On Demand: Digital Accessibility Services for Enterprises

Most businesses see accessibility as a compliance checklist.

But what if I told you that doing the bare minimum is actually costing you business?

A recent survey revealed that 60% of consumers abandoned purchases due to accessibility and inclusivity issues.

Hi, I'm Mark, Head of design at AKQA Leap, and excited to guide you through today's session on accessibility and inclusive design.

A quick introduction to AKQA Leap.

We're a digital product studio with over a decade of experience designing, developing and launching high quality digital experiences.

All for brands like Google, Spotify and Vodafone.

Our purpose is to build products that scale, deliver impact, and last, and our philosophy is a simple one.

Quality is the fastest path to success.

For today's talk, we're going to open our minds beyond accessibility standards.

Accessibility is important, but it often leads to technical compliance rather than true human centred thinking.

We'll discuss why accessibility often fails, how inclusive design can help us think bigger, and practical ways to create better experiences for everyone.

Let’s jump in.

So this is the first challenge I'll make in this talk.

Is accessibility alone enough?

So what do we mean by accessibility?

Simply put, accessibility means ensuring that digital products work for people with disabilities.

And when done well, it actually improves usability for all users, not just those with disabilities.

However, many businesses focus only on the need for meeting compliance.

Ticking the compliance checklist without truly considering how users experience their products.

This often leads to technically accessible but still frustrating digital experiences for their users.

When we're designing only for accessibility, we are purely focused on the range of disabilities that impact how people interact with digital content.

And those 4 areas are typically seen as visual disabilities, so users with blindness or low vision who rely on screen readers.

Auditory disabilities, so the deaf and hard of hearing users who may need captions and transcripts.

Cognitive disabilities.

So those with neurodiverse conditions that may benefit from clearer layouts, simpler interactions, and predictable navigation.

And motor disabilities people who may rely on keyboard navigation or voice controls instead of a mouse.

So that's 4 dimensions to be considered just for accessibility.

And we'll jump back to this slide later in the talk, but I'll show it here as an early indication for how accessibility alone is not enough.

And that we may have other dimensions to consider when truly designing for people.

But let's continue with accessibility for now, and those 4 dimensions of disability to keep our focus.

Many digital products do unintentionally exclude these users, often in ways that aren't immediately obvious.

And those experiences lead to higher drop off rates due to human feelings of confusion and frustration.

Issues such as poor contrast that makes text unreadable, you know, Apple jumps the mind, their visual aesthetic often leads to grey text on grey backgrounds, making it difficult for users with low vision or colour blindness to read.

And overly complex layouts like forms that require too much data input, that creates cognitive overload.

You know, Healthcare.gov for example, they had a website that required over 70 steps to apply for insurance, which overwhelmed their users.

Especially those with cognitive disabilities or even limited tech literacy, leading to higher drop off rates due to human confusion and human frustration.

And on the business side of things, you could get sued.

A few years back, Domino's and their website, it lacked captions for videos and alternative text for images, making it inaccessible for blind and deaf users.

And the impact there was that a blind user sued Domino's arguing that they couldn't independently order food.

And similarly, Target.com's website couldn't be navigated using a keyboard or a screen reader, blocking the blinds and blocking mobility impaired users from being able to make purchases.

And the lawsuit resulted in Target having to pay $6 million in damages for failing to meet accessibility standards.

So yes, accessibility alone is important.

It matters, we should 100% be doing it.

1 in 6 of us live with disability, that's over 1 billion people worldwide.

But accessibility isn't just about people with permanent disabilities.

It benefits everyone at some point.

Think of captions helping people in loud environments or high contrast improving visibility in bright sunlight.

Accessibility expands our audience reach.

When digital products are accessible, they aren't just usable for more people, they perform better for all people.

Features like voice commands, zoom functions, and clear navigation improve UX for everyone.

And as we were just saying, from a business perspective, there are legal and financial risks.

Companies that ignore accessibility can face lawsuits.

And thankfully, we have the web content accessibility guidelines that help form direction to build better products and mitigate some of these risks.

Unfortunately, many businesses see these guidelines as a checklist.

Rather than a guide to create truly accessible experiences.

And as a result, they create technically accessible products that still fail real users.

