Championing Accessibility Amidst Pushback: Strategies for Advocacy
In the evolving landscape of digital product design, accessibility remains a cornerstone of inclusive and responsible development. Yet, championing accessibility often requires facing pushback from various quarters—be it due to budget constraints, tight timelines, or a lack of understanding about its importance. As advocates for accessibility, we must stand firm, educate, and demonstrate the undeniable value of accessible design. Here's a guide on how to navigate pushback in the workplace and steadfastly advocate for accessibility.
Understanding the Sources of Pushback
Pushback against prioritizing accessibility can come from multiple directions, each with its underlying reasons:
From Management: Concerns often revolve around the perceived cost and time investment. There's a misconception that making products accessible is a 'nice-to-have' that doesn't directly contribute to the bottom line.
From Product Teams: Resistance might stem from tight deadlines and the pressure to launch features rapidly, viewing accessibility as a secondary or post-launch concern.
From Engineering: The pushback may be due to the complexity of retrofitting existing products with accessibility features or a lack of knowledge about how to implement them effectively.
Advocating for Accessibility
Educate with Empathy
Begin by educating stakeholders about what accessibility means and why it matters. Use empathy-driven approaches, such as persona exercises or simulations of user experiences with disabilities, to foster understanding. Highlighting the global and legal implications of ignoring accessibility can also underscore its importance.
Demonstrate Business Value
Quantify accessibility benefits, including broader market reach, improved SEO, and the potential to reduce legal risks—present case studies where prioritizing accessibility led to positive outcomes, such as increased user satisfaction and engagement.
Leverage Success Stories
Share stories of successful accessibility implementations, especially those within your industry. Showcasing how competitors or industry leaders have benefited from accessible design can motivate stakeholders to embrace similar strategies.
Integrate Accessibility from the Start
Advocate for incorporating accessibility considerations into the product lifecycle from the outset. Emphasize that building accessibility into the design and development processes is more cost-effective than retrofitting it later.
Propose Incremental Implementation
When resistance is due to budget or time constraints, propose an incremental approach to implementing accessibility features. Prioritize changes based on impact and feasibility, showing a clear plan for gradual improvement.
Handling Specific Pushback Scenarios
Scenario 1: Management argues that accessibility is too costly.
Response: Present research showing the long-term savings of accessible design, such as reduced maintenance costs, lower risk of legal complications, and the untapped market of users with disabilities.
Scenario 2: A product manager believes accessibility could delay the launch.
Response: Highlight tools and frameworks that streamline accessibility testing and suggest incorporating accessibility milestones into the existing timeline to minimize impact.
Scenario 3: Engineers are unsure how to implement accessibility features.
Response: Offer resources and training on accessible development practices. Propose starting with 'quick wins' that are easy to implement and significantly impact usability.
Championing accessibility amidst pushback is a challenge that requires patience, persistence, and a strategic approach. By educating, demonstrating value, and proposing practical solutions, advocates can gradually shift perspectives and foster an environment where accessibility is recognized as a fundamental aspect of product development. The goal is to move beyond seeing accessibility as an optional add-on to viewing it as an integral part of creating inclusive, user-friendly digital products.