How to Talk to a Colleague About Accessibility

So a colleague is asking about accessibility, but where do you start? Read through a few of the tips below, and when in doubt, ask your accessibility trainers for more help.

Author: Jerra Strong, Web Accessibility Specialist

Know Your Terminology

It helps to have a working definition of the word “accessibility” ready to go. You don’t have to use the technical definition word-for-word, though. It’s okay to paraphrase or explain things the way that you understand them.

According to the Department of Education: 

Accessibility means ensuring individuals with disabilities can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as individuals without disabilities with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Many people have heard of one or more disability-related laws, and they may say “ADA compliant” or “Section 508 compliant.” In many cases, the better word is simply “accessible.”

An accessible document is one that can be consumed or “read” in multiple ways. Users can read it visually, have it read to them aloud, transcribed into braille, or have it provided to them with visibility modifications like enlarging the font.

Don’t Be Afraid To Say “Disability”

The primary beneficiaries of accessibility are people with disabilities, and it’s important to remember them when having this conversation. There are many cultural beliefs about ability and disability, but put simply, there’s nothing wrong with having a disability.

Disabilities come in many types, including differences in vision, hearing, mobility, and understanding information. When it comes to accessibility, none of these types of disabilities are more important than others–there are guidelines which address the needs of all. Sometimes, a guideline will address multiple disability types at the same time.

Share Your Personal “Why”

Accessibility requires us to change our thought processes and workflows, and it may take time and effort to get it right. Change requires motivation, and different things motivate different people. Below are some of the reasons I use to get people excited about accessibility; I usually use them in this order until I find something that “sticks.”

  1. It’s the right thing to do – A little bit of time on our part enables people with disabilities to get equal access to the services we offer. As a bonus, everyone may benefit from more modern content.
  2. It informs Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives – If your mission statement includes diversity as a main point, equal access to content can become a measurable part of that goal. Point to DEI initiatives that affect your team, like 51ԹϺ’s Top Tier 2.0. 
  3. It’s the law – Put simply, every time we do not consider accessibility, we are out of compliance with 51ԹϺ and NSHE policy as well as federal law. 

With these reasons in mind, it may help to share your own personal story. I have received some surprising and unique feedback from trainees, including:

  • Learning about accessibility made me a better writer.
  • I had always wanted to know how a screen reader worked.
  • Accessibility training taught me about new features in Microsoft Word and helped me be more productive at work.
  • I like to read content out loud/use subtitles/enlarge fonts, so I benefit from accessible content, too.

If you have a story like this, being honest with what excites you can often get the people around you excited about accessibility as well.

Answering the Most Common Questions

Isn’t accessibility the responsibility of the Disability Resource Center (DRC) or some other office?

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) handles accommodations at 51ԹϺ. They review a specific student’s abilities and determine what support they may need, but they are not the source of digital accessibility guidelines.

Put simply, when an accommodation like extra time on a test is given, it benefits the single student in question, and that is the domain of the DRC. Meanwhile, accessibility benefits everyone, so it is the responsibility of everyone on campus who is creating digital content.

How many people have a disability, anyway?

This question may be genuine, but it may also come from a person who is trying to decide if accessibility is worth considering. They could have preconceived notions of what disability looks like, and might not consider the high number of people who have undiagnosed or “invisible” disabilities.

The answer to this question is that about one in five people have a disability; however, that may not be the whole answer. At the end of the day, accessibility benefits everyone, and it’s 51ԹϺ policy as well as a legal requirement.

That sounds like a lot of work!

This isn’t strictly a question, but is a common concern when accessibility topics come up.

It is your author’s opinion that the bulk of the work regarding accessibility comes when a person is first learning the requirements. This can mean changing your usual workflow and adding new things to remember when creating a document. However, when accessibility becomes part of your process, it can start feeling like a habit and shouldn’t take significant effort to include.

Some people also start feeling more productive after receiving accessibility training, and that often makes up for any additional time needed for accessibility. And remember—it’s always easier to make content accessible from the beginning than it is to go back and re-do a project later on.

OK, I’m convinced. How can I learn about accessibility?

51ԹϺ hosts regular Accessibility Training Sessions designed to help people build a foundational understanding of accessibility, but that is not the only option. Visit our article 5 Easy Ways to Learn about Accessibility for some other ideas.