What the data says: Provide accessibility and inclusion training for your staff
Annie Mannion | 29 Feb 2024
At the end of 2023 we announced the findings of our global Attitudes to Digital Accessibility survey 2023 and highlighted the results that showed organisations are largely falling into one of two categories: accessibility leaders and accessibility laggards.
Capibility – unstructured skills development
One of the aspects in which the survey discovered organisations are lagging behind is with training provision.
"Our accessibility teams are siloed and not coordinated centrally, with no central support for training" is one of the responses we received in response to the question 'Please describe in your own words the barriers you face in your role when delivering digital accessibility?'
Inconsistent or a lack of accessibility training means digital accessibility best practices are not embedded in the organisation from the ground up.
Help build a picture of your current accessibility strengths and weaknesses and identify a roadmap for next steps using AbilityNet's Digital Accessibility Maturity Model - DAMM.
And in the past year, it appears organisations have some way to go with providing adequate digital accessibility and inclusion training to their employees.
When asked about skills development, fewer respondents in 2023 agreed with the statement ‘The organisation helps individuals to develop the skills they need to deliver its digital accessibility vision’ - 40% agreed strongly or slightly in 2023 compared to 46% in 2022.
Whilst 40% agreed that ‘The organisation helps individuals to develop the skills they need to deliver its digital accessibility vision’, 33% disagreed, and 20% neither agreed not disagreed and 7% did not know.
This outlines a clear gap in opportunities to boost employees' in-house expertise in digital accessibility and inclusion.
Why provide accessibility training?
Digital accessibility is not just a moral imperative, it is also a business imperative. Organisations that prioritise accessibility are better positioned to succeed in the marketplace and boost their reputation with customers and other stakeholders.
If your organisation is an accessibility laggard, it is time to take action. Choose from our variety of training options to fit your needs - from in-house training, online courses, eLearning and more:
Watch our video (transcript available) to find out more about our training options, and learn what our clients including Texthelp say:
Access the Attitudes to Digital Accessibility report 2023
Download the survey report [PDF and Word versions available]
Further resources:
- Blog: Are you an accessibility leader or laggard?
- Get vital accessibility and inclusion training - 10% off all courses using AbilityNetTraining10
- Download your free Digital Accessibility Maturity Model