For example, Automated captions may meet the guidelines, but miss context, making content confusing.

Keyboard navigation may exist but still be very frustrating to use.

Websites may well pass colour contrast checks, but are still difficult to read.

An alternative text may technically exist on images, but often being generic or unhelpful, such as image or logo, rather than describing the content meaningfully for the visually impaired users.

These issues highlight the important truth.

Compliance alone does not create an inclusive experience and is why accessibility alone isn't enough.

Let's take a moment to recognise some of the biggest pitfalls when it comes to accessibility.

So pitfall one, bare minimum compliance.

We just talk through how many businesses focus on checklists, but compliance alone doesn't equal usability.

Pitfall 2, relying solely on automation.

Automated accessibility tools are useful for flagging technical issues.

But they can't replace real user testing.

A website may pass an automated accessibility scan, but still be very frustrating or even impossible to use in practice.

And Pitfall 3 Excluding diverse users from research.

One of the biggest failures is assuming we understand users without actually involving them in the design process.

If you're not testing with people from different backgrounds and abilities, you're making assumptions that could lead to exclusion.

The good news: Every one of these pitfalls has a solution, which is where inclusive design comes in.

So let's look at how we can go beyond compliance checklists and create truly human centred products.

Inclusive design goes beyond accessibility checklists.

Instead of just fixing barriers, it proactively considers diversity from the start.

The goal is to create products that work for the widest range of users, not just meeting legal requirements, but delivering better experiences for all.

It's the practice of creating products that work for everyone.

It's a methodology for bringing the full range of human diversity into focus throughout the entirety of the product life cycle, so that everyone can access and have a positive experience with the products and services we create.

It is sometimes confused with accessibility and sometimes their boundaries can feel blurry, but while it overlaps with accessibility, it's very different from it.

Accessibility is one small component of inclusive design.

Remember those 4 accessibility dimensions from earlier.

They're a small piece of the landscape.

While accessibility is broadly focused on people with disabilities.

Inclusive design considers a wider set of identity dimensions.

Google for example, recognises these 13 dimensions, such as race, gender, and geography.

Inclusive design is about ensuring products meet the needs of a diverse user base.

To do this at AKQA Leap, we follow 3 key principles.

Number one, embed inclusive research and co-creation into the design process.

You know, we're not our users.

To create the right solutions, we need real insights from those who will be using our products.

Number 2, partner with subject matter experts, collaborating with those who serve the communities that we are designing for.

And number 3, user-led feature prioritisation.

So listening to real users and making design decisions based on their needs.

To show you how we've been doing this at AKQA Leap, I'll talk you through a product called Zoteria, which we created with the Vodafone Foundation.

Vodafone came to us with a clear problem.

The high volume of hate crime against the LGBTQ community versus the low rate of reporting.

Research showed that 68% of the community had experienced hate crime, but only 20 to 25% had actually reported it.

So they wanted to create an app that empowered the community to come together and take action.

So I'll be using this as an example to frame those 3 key principles.

Number one, inclusive research and co-creation.

A core element of inclusive design is conducting research with diverse users to ensure the product serves them well.

In this case, we needed to talk to members of the LGBTQ community and ensure our participants were representative.

So we spoke with 8 individuals in early research and conducted unmoderated testing with 31 participants for validation midway through the project.

We ensured diversity in gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability.

The research was critical, not only in defining features, but also in creating a safe and respectful user experience.

Moving on to the next principle, learning from the community was critical, but so was partnering with organisations that truly understood them.

For Zoteria, while working with the Vodafone Foundation, we partnered with Stonewall and Gallop, trusted charities who support anti-abuse for the community.

This was essential for two reasons.

The experts knew the community's needs and provided insights that guided our design choices.

But they were also the final line of reporting.

Users could choose to be contacted for extra support by trusted organisations rather than traditional authorities that they may not trust.

For example, users consistently told us that they did not want to report hate crimes to the police due to a lack of trust.

Instead, we ensured that Zoteria reports went to the community advocacy organisations who could offer direct support while also gathering anonymized data for policy change.

Our 3rd principle is prioritising features based on user insights.

It's not just about talking to users, it's about truly listening to them.

During our research, users told us they didn't want an app that was just about reporting hate crimes.

