Website accessibility: the right thing, not CYA
Disclaimer: written using voice dictation… My voice is faster than my one finger. Please excuse some typos.
Today feels similar to the first day of school. Trendency’s Digital Director launches first big project. Time sure does fly when you’re learning a lot and having fun. The training wheels are off now. Thankfully I still have my anti-tippers, though (they make it more difficult but not impossible for a wheelchair to tip backward).
My job is relatively straightforward - to be the digital conduit between you, the public, and our organization. Sprinkle in some PR because I like talking to people and hearing their perspectives on a wide variety of topics and industries. The website is our digital face- Phase one is now complete. All websites evolve, but the foundation is there. My responsibility, however, goes much further: To make our company more accessible to all through our channels.
To that end, our website has been laid out with accessibility top of mind. It also features an accessibility plug-in that will allow users to customize different elements of their experience such as contrast, black and white, a text reader, etc. We did not do this to be solely altruistic. A better website is better for many aspects of our business. Starting with current clients, potential clients, future coworkers, and our panelists. I learned a lot during this process. Some good and some eye-opening.
On the plus side, we found a really good plug-in for the site. It is great to see how far technology has come. As for the eye-opening, the plug-in we chose positions itself as “a way to avoid costly lawsuits.” Really? What about the human element? This positioning undoubtedly reflects our overly litigious society, but if helping people is only being done to avoid a lawsuit, what does that say about us as a society? I understand some questions can’t be asked legally. Most of the conversations around my mobility issues I've had here at Trendency came after I signed my offer. Trust me. I don’t have an unrealistic expectation that all places will suddenly have ramps, electric doors, or curb cuts. I do not expect a castle built before or around the signing of the Magna Carta to be easy for me to explore. I’ll figure it out. However, let’s have a conversation about renting a conference room so that all team members can be involved. The power is in the conversation almost more so than the actual accessibility.
I stayed at a historic hotel recently. Because of this, I was extra concerned about the actual accessibility of my room. To my surprise, the room was plenty big with free access to all the sides of the bed for transfers. The bathroom could’ve fit four people in there. The grab bars had extra texture for grip etc. There was one problem that I did not consider. The bed was really low to the ground. Had I been traveling by myself, as I often did before the world stopped (super excited to hit the skies again), I would not have been able to get out of bed by myself. The main reason you get a hotel room is to have a bed. Sleeping in my chair would've been my only option. All the way home, I debated if I should call the hotel and let them know. I decided to do so. The bed was a simple oversight, not intentional. When I called back, I could hear the lightbulb go on in the mind of the employee I spoke with- it is a moment that happens often. Most people are good. But they don’t live this life, so how would they know? There’s a clear difference between ignorance and willful ignorance. I don’t have all the answers myself. I have not lived with other people’s disabilities or challenges, only my own.
Individuals with disabilities are like anyone else. We want to be included in the conversation to find solutions. Please ask us our options on anything. We won’t bite unless provoked, and everyone gains insight and appreciation. The older I get, the better I understand that my fundamental role is to push this dialogue forward.
We are happy with our new site. We love the plug-in. It would just be better if the company positioning was “a way to help more people access you and your information.”
Check out the new website here. Thank you to all my teammates and our developer. If you have anything, you’d like to discuss, pull up a chair, and email me at gcook@trendency.com.