How can you resolve accessibility guideline conflicts with team members?

1 Understand the guidelines

Accessibility guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), are not arbitrary or subjective. They are based on research, best practices, and user feedback, and they aim to provide a consistent and inclusive experience for people with different abilities and needs. Therefore, before you engage in any conflict resolution, make sure you and your team members have a clear and accurate understanding of the guidelines, their rationale, and their implications. You can use resources such as the WCAG Quick Reference, the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices, or the A11Y Project to learn more about the guidelines and how to apply them.

3 Seek feedback and validation

Sometimes, the best way to resolve accessibility guideline conflicts is to seek feedback and validation from external sources, such as users, experts, or stakeholders. You can use methods such as user testing, expert reviews, accessibility audits, or surveys to gather data and insights that can help you evaluate the impact and effectiveness of different accessibility solutions. You can also use tools such as the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE), the Accessibility Insights for Web, or the Lighthouse Accessibility Audit to measure and improve the accessibility of your web pages. By using feedback and validation, you can make informed and objective decisions that are based on user needs and expectations, rather than personal preferences or opinions.

4 Compromise and negotiate

Sometimes, you may not be able to reach a full agreement on accessibility guidelines, either because of technical limitations, resource constraints, or conflicting requirements. In these cases, you may need to compromise and negotiate with your team members to find a solution that meets the minimum accessibility standards and satisfies the most important user needs and project goals. You can use strategies such as brainstorming, prototyping, testing, or voting to generate and evaluate alternative options and trade-offs. You can also use principles such as the Pareto principle, the KISS principle, or the MVP concept to prioritize and simplify your accessibility solutions.

5 Document and share

Finally, after you have resolved your accessibility guideline conflicts, you should document and share your decisions and outcomes with your team members and other relevant parties. You should explain the rationale, benefits, and challenges of your accessibility solutions, and provide guidelines, examples, and resources for implementing and maintaining them. You should also document and share any feedback, validation, or testing results that support your decisions and outcomes. By documenting and sharing your accessibility solutions, you can ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability, and avoid future conflicts or misunderstandings.