To them that felt like a sad app, something they'd associate with trauma.

Instead, they wanted a space that balanced safety with joy, fostering community through events and support networks.

Another major insight was safety.

Some users felt uncomfortable having an LGBTQ app visible on their phone.

Fearing that family members, co-workers, or even strangers could see him.

To address this, we developed discrete mode, a feature that transforms Zoteria into what looks like a generic daily quote, hiding its real purpose unless accessed through a hidden interaction.

This was an unconventional design choice, but it was very critical for keeping users safe.

Earlier we talked about some of the most common accessibility pitfalls.

Things like bare minimum compliance, over-reliance and automation, and failing to include diverse users in research.

So a high level: How can inclusive design principles solve these issues?

So number one, Instead of just designing and building to meet compliance, we should be designing and testing with real users.

For example, testing images with screen reader users to ensure the descriptions we've added are meaningful and informative.

Number 2, Instead of relying solely on automated tests, we should add in user testing.

Automated tools flag technical issues but can't tell you if the experience actually works for users.

So combining automation with manual audits and real user feedback, it ensures that accessibility is functional, not just technically correct.

And at number 3, being inclusive with research and testing.

Many products fail because they exclude real users from diverse backgrounds during testing.

And testing with people who have disabilities, different cultural perspectives, and varying levels of tech experience ensures that digital products work for everyone, not just the majority.

So by embedding these steps into your design process, accessibility becomes truly usable, not just technically compliant.

So while we should 100% be doing accessibility, it's doing it in combination with inclusive design that really matters.

We've seen that accessibility is critical, but it's just the starting point.

To create truly inclusive digital experiences, we need to go beyond compliance and consider inclusive design.

Accessibility removes barriers for disabled users, but inclusive design ensures products work for everyone from the start.

It's proactive, not reactive.

Inclusive design also considers cultural differences, gender identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and diverse lived experiences, ensuring a more equitable experience for users worldwide.

Companies that prioritise inclusivity see increased engagement, retention and brand loyalty.

When users feel seen and represented, they stay.

Ultimately, accessibility is the foundation, but inclusive design is the goal.

And when done right, it leads to better digital experiences for everyone.

So, what would it take to start embedding inclusive design into your culture?

Here are some practical steps to help shift into true design inclusivity.

First, we need clear internal guidelines and frameworks.

Inclusivity should be an integral part of design and development, not an afterthought.

Establishing a company wide inclusive design playbook helps align accessibility, ethics and user centred thinking.

And having accessibility champions within your teams ensures that inclusivity remains a priority throughout every stage of a project.

The guidelines alone aren't enough.

We need to train and empower our teams.

Inclusive design isn't just for designers, product managers, developers and researchers all play a role too.

And running bias awareness workshops helps teams recognise and mitigate exclusionary design choices.

And providing hands on accessibility testing exercises ensures that inclusivity becomes a natural part of daily workflows.

Next, we must build inclusivity into research, testing and iteration.

This means going beyond standard usability testing and actively engaging with diverse users throughout the design process.

Co-designed sessions with underrepresented communities help uncover insights that might otherwise be missed.

And establishing continuous feedback loops ensures that real world users' needs are reflected in every design update.

To truly succeed, inclusivity needs to be part of the company culture.

It should be a business wide commitment, not just a compliance requirement.

And encouraging cross-functional collaboration helps ensures inclusivity is considered from concept to launch.

And setting clear performance indicators to track impact helps teams stay accountable for long-term inclusivity goals.

And finally, we need to measure success and track impact.

Metrics like usability scores, engagement rates from diverse audiences, and user satisfaction surveys help quantify inclusivity efforts.

And real world case studies and feedback loops can be used to drive improvements and secure leadership buy-in.

By sharing data driven insights, teams can highlight the long-term value of inclusive design.

And the key takeaway, inclusive design isn't about meeting a legal standard, it's about creating better, more meaningful experiences for all users.

And the best way to start is by making small, intentional changes today.

And before we wrap up, let's explore some practical tools and resources that can help bring inclusive design into your daily work.

First, there are accessibility tools that help teams identify and remove barriers in their products.

There are screen readers, contrast checkers and keyboard navigation tools that allow designers and developers to experience their product from the perspective of different users.

