How can you ensure IT projects are accessible?

Penso que o mais importante é entender que um projeto de TI n?o é um projeto da área de TI. Exce??es talvez sejam projetos de infraestrutura “muito bits e bytes”. Projetos de solu??es digitais e de aplica??es n?o s?o exce??es como esses. Parece simples e básico, mas faz toda a diferen?a. Quando a organiza??o e a própria área de TI entendem isso, a chance de sucesso do projeto de TI aumenta exponencialmente!

We need to keep engaging with the individuals during design and testing phases to get constructive feedback. By ensuring that the project is designed to handle multiple platforms and devices considering the dynamic changes happening day by day. The accessibility tools that are required must be easy to understand which may include the step by step process with relevant snapshots. During the sustenance period, there shall be a continuous monitoring and improvements.

Establish a continuous, user-centric approach, actively involving users and regularly updating project needs. Prioritize user needs through User-Centric Design Thinking, utilizing co-creation workshops for insights. Adopt inclusive User Personas, considering challenges and unique stories. Introduce Gamified Testing for creative and engaging user involvement in addressing barriers. Develop a dynamic Living documentation using multimedia for an adaptable resource. Foster a Community-Driven evolution of the project with a feedback loop, empowering users to contribute ideas and collaborate in ongoing enhancements of the project.

Understanding IT application end users is the most important aspect in success of IT project's accessibility. Reciting an example from my work, Railroad field technicians needed mobile device application to use in field. With limited knowledge of vast set of parameters that can affect working conditions of these technicians (viz. light, weather, connectivity, age) the designers designed fancy mobile device application which did not even take into consideration that the end users will be wearing thick work gloves on their hand while using this app. This lead to scrapping of the whole application and redesign from scratch to make it more accessible for end users. hence very critical is for designers put themselves into the shoes of end users.

Adopt the mindset that IT, like any other technology, is simply a tool to solve fundamental business problems. Think solutions instead of just technical products. Identifying your users and understanding their needs can allow them to take ownership and make indications of whether those needs are being met. Knowing your users also helps with the language you use which lays the foundation for a common goal.

As I have learned through many year’s of experience and from Ms Shawn Lawton Henry is design , use standards/guidelines , and make things accessible for all users from the start, if feasible. If you do this you will be better off.

Adopt and incorporate accessibility standards and guidelines in all the phases of an IT project (from requirements gathering to design to implementation to testing). Be prepared to continuously improve and augment your accessibility best practices with the accumulated experience and continuous feedback from users.

Design for All Users: Implement universal design principles to make the project usable by as wide an audience as possible, including people with disabilities. Use Accessible Technologies: Choose development tools and platforms that support accessibility. Regular Testing: Conduct regular accessibility audits and user testing, ideally with participants who have disabilities, to identify and fix issues. Train Your Team: Educate your team about the importance of accessibility and how to implement guidelines effectively. Continuous Improvement: Treat accessibility as an ongoing commitment, regularly updating your project to comply with the latest standards.

Make your design intuitive to minimize learning curve. Users are more likely to benefit from the system if it is easy to use. Apply UX standards during design. Establish user feedback as early as possible to minimize rework.

Adhere to established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines provide a framework for making digital content accessible to people with a range of disabilities. For example, ensuring that all images on a website have descriptive alt text is a basic WCAG requirement.

Regular Testing: Conduct regular accessibility audits and user testing, ideally with participants who have disabilities, to identify and fix issues. Continuous Improvement: Treat accessibility as an ongoing commitment, regularly updating your project to comply with the latest standards.

Discovery Sessions: Conduct multi-disciplinary discovery sessions with all stakeholders before the solutioning. This will provide perspective from the multi-disciplinary participants and highlight any gaps or duplications that might exist in the solution. Review and adopt report findings as recommended This should be the first step to improving the accessibility of your solution.

Demonstrate a functional system to your users and you will get the best feedbacks ever. Take the constructive ones’ and improve your product iteratively. There is just a thing that I wonder in the linkedin answer. Project (aka project management) will always have the testing phase at the end compare to product (aka product management) that may be built by iterations. What really matters is that you get feedbacks and especially from your users!

Accessibility issues tend to be varied and nuanced unfortunately. For instance, one might be color blind to specific colors and another user might have mobility challenges. This means that testing requires a wide range of skills and awareness on what to look for and cater a product to meet a variety of needs.

The E2E Test Strategy delivered as a key document in the project would include accessibility requirements, especially for impaired users.

Is an error to think that people are trained and understand the whole project just because you made an extraordinary effort by sharing your time and knowledge, organizing resources, guides, etc. Is imperative to evaluate people. I have experienced several surprises when, close to the last stage, users don′t use any resources and barely understand the project! What I do is drop several questions about the project, deadlines, concepts, deliverables, responsibilities, and ownership. That's how I try to focus people, so, no surprises.

