Things to Do Before Asking “Is This Accessible?”
It is not uncommon for someone to message, call, email, or carrier pigeon me to ask if something is accessible. They almost invariably want a “yes” or “no.” However, I need to understand what the heck they mean and what the other-heck prompted them to ask.
Photo by Jonathan O’Donnell, CC BY 2.0.
I figured making a quick list of the kinds of questions I ask would be far easier to repeatedly share as a response. The advantage is that next time they are curious, they may be able to evaluate it on their own without needing to deal with my grump (and its other-grump).
- What do you mean by “accessible”?
- It passes WCAG at a specific level?
- It satisfies another standard (PDF/UA, EN 301 549, Section 508, ACA, AODA, CVAA, …)?
- It works with specific technologies?
- It works for all users, everywhere, under any circumstances, across every device, on every connection type, regardless of modality or language or ability?
- What prompted you to ask that question?
- Someone asked you the same question?
- It feels broken?
- You ran into an issue of some sort?
- Someone else ran into an issue?
- It’s an overlay that promises it’s not like the others?
- No particular reason, you’re just curious and assume I know these things off the top of my head like some anthropomorphized Rolodex of “who’s awful at building stuff”?
- What work have you already done to check?
- You checked to see if it’s owned by Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, or any other trillion-dollar company?
- You looked at its accessibility guarantees?
- You looked at its accessibility policy?
- You downloaded or requested its ACR (the output of a VPAT)?
- You waded into its GitHub repo for accessibility issues?
- You inspected its accessibility tree (if web content)?
- You reviewed its code?
- You ran any number of free automated accessibility checkers over it?
- You looked at using the W3C’s Easy Checks – A First Review of Web Accessibility?
- You tried someone else’s testing approach?
- You used any kind of assistive technology with it? Which would then, given my background, prompt me to ask:
- What platforms and versions?
- Using what system settings?
- What browser versions on which of those platforms?
- Paired with what screen readers?
- Braille display?
- Voice control?
- Keyboard?
- You know what, can you just list all the input modalities you tried and how you used them?
Obviously not all of those apply for all products, services, or circumstances. Consider them a loose master list of questions from which I would pull relevant ones to ask.
Heck, it might even be a good baseline for building procurement checklist. But I don’t know. I’m not your purchasing manager.
Alternatively, maybe this list has enough guidance and resources for you to sort it out without needing to ask your local corner digital accessibility practitioner.
Update: A Compliment
“Is this accessible?” is often not a question with a simple “yes” or “no” answer. The answer depends on many factors. The grumpy zaddy of accessibility, @aardrian, has a checklist for you:
adrianroselli.com/2024/08/things-to-do…
#a11y
#accessibility
The grumpy zaddy of accessibility
may be the nicest compliment I have received in years.
10 Comments
Reply I wonder how many beginner users nervously starting out you have caused to give up on technology and lose out on opportunities with such a technologically elitist attitude. The question is perfectly capable of being intuited based on the forum in which it is asked. By way of example, it is safe to assume that someone asking the question on a blindness-related Windows list is talking about whether an app works with a screen reader. The high level nature in which it is asks self-evidently means they aren’t talking about WCAG. If you find questions on fora beneath you, I’d ignore/delete rather than be obtuse and obstructive before you create even more barriers for people with disabilities than they already face.
In response to . Reply Ed,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The question is perfectly capable of being intuited based on the forum in which it is asked.
Not every question is asked in a forum where context is clear. Consider the generalist A11y Slack. Or an email from someone you don’t know within your company. Or the local not-for-profit considering buying a thing who heard you “know about ADA stuff.” Or a comment on a GitHub repo. All those scenarios are from experience, BTW, and I could likely come up with more.
By way of example, it is safe to assume that someone asking the question on a blindness-related Windows list is talking about whether an app works with a screen reader. The high level nature in which it is asks self-evidently means they aren’t talking about WCAG.
In that case, I direct you to the first paragraph after the list (emphasis added):
Obviously not all of those apply for all products, services, or circumstances. Consider them a loose master list of questions from which I would pull relevant ones to ask.If you find questions on fora beneath you, I’d ignore/delete rather than be obtuse and obstructive before you create even more barriers for people with disabilities than they already face.
I am sorry you have interpreted my tongue-in-cheek framing of genuine guidance as elitist. Or obtuse. Or obstructive. It was intended as a reference. One which you are welcome to ignore.
Reply Thanks!
I think I will make my own personalized list, but I think this is a great idea for a routine maintenance checklist. May I suggest, point #3 seems like it could do with a clear split between automatic validators, manual review and user testing (reminds me of a CI review pyramid).
Reply Thanks. I’m using this list as my requirement for hiring my next designer. If they don’t adhere to all the specifications you listed they are worthless.
In response to . Reply One caution there, Matthew — most designers coming out of school, their first job, their second job, etc., aren’t even exposed to these ideas (and if they are, they are typically not supported in pursuing them). So the designer is not worthless, though their education and prior work history probably did not prepare them well enough. Instead, if they are aware of some of these things then that suggests they might be willing to learn more with support of the employer or even on their own time.
Reply A blog on accessibility should perhaps think about the readbility of its main heading, dude.
In response to . Reply Thanks, dude, I appreciate your clear and actionable suggested change!
Reply Nice blog :)
It’s makes me think it’s the equivalent of someone asking, how long is a piece of string right?
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