There are also frameworks that offer structured approaches to inclusive design.

There's Microsoft's inclusive design toolkit and Google's product inclusion and equity framework, and both of those provide best practices for integrating inclusivity into your design processes.

User testing is also essential.

There are platforms like Fable and Access Works, and they connect businesses with diverse testers, ensuring that real world feedback from people with disabilities or underrepresented communities can be brought into your products.

And if you're looking for deeper learning, here are 3 books our team at AKQA Leap finds incredibly valuable.

There's Building for Everyone written by the head of products and inclusion at Google, and this book shares practical insights into embedding product inclusion within organisations.

There's also Mismatch by Kat Holmes, former leader of inclusive design at Microsoft, and this book explores how poor design creates mismatches that exclude users and how to fix them.

And the third book there is Invisible Women, which provides a deep dive into how biassed data and research have systematically excluded women from design decisions, serving as a good case study for broader inclusion challenges.

So yeah, by leveraging these tools, frameworks and resources, teams can move beyond compliance and towards truly inclusive human centred digital experience.

And that's today's session.

Throughout this session, we've explored accessibility and we've explored inclusive design.

Not just as compliance measures, but as opportunities to create better, more human centred products.

We've seen how accessibility often falls short when treated as a checklist.

We've also explored how inclusive design shifts our mindset from just removing barriers to designing with real people in mind.

And here's the key takeaway.

Small intentional changes lead to meaningful impact.

Whether it's testing with diverse users or prioritising inclusivity in research, every step makes a difference.

Inclusive design isn't a one time fix, it's a practice, a commitment, and it starts with each of us making better, more thoughtful choices.

So I challenge you today.

What's one thing you can do to make your product more inclusive?

Let's work together to build digital experiences that truly serve everyone.

If you'd like to continue this conversation, feel free to reach out to me, you can find me on LinkedIn or on email.

Thank you and I hope you've enjoyed today's talk.

Kyle Koch:

Alright. Well, Hello, everyone! My name is Kyle Koch, and thrilled to be here with you today. I am a sales manager here at Acquia. And I started working in digital accessibility back in 2018.

Since then I have helped and worked with hundreds of organizations to help them achieve and maintain accessibility on their websites, have a very important discussion ahead about the evolving regulatory landscape for digital accessibility and what organizations need to do in order to stay compliant. So before we dive in quick note about Acquia, we were founded in 2,007 and built around the world's largest open source Cms, which is the drupal platform. Many of you may be aware, or even use drupal today. And fast forward to 2024. We are now a leader in the digital experience space. And we work with more than 25% of the fortune 100.

We, you know, empower organizations to create exceptional digital experiences in general, but we also empower them to create exceptional accessible digital experiences. So through our optimized web governance platform we help businesses and public entities align with regulatory compliance. Excuse me, regulatory requirements improve usability and drive inclusivity.

So just to jump into a quick agenda. Here's what we're going to be covering today, I'll start out with a brief introduction to digital accessibility. We'll talk about why accessibility is so critical and important. We'll dive into kind of the current regulations and then do a deeper dive into 2 of the major regulations. And that's going to be the European Accessibility Act and the Us. Department of Justice's final rule on Title 2.

We'll talk about, you know, just an overview of what these you know. Regulations are. Who they impact. What happens if you don't comply and kind of what the implications are, if you don't comply and then we'll wrap up with some key resources and ways to get started as far as helping you navigate accessibility and compliance.

So just a quick intro to digital accessibility in general digital accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can use websites. They can use web apps, any digital tool really without any type of barrier. And so this includes individuals with visual auditory motor and cognitive impairments and accessible design isn't solely focused around or solely about compliance. It's about inclusivity and good user experience and good design for everybody. And so one of the great things about accessibility is that when you create a more accessible or fully accessible digital experience, or a website, for example, right? You're also helping out folks that don't necessarily have any type of disability. It's not like you need to pick one or the other. Oftentimes I feel like folks that are newer to the topic, thinks that they need to make sacrifices when it comes to accessibility, and it's simply not the case.

