Getting Beyond the Checklist- Culture, Change, and Accessibility

Presented at 4:20pm in Westminster IV on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

Speaker(s)

• Nina Overdorff, Marketing Coordinator, Equidox by Onix

Session Details

• Length of Session: 1-hr
• Format: Lecture
• Expertise Level: All Levels
• Type of session: General Conference

Summary

Pat Needles will be discussing the importance of moving beyond “checking the boxes” of digital accessibility and technical compliance. While WCAG 2.0 provides a convenient roadmap towards accessibility, it takes cultural change within an organization to make proactive avoidance of accessibility barriers a priority.

Abstract

This presentation will highlight ways in which organizations benefit from implementing cultural changes to see perpetual, incremental improvements in digital accessibility and proactively avoid accessibility barriers. A clearly defined goal of universal usability emphasizing user experience creates a robust and adaptable foundation for a culture of compliance, regardless of currently accepted standards. This foundation is the key to recognizing and meeting the needs of actual human beings, and not merely complying with the restrictions of a static set of rules. It also ensures that when standards change or technologies evolve, no one is caught having to start over from scratch to meet a new checklist.

The following are common threads in successful implementation that provide a roadmap for developing a culture of accessibility within an organization:

Measurable Results Procurement Responsibility and accountability Education and training Prioritization Hiring practices Collaboration

Keypoints

1. How accessibility culture is beneficial to an organization
2. Actionable ways to implement accessibility culture throughout an organization
3. How accessibility culture will help organizations transition to future standards

Disability Areas

Vision

Topic Areas

Administrative/Campus Policy, Other, Uncategorized

Speaker Bio(s)

Nina Overdorff

Marketing Coordinator- proposal submittor