently in the future (such as templates, modified manuals)?
- How do we embed accessibility in our processes?
Getting your entire organization on board is not something you can do “just like that,” but it will yield great results in the long term and more satisfied customers.
Are you up for the challenge and ready to fight for that medal?