Good accessibility. It's good design at the end of the day, so you can be confident and sure that you don't need to make any sacrifice in that regard. And so you know, kind of going over the brief introduction here, you might be thinking, okay, got it. You know, we understand digital accessibility. How exactly does this all work as far as my website is concerned.And so to help paint the picture, I like to bring up the concept of physical accessibility, which we're all, you know, very familiar with, and specifically some familiar examples within physical accessibility.

So you know, we have wheelchairs. We have wheelchair ramps right? There's a special perking or different parking spaces that are closer to the front entrance of a building or an organization or a restaurant right? There's additional railings and bathroom stalls, and so on, and so forth, and again, all things that we're very, very familiar with, and we see every single day, and I'll just use the example of wheelchair to help paint the picture of how digital accessibility works. Kind of what the difference is between these things that we're very familiar with with  physical world and the you know, digital side of the the conversation here, or the topic here.

And so when we think about a wheelchair. A wheelchair is a piece of assistive technology, right? It's a tool used by somebody to complete a task.

When they have some type of disability, you know, in the case of a wheelchair, if you're not able to use your legs, you need that wheelchair to get around, and in the case of a wheelchair ramp, or when we're looking at a wheelchair ramp.

That ramp is an accessible feature that is built in order to allow the person using the wheelchair to get up or down, you know a set of stairs right to go up or down a level essentially right? So the wheelchair again is the piece of assistive technology. The wheelchair ramp is what makes that accessible to folks that need to navigate up and down right? And so with digital accessibility. It works the same exact way. And I won't use the example of a wheelchair. But we'll use the example now of somebody with a significant visual impairment or a blind individual. As an example, they are also going to use assistive technology specifically, as it relates to, you know, computers and and just the website in general.

They're going to use special assistive technology. And they're actually gonna use. Or that piece of technology, I should say, is called a screen reader and a screen reader helps them navigate their laptop their desktop computer, but it also helps them navigate the web.

And so, in order for their screener reader, which, again, is their piece of assistive technology to work the code or the back end of your website needs to be built with digital wheelchair ramps. Basically, right? So again, going back to the wheelchair example, get the wheelchair. That's the piece of assistive technology. Same thing. We have the screen reader here right in order for that screen, reader, to work with the website.

You gotta have those wheelchair ramps in place. And without these digital wheelchair ramps screen. Reader can't navigate on a page, can't go up and down. It can't follow the customer checkout flow as an example. Right? It can't go from viewing products to going to the shopping part to then checking out right? It can't read back information or provide descriptions of images. Just as another example to these visually impaired individuals that use the assistive technology and use the screen reader specifically, right? So again, need to build out these digital wheelchair ramps for these folks that use assistive technology. And that's just one example.

There are all types of disabilities and all types of assistive technology. Now, why is accessibility so important.

And I think it really comes down to 3 key reasons why this should be a priority for your organization. And the 1st has to do with compliance. Governments worldwide are enforcing stricter regulations, organizations that fail to meet accessibility. Requirements could face legal consequences, and these can include food fines, lawsuits, loss of contracts just to name a few examples, and so ensuring compliance with regulations such as the European Union, or Sorry, the European Accessibility Act and the Us. Department of Justice. Final rule and title tool, too, is essential for avoiding and mitigating this type of risk. 

The second reason why this is so important has to do with business growth. Creating accessible digital experiences, broadens your potential audience and it can broaden it by as much as 20%. In certain casesthere are millions and millions of individuals with disabilities here in the Us. And globally as well. And I think here in the Us. The numbers around 20 to 25% of people that self identify as having some type of disability. And I think globally, the World Health Organization puts it in the 15 to 18 percentage range. I think maybe 16 or 17, to be exact.

So tons of people can. Now, you know, work with you and work with your organization, purchase your products, whatever the case may be. If you create accessible digital experiences, then, and the good thing about accessibility, like I was saying early on in the presentation is that accessible websites and digital experiences also enhance the usability for everyone. So it's, you know, it impacts all users. It doesn't just make things better for folks with disabilities. And so in general, it's gonna lead to improved customer satisfaction, retention and overall engagement.

Another thing on the business growth side has to do with search engine rankings, accessible websites. At the end of the day they perform better in search engine rankings, and so you know, if you are making your website accessible or increasing the accessibility. You're also increasing the overall SEO performance, and that is ultimately going to provide your brand with more visibility at the end of the day. So addressing accessibility is a win win, no matter how you look at it. As far as business growth and driving more revenue is concerned.

