Accessibility must be a priority whether we look at it from a compliance, inclusion, or business opportunity lens. In an economic slowdown, let’s strategize to meet our accessibility commitments.
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the global economy. In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and higher than expected inflation are all adding to the global slowdown. Many businesses have been forced to downsize or close their doors entirely. As per Forbes, the US economy may not officially be in a recession, but it’s not looking good.
The current economic climate has forced many organizations to re-evaluate and re-plan their priorities and budgets. In the last 5 years, we are seeing organizations shift left and finally embracing accessibility. So now how do we keep the accessibility focus in these tough times?
BarrierBreak’s accessibility experts suggest five strategies to maintain your accessibility commitment in the economic slowdown:
1. Communicate the importance of accessibility to decision-makers
Make sure that decision-makers within your organization are aware of the importance of accessibility. They may not be aware of the business case for accessibility or may not realize how accessible products and services can benefit your customers.
Highlight customer or end-user stories to help them continue to invest in accessibility. Check our article on Higher Sales and a Business Win with Accessible Digital Products
2. Plan & strategize your Accessibility Roadmap
Remember, accessible products and services have a competitive advantage. The first step in meeting your accessibility commitments is to create a roadmap that provides an overall plan and strategy.
Start with assessing your current state of accessibility for your digital assets such as websites, mobile apps, products, and/or services. It is critical to prioritize digital assets, plan resources, set milestones and goals based on business & customer’s needs.
3. Keep accessibility in mind when making budget decisions.
You might be worried that you’re going to come under pressure to cut your accessibility budget. You might well be right.
The Accessibility Roadmap will assist you to think of different models & approaches to deliver without reducing your accessibility commitments. Look at priorities, optimize processes & build efficiencies that can help you manage cost.
4. Train your employees on accessibility
Accessibility should be embedded into your organization’s culture, not treated as an afterthought. Create resources that can help them to do it right the first time like playbooks, checklists, video trainings. Invest in training people to implement accessibility as you design, build, test and deploy.
5. Time to adopt a Hybrid Delivery Model
Effectively plan the hybrid delivery models so as to optimize delivering on your accessibility commitment. Identify functions or processes that you can deliver with in-house and/or outsourced offshore resources. Find an offshore accessibility testing partner who can help your team to plan and implement accessibility into your digital solutions in the most cost-effective manner.
In conclusion, it would be difficult to avoid recession as inflation continues to rise. But it is also important to maintain your accessibility commitment in an economic slowdown. By doing so, you will be able to ensure that your products and services are accessible to all customers while also mitigating any legal risks. Additionally, you will be able to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction.
Reach out to the BarrierBreak team, we would be happy to work with you to develop a cost-effective delivery model for your accessibility requirements. There are various ways in which we can help you maintain your accessibility commitment in an economic slowdown. Our model will assist your business in high customer retention by making a significant impact and showing your commitment to accessibility. Additionally, through our expert services, we can design an accessibility roadmap for your organization that can generate higher satisfaction and revenue.