Accessibility Awareness: From Talk to Action?

The Pandemic's Impact on Digital Accessibility

Over the course of nearly two years, individuals globally underwent substantial shifts in their interactions with their surroundings. These circumstances necessitated alterations in everyday routines for many.

Regrettably, certain of these modifications rendered commonplace tasks considerably more challenging for those who rely on accessibility features or require accommodations.

Increased Online Activity

Data from a Harris Poll indicates that over 50% of adults in the United States augmented their online engagement as a direct result of the pandemic.

This figure rises to 60% when considering individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility Challenges Remain

Despite the surge in online activities, successful completion of tasks isn't guaranteed for all users. Therefore, it's crucial to examine the crisis's effect on accessibility.

Are businesses and organizations now recognizing the vital importance of inclusive digital design?

The pandemic accelerated the shift to online platforms.
This transition highlighted existing accessibility gaps.
A significant portion of the disabled population increased their reliance on digital tools.

Understanding the challenges faced by users with disabilities is paramount to creating a truly inclusive digital experience. Continued focus on digital accessibility is essential.

Growing Recognition of Accessibility

Have you noticed an increased focus on accessibility and the needs of individuals with disabilities in recent times? Major technology companies are increasingly incorporating representations of people with disabilities and their assistive technologies into their advertising campaigns.

Apple pioneered this trend with its initial television commercials broadcast during prime-time programming. Microsoft subsequently followed suit, debuting an advertisement during a highly-watched sporting event. Google showcased a commercial featuring a man with hearing impairment experiencing his first phone call with his son, facilitated by the Live Caption feature on a Pixel device. Amazon also presented an advertisement highlighting Brendan, a deaf employee.

The heightened visibility suggests a growing awareness of accessibility concerns. In May, coinciding with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple, Google, and Microsoft unveiled numerous updates and resources designed to enhance accessibility across their respective product lines. Furthermore, DAGERSystem launched its Accessible Games Database, a valuable resource for gamers.

This database allows users to search for games based on platform and filter results according to specific accessibility needs, including auditory, visual, colorblindness, and fine motor skill requirements. While it is positive that technology firms are discussing and promoting accessibility, and even allocating marketing funds to it, a distinction must be made between rhetoric and tangible results.

Simply discussing accessibility does not equate to achieving it on a website; concrete action is essential. A recent study conducted by Forrester revealed that 80% of companies are currently engaged in efforts to improve digital accessibility. However, the crucial question remains: is this effort translating into genuine improvements in usability for all users?

Are websites becoming demonstrably more accessible, removing barriers for individuals with disabilities? The commitment to accessibility must extend beyond marketing and into practical implementation.

Has Increased Internet Adoption Led to Greater Accessibility?

The 2021 State of Accessibility Report (SOAR) investigated whether the growing prevalence of internet use has correlated with improved digital accessibility. SOAR serves as an assessment of accessibility practices across diverse companies and sectors, identifying areas of progress and those requiring further attention.

Traditionally, the report’s accessibility metrics are derived from analyzing the top 100 websites as ranked by Alexa. This approach prioritizes evaluating the most widely used digital products, operating on the principle that improvements at this level will cascade throughout the wider digital landscape.

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, is demonstrably applicable in this context. Approximately 80% of internet traffic is generated by the top 20% of digital products.

Notably, the Alexa top 100 list featured 31 new websites in 2021 that had not been included in either the 2019 or 2020 rankings. Furthermore, only 60% of the websites present on the 2019 Alexa 100 list remained on the 2021 list.

These shifts, when considered alongside the changes in online behavior during the pandemic, reveal a clear trend. The most popular websites increasingly featured productivity applications – including file transfer and collaboration tools – alongside delivery services and communication platforms like Zoom and Slack.

Concerning video platforms, the pandemic demonstrably impacted their accessibility, particularly regarding the provision of closed captions. Prior to April 2020, automatic captions were only natively available on Skype, though the quality of those captions was often suboptimal.

Google Meet integrated captioning by May 2020. Zoom concurrently initiated beta testing of automatic captions, initially restricting access to paid subscribers. Following a public petition, Zoom extended caption availability to free accounts, a change that took approximately eight months to implement.

In June, Microsoft Teams’ iOS application enabled caption-supported usage for individuals not registered on the Teams network, offered at no cost. However, true accessibility for video platforms extends beyond captions. They must also be navigable without reliance on a mouse, and crucially, offer transcripts. Transcripts, rather than captions, are compatible with screen readers and refreshable Braille displays.

The following are the primary findings from the testing of the Alexa top 100 websites:

62% of the tested websites demonstrated accessibility for screen readers, a significant increase from 40% in 2020.
All evaluated pages successfully implemented the valid document “lang” attribute.
A mere 11% of tested websites exhibited errors related to input field labels.
The most frequently encountered error involved the improper application of ARIA attributes.
Color contrast issues represented the second most common accessibility error.

In essence, screen reader testing of the Alexa top 100 websites revealed substantial improvements compared to the results from 2019 and 2020.

Turning to mobile applications, research indicates that 88% of the four hours individuals spend on the mobile internet is dedicated to using mobile apps. Acknowledging this high level of app usage and the accessibility community’s focus on app accessibility, SOAR included mobile app testing for the first time.

The mobile analysis encompassed the top 20 free and paid applications for both iOS and Android operating systems. A surprising outcome was the significantly higher accessibility of free applications compared to their paid counterparts.

When assessing the accessibility of core features, 80% of iOS and 65% of Android free apps passed the tests. Conversely, only 10% of iOS and 40% of Android paid apps’ main features met accessibility standards.

This disparity can be attributed to the larger user base of free apps, as Statista data shows over 93% of users utilize free apps on both Android and iOS devices. A larger consumer base increases the likelihood of accessibility feedback and requests. Furthermore, many free apps are developed by large technology companies that prioritize accessibility initiatives.

The Path Forward in Digital Accessibility

Advancements in digital accessibility are encouraging, yet sustained commitment from organizations is crucial. A highly effective strategy involves securing comprehensive support for accessibility initiatives from leadership, integrating it directly into the company’s core values.

Establishing a culture that prioritizes accessibility isn't a rapid transformation; it’s a process that unfolds over time. Consistent, incremental improvements are vital. The most important aspect is initiating the process, regardless of how modest the initial actions may seem.

This requires consistent practice until accessibility becomes intuitive. Progress is made by tackling one challenge at a time. Data from SOAR 2021 indicates that many organizations are proficient in implementing alternative text and utilizing proper headings. However, challenges remain regarding color contrast and ARIA implementation, potentially representing the next area of focus.

Developing truly accessible products necessitates the inclusion of individuals with disabilities throughout the entire development lifecycle. This involvement should begin even before the creation of a minimum viable product. Furthermore, employing people with disabilities ensures ongoing access to specialized expertise.

A significant contributor to existing accessibility gaps is insufficient education and training. Training programs must extend beyond the product development team to encompass all employees. An accessible website created by developers can be compromised if marketing teams post uncaptioned videos, designers use low-contrast visuals, or sales personnel distribute inaccessible PDF documents.

Ultimately, accessibility is a shared responsibility across the entire organization.