It’s great to keep up to date with readings, meetups, and training, but until you embed accessibility thinking within your project or product delivery process, you’ll struggle to build truly accessible solutions. Remya is going to share Seamless’s journey in implementing a cross-functional working group and weaving accessibility into their web development process. Presented at DDD Conference, Melbourne / 12 Aug 2017

1. Web accessibility is everyone’s job
Remya Ramesh
@rem_ram

2. Seamless
Experience Design Lead

3. What does “web accessibility”
mean?

4. Accessibility refers to the design of
products, devices, services, or
environments for people who
experience disabilities.
Accessibility – Wikipedia

5. Web accessibility aims to address:
visual impairments, mobility,
auditory, seizures, cognitive or
intellectual disabilities.
Web accessibility – Wikipedia

6. Spin around
Once you’ve gotten dizzy, try solving a crossword
puzzle on your smartphone.
This prompt helps you understand what it’s like to have a motor
condition like vertigo.
https://empathyprompts.net/#vertigo

7. Mute your speakers
Then try and watch a documentary.
This prompt helps you understand what it’s like to have an auditory
condition like neural hearing loss.
https://empathyprompts.net/#neural-hearing-loss

8. Why isn't your website
accessible?

9. Excuse #1: People with
disabilities don’t use the internet

10. Excuse #1: People with
disabilities don’t use the internet
Reality: People with disabilities still need to
fill out government forms, access online
banking, and connect with friends like
everyone else

11. Excuse #2: People with disabilities
make up a small consumer market

12. Excuse #2: People with disabilities
make up a small consumer market
Reality: Over 4 million people in
Australia have some form of disability.
That's 1 in 5 people.

14. “I don’t want special consideration,
just the same consideration of other
customers”
Gisele Mesnage | ABC News
http://bit.ly/coles-case

15. Excuse #3: Accessibility will
compromise my website design

16. Excuse #3: Accessibility will
compromise my website design
Reality: Meeting accessibility
requirements is easier than people
think. Treat accessibility as a creative
challenge! 

17. How do I make accessible
websites?

18. Web accessibility
guidelines (WCAG 2.0)

21. 2013: Take 1

23. Seamless Web Accessibility
Committee

24. Guideline 2.1 – “Keyboard Accessible”
All functionality of the content is operable through
a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for
individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function
requires input that depends on the path of the user's
movement and not just the endpoints. (Level A)

25. Guideline 2.1 – “Keyboard Accessible”
Ensure that all functionality that is available to users via a
mouse is also available via a keyboard. The user shouldn't
have to time their keystrokes to a certain pattern.

26. Sample format
Criteria What does it mean? Checklist to pass this criteria Key responsible
team member
2.1.1
Keyboard
(Level A)
Ensure that all functionality
that is available to users via a
mouse is also available via a
keyboard. The user shouldn't
have to time their keystrokes
to a certain pattern.
Exception: Where the system
requires the user to make an
input based on the path of
their movement; for example:
when you draw your
signature.
• Semantic HTML elements are used
• Proper click and focus functions on
links and buttons if using JavaScript
to enhance the visual presentation
• Hover and Focus styles are kept
similar
• JavaScript is not used to remove
focus from an element
Developer

27. Decent idea, poor
implementation!

28. 2016: Take 2

29. A shift inside

30. A shift inside

31. A shift inside

32. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
“an evangelist is only as good as the
stretch of their voice. You can’t be
everywhere. If you’re trying to scale
across increasingly larger organizations
as your career grows, you must build a
group of disciples to shepherd their own
flocks.”
David Malouf | DigitalOcean

33. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions

34. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions

35. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions

36. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
Infusing accessibility
as part of the culture
• Sponsor staff members to
get certified in web
accessibility
• SWAG acts as point of
contact & information
source
• Web accessibility training
as a part of onboarding
induction

37. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
Infusing accessibility
as part of the culture

38. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
Infusing accessibility
as part of the culture
Accessibility as a
competitive advantage
OpenCities and OpenForms
became fully Level AA
accessibility compliant in
less than 6 months

39. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
Infusing accessibility
as part of the culture
Accessibility as a
competitive advantage

40. A shift inside
Develop your
accessibility
champions
Infusing accessibility
as part of the culture
Accessibility as a
competitive advantage
What’s next?
• Develop personas for
differently abled users to
ensure we’re building our
products in an inclusive
way
• Recruit differently abled
users to participate in
usability testing

41. What can I do right now?

42. • Read the WCAG 2.0 guidelines
• Try out an assistive technology
• Check the colour contrast
• Add alt text on images
• Attend A11y Camp in Sydney (September)
• Start your own version of SWAG

43. The best we can be
Be bold, make changes & learn from it