Your team is resistant to accessibility considerations. How can you convince them of its importance?

1 Legal Compliance

Accessibility isn't just about good practice; it's often a legal requirement. Around the world, laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States mandate that digital services be accessible to all users. Non-compliance can lead to costly lawsuits and damage to your brand's reputation. By educating your team on the potential legal implications of ignoring accessibility, you can underscore the importance of incorporating these considerations into your usability testing processes to ensure that your products meet legal standards and avoid potential penalties.

2 User Empathy

Building empathy is a powerful way to make your team care about accessibility. Encourage them to consider how users with disabilities experience the web and digital products. This can be done through exercises like navigating a website using screen reader software or trying to complete tasks without using a mouse. These activities can be eye-opening and foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by users with disabilities. When your team experiences these challenges firsthand, they're more likely to recognize the value of creating accessible products.

3 Business Benefits

The business case for accessibility is strong. By making your products accessible, you're opening up to a wider audience, which can lead to increased market share and revenue. Moreover, accessible design often results in a cleaner, more intuitive user interface that benefits all users, not just those with disabilities. This can lead to better customer satisfaction and loyalty. Emphasize that investing in accessibility is not just about compliance or ethics; it's a strategic business decision that can have a positive impact on the bottom line.

5 Team Collaboration

Promoting a collaborative approach can help integrate accessibility into your team's workflow. Encourage each member to take responsibility for accessibility, from designers considering color contrast to developers writing semantic HTML. By making accessibility a shared goal, rather than the responsibility of a single 'accessibility expert', you foster an environment where everyone is accountable and contributes to creating a more inclusive product. This collective effort can lead to innovative solutions and a stronger commitment to accessibility across the team.