Author’s Note: Idiom “Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze” means “is it worth it.” For the past few years, the World Wide Web Consortium (aka W3C) has teased the industry with the potential release of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. This likely update has led to much speculation about the immediate impact on vendors who sell digital products, organizations that purchase digital products, and how quickly people with[…]
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Accessibility Asked and Answered: What is a Web Accessibility Audit?
A web accessibility audit evaluates a digital asset for accessibility to people with disabilities. The audit may be for a website, web application, mobile app, desktop application, or any product that contains a user interface. The audit typically involves reviewing the digital assets’ content, design, and code to identify any barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from accessing or using the site. Audit Motivation There are many reasons why[…]
READ MORE about Accessibility Asked and Answered: What is a Web Accessibility Audit?Inclusive Design for WordPress Websites: Tips and Strategies for Accessibility
Since its release in 2003, WordPress has evolved as a platform primarily for bloggers to the most used content management system for business websites. The breadth of businesses utilizing WordPress for their online engagement spans brands from Barnes and Noble, to Nike and the NBA. As the platform continues to grow its user base year over year, the choices developers make from theme selection to plug-ins can have significant impact[…]
READ MORE about Inclusive Design for WordPress Websites: Tips and Strategies for AccessibilityThe Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Third-Party Auditor for Your VPAT Engagement
Potential customers frequently ask product developers to provide an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) based on a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). It usually doesn’t take long for the developer to realize that the VPAT form is complex and contains language specific to the accessibility industry. This realization leads many developers to seek a third-party auditor’s assistance in auditing their product and creating an accessibility compliance report. This VPAT engagement checklist[…]
READ MORE about The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Third-Party Auditor for Your VPAT EngagementWhy Every Product Needs a VPAT
In today’s purchasing market, accessibility is an increasingly important factor for companies looking to sell their products and services to government agencies, universities, and other organizations that care about accessibility. Many organizations now require a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) during the purchasing process to assess the accessibility of a product or service and determine if it meets their accessibility requirements. A VPAT is a document that provides detailed information on the accessibility of a product[…]
READ MORE about Why Every Product Needs a VPATFind Your Perfect Match: Tips for Selecting the Right VPAT Vendor Partner
For companies that do not have the resources or expertise to conduct an accessibility assessment and create a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), working with an outside vendor partner can be a viable option. An outside vendor partner can provide expertise and resources to conduct an accessibility assessment and create a comprehensive and accurate VPAT. Choosing the right vendor partner to create your VPAT is critical to the success and[…]
READ MORE about Find Your Perfect Match: Tips for Selecting the Right VPAT Vendor PartnerFraming an ICT Accessibility Policy During Procurement
We continue our discussion on procurement in our series of accessibility conversations around the 8 Key Elements for Creating a Culture of Accessibility with Jeff Kline. We dive deeper into categories of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), tools for purchasing departments, and the roles of vendors and purchasers during the proposal and review process. Benefits of Addressing Accessibility When Making ICT Purchases Sanjay Nasta: Why is considering accessibility in purchasing Information[…]
READ MORE about Framing an ICT Accessibility Policy During ProcurementWhy Accessibility Matters When Buying Technology (and Other Most Asked Questions)
We surveyed our CTO Hiram Kuykendall and accessibility policy expert Kathy Keller on some of the often asked questions we hear from both purchasers and public sector contractors faced with ensuring accessibility during the technology purchasing process. Why is accessibility important in the purchasing process? Kathy: Including accessibility in purchasing eliminates countless hours of dealing with noncompliant, inaccessible ICT and the problems it creates not only for people with disabilities[…]
READ MORE about Why Accessibility Matters When Buying Technology (and Other Most Asked Questions)The Role of Litigation and Regulation in Web Accessibility
In March 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). The effort focuses specifically on Title II— State and Local Governments (and Public Transportation) and Title III— Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities. This summer, the DOJ followed up this guidance with an announcement of plans to update accessibility guidelines in 2023. Microassist’s CTO, Hiram Kuykendall, recently joined with Converge Accessibility’s Ken Nakata, on the[…]
READ MORE about The Role of Litigation and Regulation in Web AccessibilityAccessibility Testing Tool Reality Check
When talking with customers about accessibility, I frequently get asked: Why can’t automated accessibility testing tools find all errors? This question is understandable, given we have accessibility guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, technical standards such as HTML5 and WAI-ARIA, and a myriad of patterns and practices. First, let’s address the assumption that accessibility testing tools can only catch between 30% to 50% of errors. There is a[…]
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