People typically will not adopt new process, techniques, or principles that they do not understand. Understanding of the purpose and impact of what it is they need to adopt is key. This is also not an “end of a project” focus. This should be intrinsic at every step of the process from start to finish with accessibility in mind. A core principle/pillar of you will.

Creating a space where users can interact with each other is a very powerful tool. Encourage and incentivise the user to talk amoung themselves and help each other. Then pay attention to what they're saying and make adjustments where necessary. This is an ongoing process, not a check-box on a project plan.

This is a cultural step - and one that should be implemented from the most senior leaders down through the organization. It is not the project's responsibility to educate people on the importance of accessibility, it should be something the project leverages as a cultural tenet of the organization and leadership within it. Recognizing that not many organizations embrace this, use the success of industry peers and other orgs to showcase the importance of why YOUR project is placing high importance on this topic, and work with HR to help market it internally.

Workshops on Wardley Maps: Conduct interactive workshops to teach how to create and interpret Wardley Maps, focusing on visualizing the IT landscape and strategy. Real-world Examples: Use case studies and real-world scenarios where Wardley Maps have been applied, showing their practical value in strategic decision-making. Regular Discussions: Integrate discussions of Wardley Maps into regular meetings, analyzing ongoing projects and strategies through this lens. Mentoring and Coaching: Pair less experienced team members with mentors who are proficient in applying Wardley Maps in IT strategy.

Accessibility is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment. Continuously monitor your IT projects for accessibility and update them as needed. This is especially important as technology and standards evolve. A company with an online platform, for example, should regularly review its site to ensure it remains accessible, especially after updates or new features are added.

Instrument feedback loop is a must in every IT project. Measure and re-measure everything from start-to-end. Find foundational features to measure that provides core insights to monitor

This process involves regularly evaluating the solution for accessibility, not just as an afterthought but as an integral part of development. Utilizing a mix of testing methods, such as manual and automated testing, expert reviews, and user testing with individuals who have disabilities, ensures comprehensive assessment. Gathering and acting on feedback from users, particularly those with disabilities or specific accessibility needs, is vital for making informed improvements. Personally, I believe that continuous accessibility testing and responsive feedback integration are key to creating solutions that are truly inclusive and user-friendly, demonstrating a commitment to meeting the diverse needs of all users.

Regular Audits: Conduct periodic accessibility audits using tools like WAVE or AXE to evaluate compliance with standards like WCAG. User Feedback: Gather feedback from diverse users, including those with disabilities, to understand real-world accessibility issues.

Se a constru??o de acessibilidade de teu projeto foi perfeita, monitorá-la e mantê-la ser?o tarefas quase inexistentes. Nunca conheci um projeto de TI com acessibilidade perfeita. Ent?o, pensando que a tua solu??o será como as demais neste quesito, no minuto seguinte a implanta??o da solu??o em produ??o, comece a monitorar os indicadores e o comportamento dos usuários. Será necessário uma avalia??o in loco junto aos usuários. N?o subestime os atalhos e mudan?as de comportamento que podem ser criados durante a utiliza??o da solu??o. Identificadas as melhorias, priorize-as conforme o impacto no negócio ou ganhos de produtividade e planeje as implementa??es.

Acredito que para um Projeto de TI ser acessível é muito importante estar totalmente alinhado com a área de negócios, importante ter entregas contínuas de valor de forma que os usuários de negócios estejam sempre acompanhando e usufruindo das entregas, tendo sempre apresenta??es das novas funcionalidades e monitorando os feedbacks das já entregues, para caso necessário o Projeto sofra altera??es em tempo de execu??o por isso a grande importancia do Projeto de TI estar acessível e compartilhado.

Don't forget the ABCs - Awareness, Behaviours and Cultural change. Build these into all parts of the design and project to ensure stakeholders are invested in the success and delivery of the outputs

I am missing here the most important point: transparent communication! One has to clearly define the ?why‘ behind the project and communicate it to all stakeholders upfront. Furthermore, during the project a clear communication strategy must be in place including a lessons learned and ?what was achieved‘ session at the end.

Overarching and encompassing many of the other areas right at the start is executing a comprehensive communications plan, which, in my opinion, is a cornerstone of ensuring accessible IT projects. Such a plan ensures that all stakeholders are informed about project updates, changes, and requirements. It fosters transparency, promotes collaboration, and helps align all team members to a project's goals. Investing time and resources into collecting outcome feedback is equally critical. Through this, the project team can identify any shortcomings or gaps in accessibility and work on improvements. In essence, outcome feedback acts as a quality control measure that ensures the final product is accessible but also user-friendly and efficient.

To ensure IT project accessibility, adhere to standards like WCAG and adopt inclusive design from the start. Involve users with disabilities in testing and incorporate assistive technologies. Maintain team awareness through regular training on accessibility. Conduct accessibility audits and comply with legal requirements. Implement a user feedback system for reporting issues. Provide accessible documentation and support, and collaborate with accessibility experts. Focus on adaptive and responsive design, ensuring keyboard navigation for all functionalities.