Lastly. accessibility is important because it's the right thing to do, and a lot of times we get caught up in this whole, you know, risk, mitigation, conversation and compliance conversation. Those are definitely important things, right? There's no need to beat around the bush there. Normally. organizations are addressing this topic because it is a compliance kind of checkbox or compliance concern. That they're they're dealing with. But at the end of the day it's the right thing to do. Inclusivity in general is more than just a legal requirement. It's a moral and ethical commitment and providing accessible digital experiences, aligns with corporate social responsibility initiatives and demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, so organizations that prioritize accessibility, they foster goodwill. They build trust with the customers, and they contribute to a more inclusive digital world in general. 

Now. talking a little bit about or getting into, I should say the current regulations today, governments worldwide recognize digital accessibility as a necessity.

And in recent years we've seen increasing enforcement of accessibility laws. And so today, we'll specifically focus on 2 major developments. The 1st is the European Accessibility Act, or Eaa. For short, the second is the Us. Department of Justice's final rule on Title 2.

So we'll start out with the European accessibility act

All right, quick overview here. What is this? What are we talking about? Who's involved? So on and so forth. So in general, just looking at some of the data around 80 million people in the EU are affected by disability in some degree accessibility is a precondition to ensure their full and equal participation in society. And so the European Accessibility Act. Or, again, EAA aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for accessible products and services by removing barriers created by divergent legislation. So they're trying to kind of standardize, or they are standardizing how accessibility works across the entire European Union. And this is a relatively new concept for them in general. And so this act is a significant step toward ensuring digital accessibility across the entire EU. Like we've mentioned, it establishes consistent accessibility requirements for various products and services. And ultimately it's making digital experiences more inclusive for these individuals that have disabilities.

The act aims to remove barriers that prevent full participation in society, and ensure equal access to essential services. And probably the most important thing to note here is that compliance is required by June 28th of this year, 2025.

This has been around for several years.

But businesses are now running out of time to ensure they're meeting this deadline. Right? We only have a matter of months before compliance is due, basically for the Eaa.

So you might be thinking to yourself or wondering, Kyle, we are. Our organization is a Us. Entity. Why are we talking about the European Accessibility Act? Well, the Ea applies to any business that sells products or offers digital services within the EU, regardless of their country of origin.

So if you do business in the EU, you need to comply with these accessibility standards, and

if you don't comply, enforcement ultimately varies by country. But organizations that fail to meet requirements may face fines. They may face lawsuits, or potentially the loss of government contracts.

And specifically, I think, the one that you know most people are are concerned with are these fines.

So when we look at the Ea fines can cost your business anywhere from 5 to $20,000 per violation. The actual fine depends on several factors, such as the severity of the breach in the type and size of the organization, for example, really small organizations, you know, if you have, I think it's less than 10 employees, less than 10 employees and do less than 2 million a year in annual revenue. You don't need to comply with this, but as the organization gets larger and the number of employees get larger, the fines get bigger essentially.

And also, if noncompliance is ongoing, penalties can accrue on a daily schedule where fines can be as high as a thousand dollars per day. So it's very, very important that you get going on this right away in the example, or, you know, just to kind of give you an example of like the daily penalty. If you incurred daily penalty of $500. For example, on July first, st you're going to pay 15,000 in penalties by the end of the month. Right? So these things just keep on growing can get out of hand very quickly, and you know, imposing daily fines is a tactic at the end of the day by the European Union to help encourage individuals and organizations, and you know any business essentially to remedy accessibility issues quickly. I don't think anyone's doing it here to make a buck. It's just sometimes what needs to be done in order to get folks to to comply with these regulations and such alrighty.

So on to the United States and the Doj's final rule on Title 2. Let's shift our focus over to that one provided A or to provide an overview. Here, in general, the new rule clarifies how the Americans, with Disabilities Act or Ada, applies to state and local government websites and digital services.

