Steps All SaaS Companies Need to Follow to Be Digital Inclusive

The idea that digital inclusion is expensive to achieve is wrong. When done properly with the correct tools, practices, and processes, companies not only gain from expanding users on their platform, but also improve overall processes. SaaS companies need to include digital accessibility practices at all levels of their product development cycle, to ensure digital inclusion.

So where to start?

Start out by laying out a plan that works for the company. Hiring a consultant that can work with the team will save time and money by reducing the overall learning curve to add these new practices. Find the right tools to streamline as much of the process as possible. Get training, start with high level targeted for the individual for the team, “a lot can be learned from free recourses.” Identify and address questions the company should be asking itself to include proper accessibility related practices. Identify the processes and practices at each phase within the Software Development Life Cycle that makes sense for your company, later in the article we summarize what should be focused on for the digital inclusion.

A Few Questions the company needs to ask itself:

1. Will the company hire internal resources or outsource accessibility testing?
2. What type of platform does the company need to track related information?
3. Who will lead this initiative?

These are just a few high-level questions. Working with a consultant will help flush details related to your company.

Here are some best practices for including digital inclusion in SDLC:

Planning

Engage with a diverse group of stakeholders, including people with disabilities, to understand their needs and challenges. Familiarize yourself with and incorporate accessibility standards such as WCAG and Section 508. Create user personas that represent people with varying abilities, literacy levels, and access to technology.

Design

Apply inclusive design principles to accommodate a wide range of users. Ensure accessibility by making design elements like color contrast, font size, and navigation easy to use. Conduct UX testing with users from diverse backgrounds and abilities to identify and address potential barriers. 90% of accessibility testing can be accomplished with scanning tools.

Development

Use semantic HTML to enhance web content accessibility and implement ARIA attributes for dynamic content. Ensure all functionality is accessible via keyboard navigation, and manage DOM manipulation to maintain natural content flow and focus. Additionally, design responsively to accommodate various devices and screen sizes, catering to different user technologies. Best to include computer scanning test, and high level manual test when the developer is doing normal UI testing.

Quality Assurance Testing

Implement automated tools to identify common accessibility issues and conduct manual testing, including screen reader testing, keyboard navigation, and color contrast checks. Test comprehensively, covering both new and related features to avoid introducing new issues. Provide detailed information to developers to facilitate easier issue resolution and improve the team's digital inclusion practices. Involve users with disabilities and diverse backgrounds in the testing process to obtain direct feedback on accessibility and usability.

By integrating these best practices into each phase of the SDLC, you can create software that is more inclusive and accessible to a broader audience, ultimately enhancing the user experience and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

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