AbilityNet and Deque partner to build a stronger accessibility community
Kelly Chan | 02 Nov 2023AbilityNet and Deque Systems recently partnered to start hosting in-person round table events, bringing together accessibility professionals from a number of organisations as an opportunity for them to share their experiences and challenges candidly, and discuss the core of their accessibility strategies.
AbilityNet’s vision is a digital world accessible to all and we're committed to building a stronger accessibility community across the globe.
One way we do this is by partnering with other organisations in the accessibility community. We’ve been working with Deque Systems to host confidential and open round tables where UK and European digital accessibility thought leaders from different industries can gather to learn from each other's successes - and avoid any mis-steps.
The first round table event took place in June 2023. Participants spent the morning in round table discussions and the afternoon touring Google's Accessibility Discovery Centre.
5 demonstrable attributes of organisations focussed on accessibility
The five main take aways from the AbilityNet and Deque round table event discussion in June 2023 were:
This could be a person or a team who is responsible for driving accessibility initiatives within the organisation. The champion should have a good understanding of accessibility and be able to communicate its importance to others.
2. The need for education and training on accessibility across an organisation
Everyone in the organisation should have some basic understanding of accessibility, from the CEO to the interns. This will help to ensure that accessibility is considered at all stages of the development process.
Discover online learning modules that help you to become a digitally disability inclusive workplace.
3. The importance of having clear accessibility and inclusion policies and procedures in place
These policies should define the organisation's commitment to accessibility and outline how it will be achieved. They should also be communicated to everyone in the organisation so that they know what is expected of them.
4. The need for regular accessibility auditing and testing
This is essential to ensure that the organisation's products and services are accessible to everyone. Audits should be conducted by qualified professionals and the results should be used to identify and fix any accessibility issues. Learn more about what accessibility audits are and their benefits in our recent blog.
5. The importance of involving disabled people in processes and decision making
Disabled people are the experts on their own experiences, so their input is essential to ensuring that accessibility is effective. They should be involved in the development of policies, procedures, and training materials, as well as in the auditing and testing of products and services.
Setting accessibility goals for 2024
In October 2023, at AbilityNet’s London office, AbilityNet and Deque held a second round table event. We brought together a group of trusted peers, each facing a unique set of challenges in delivering their accessibility strategy for 2024.
Day 2 attendees meeting at AbilityNet’s office left-to-right: Mark Walker - AbilityNet, Brian Grellmann - Aviva, Stuart Trevithick - Fidelity, Becky Brindley - NatWest, Ron Beenen - Deque, Matthew Luken - Deque, Zoe Portlock - Hargreaves Lansdown, Karl Goldstraw -Hargreaves Lansdown, Natalie Russell - Deque, Arnaud Ramgoolam - KPMG, Chris Bush - Nexer.
Under the veil of Chatham House rules, our participants had an opportunity to share their experiences candidly, discussing the very core of their accessibility strategies.
With the usual mix of accessibility leaders from various sectors, these discussions were led by Mark Walker of AbilityNet, a curator of TechShare Pro, Europe's largest gathering of accessibility and inclusion professionals and their allies, and contributor to AbilityNet's Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM). Mark has worked with numerous clients, helping them leverage the DAMM to craft accessibility roadmaps, set immediate and long-term priorities, and cultivate internal consensus for change.
Alongside Mark, Matthew Luken, former Head of Accessibility at US Bank and a key member of Deque's strategy services team, helped facilitate the discussions. Known for his passion for metrics, Matthew's insights offered a data-driven perspective on the landscape of digital accessibility.
“As you plan for 2024, it’s important to remember that it’s okay to take a different tack – like the sailing analogies you’ll hear later – or to double back to achieve your goals”, says Mark. “Communication, understanding, and common objectives are critical for an organisation to achieve success in digital accessibility.”
Matthew adds “With good Storytelling techniques, and the data you have on hand, you can gain agreement and alignment with other internal stakeholders on where your digital properties are with conformance now, and where you are trying to get to in 2024”.
Matthew joined our podcast! Access the episode below and the transcript to learn more about his background, Deque, and the round table events.
The insights gathered from these events will be used to help plan meaningful breakout sessions for TechShare Pro 2023 and Deque's axe-con.
Get your TechShare Pro 2023 ticket and join us for Europe's largest gathering of accessibility and inclusion professionals and their allies.
We're excited to see how these events will contribute to building a stronger accessibility community. We believe that by working together, we can make a real difference in accessibility.
If you are interested in attending one of our round table events in 2024 and for more information, reach out to Mark Walker, Head of Marketing & Portfolio of AbilityNet at mark.walker@abilitynet.org.uk
Other ways AbilityNet is working to build a stronger accessibility community
We offer a range of free webinars, blogs and factsheets on digital accessibility. Watch our free webinar with Deque on How will Artificial Intelligence change accessibility testing?
We provide expert consultancy and services to organisations on how to help make their digital products and services more accessible.
We encourage everyone to get involved in the accessibility community. There are many ways to do this, such as volunteering, attending events, or simply sharing knowledge and resources. By working together, we can make a real difference in accessibility.