It establishes clear accessibility standards based on what's known as the web content accessibility guidelines. And there's different levels and versions of these Wcag guidelines as they're often referred to. And for this standard you all need to meet 2.1 level Aa, if you are, you know, an organization that needs to comply with this and exactly who needs to comply with this? This applies to all state and local government agencies. So this includes a public school and university. It's gonna include any city or county website things like public health portals, state run online services. And so on and so forth. So basically, if you're any type of public entity, or you receive public funding, you need to comply with that Wcag, 2.1 double a standard, and currently compliance is required by April 24th of 2026.

The final rule for this was actually established last year on April 24, th 2024, and the Doj is giving organizations 2 years to meet these compliance requirements. So now is a really great time to get started. You do have some time, but accessibility is not necessarily something that you achieve overnight, something that you need to continually chip away at over time and really integrate into your overall. You know, web development, just content development, just just website process in general. So really great time to get a little bit of a head start on this now getting into the implications. If you don't comply so, things are a little bit different in the Us. Compared to the Eaa.

But there are several implications for noncompliance. You can see several of those listed here. We're not talking about a fine structure, though, so you know, Doj has ultimately the authority to investigate complaints and take legal action against noncompliant public entities, individuals with disabilities or advocacy groups may file lawsuits against noncompliant entities.

And while title 2 doesn't permit monetary damages, so no fines but doesn't permit monetary damages against state and local governments and private lawsuits.

Courts can issue injunctions requiring organizations to make their web content or mobile apps accessible. So they're going to be kind of running the show, telling you how to get this done, which is why it's really important and a good good reason to, you know. Get out ahead of this on your own.

If the Doj initiates legal action. Civil penalties and damages can be imposed, especially in cases of repeat or intentional violations.

Now, noncompliant entities may be required to implement accessibility fixes within a set timeframe and public entities, receiving Federal funding like a public university or a transit agency, just as an example they can risk losing grants or Federal support in general, if they're found in violation of any of these Ada web accessibility requirements.

And lastly, noncompliance can result in negative media attention, public outcry, just general loss of trust from constituents who rely on accessible government services. So very, very important, again, that you get out ahead of this, and you focus on compliance which brings us to our next slide. How do I get started? Right? If you're brand new to this topic it may seem kind of overwhelming. But luckily there's a lot of great resources in place to get started and kind of create a plan as far as accessibility is concerned. So in general, I think there's really 3 main ways that you can take action toward these compliance regulations. And these are things that you can do today. And the 1st is to scan your website. There are a ton of resources available for this, and a scan of your website is going to provide you with a baseline understanding of how accessible or inaccessible your website currently is. And the content currently is so that you can develop an action plan. Accordingly.

I've been doing this for several years now, and I would say, most folks that are getting started with accessibility are about 65 to maybe 75% of the way there. So a lot of people are scoring like a C minus or a D plus and accessibility. It's not terrible. It's not like their websites are just completely failing. But that's normally where they get started. And that's a lot of work to do, you know, to bring that score up to 100

The other thing, or the next thing that you're gonna want to do is to inform and educate executive stakeholders to ensure that they're all aware of these regulations. You gotta start the accessibility conversation internally. I can almost guarantee that a lot of these individuals probably know nothing about it. So it's up to you to educate. Let people know. Let them know how important it is.

And you know hopefully that can help develop your your action plan. And that's going to be the last thing, right?

You need to create some type of action plan to ensure success in the long run. You know many of the organizations that I've worked over the with over the years. They create an accessibility committee at the organization, and they can have folks from, you know, marketing, from communications from it, from their digital teams, and so on and so forth.

Really, any, you know, web stakeholder or kind of like a key individual. From all the different groups that contribute to the website to be part of this accessibility committee committee and not just make sure that everyone is being held accountable, and it ensures timely compliance when you have more folks contributing to the conversation and contributing to ensuring that you get this done?

And lastly, I will wrap up with this resources slide. We obviously here at Acquia have several resources that can help you on your accessibility journey including a free scan option which by far best place to get started. So more than happy to sit down with you and review the status of the website and help you build an action plan for compliance. Moving forward. Outside of the scan. We also have a link here to our web accessibility handbook. It's another place, great, great place to get started. And also can be a really great internal resource to share across the different web teams, and so on and so forth. So with that, we'll go ahead and wrap up. Really appreciate all of your time. Hopefully, you learned something new today, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us here at Acquia. If you have any questions as they relate to accessibility, thanks.