{"id":1082,"date":"2025-04-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/?p=1082"},"modified":"2025-04-30T10:20:52","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T10:20:52","slug":"fostering-an-accessibility-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/17\/fostering-an-accessibility-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Fostering An Accessibility Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>              <title>Fostering An Accessibility Culture<\/title><\/p>\n<article>\n<header>\n<h1>Fostering An Accessibility Culture<\/h1>\n<address>Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats<\/address>\n<p>                  2025-04-17T08:00:00+00:00<br \/>\n                  2025-04-30T09:33:23+00:00<br \/>\n                <\/header>\n<p>A year ago, I learned that my role as an accessibility engineer was at risk of redundancy. It was a tough moment, both professionally and personally. For quite some time, my mind raced with guilt, self-doubt, plain sadness&hellip; But as I sat with these emotions, I found one line of thought that felt productive: reflection. What did I do well? What could I have done better? What did I learn?<\/p>\n<p>Looking back, I realized that as part of a small team in a massive organization, we focused on a long-term goal that we also believed was the most effective and sustainable path: gradually shaping the organization\u2019s culture to embrace accessibility.<\/p>\n<p>Around the same time, I started listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/jamesclear.com\/atomic-habits\">\u201cAtomic Habits\u201d by James Clear<\/a>. The connection was immediate. Habits and culture are tightly linked concepts, and fostering an accessibility culture was really about <strong>embedding accessibility habits into everyone\u2019s processes<\/strong>. That\u2019s what we focused on. It took us time (and plenty of trial and error) to figure this out, and while there\u2019s no definitive playbook for creating an accessibility program at a large organization, I thought it might help others if I shared my experiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Before we dive in, here\u2019s a quick note<\/strong>: <em>This is purely my personal perspective, and you\u2019ll find a bias towards culture and action in big organizations. I\u2019m not speaking on behalf of any employer, past or present. The progress we made was thanks to the incredible efforts of every member of the team and beyond. I hope these reflections resonate with those looking to foster an accessibility culture at their own companies.<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-audience=\"non-subscriber\" data-remove=\"true\" class=\"feature-panel-container\">\n<aside class=\"feature-panel\">\n<div class=\"feature-panel-left-col\">\n<div class=\"feature-panel-description\">\n<p>Meet <strong><a data-instant href=\"https:\/\/www.smashingconf.com\/online-workshops\/\">Smashing Workshops<\/a><\/strong> on <strong>front-end, design &amp; UX<\/strong>, with practical takeaways, live sessions, <strong>video recordings<\/strong> and a friendly Q&amp;A. With Brad Frost, St\u00e9ph Walter and <a href=\"https:\/\/smashingconf.com\/online-workshops\/workshops\">so many others<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-instant href=\"smashing-workshops\" class=\"btn btn--green btn--large\">Jump to the workshops&nbsp;\u21ac<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"feature-panel-right-col\"><a data-instant href=\"smashing-workshops\" class=\"feature-panel-image-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"feature-panel-image\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"feature-panel-image-img\" src=\"\/images\/smashing-cat\/cat-scubadiving-panel.svg\" alt=\"Feature Panel\" width=\"257\" height=\"355\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"goals-vs-systems\">Goals Vs. Systems<\/h2>\n<p>To effectively shape habits, it\u2019s crucial to focus on systems and processes (who we want to become) rather than obsessing over a final goal (or what we want to achieve). This perspective is especially relevant in accessibility.<\/p>\n<p>Take the goal of making your app accessible. If you focus solely on achieving compliance without changing your systems (embedding accessibility into processes and culture), progress will be temporary.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you might request an accessibility audit and fix the flagged issues to achieve compliance. While this can provide \u201cquick\u201d results, it\u2019s often a short-lived solution.<\/p>\n<p>Software evolves constantly: features are rewritten, old code is removed, and new functionality is added. Without an underlying system in place, accessibility issues can quickly resurface. Worse, this approach may reinforce the idea that accessibility is something external, checked by someone else, and fixed only when flagged. Not to mention that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browserstack.com\/guide\/what-is-shift-left-testing\">it becomes increasingly expensive the later accessibility issues are addressed in the process<\/a>. It can also feel demoralizing when accessibility becomes synonymous with a long list of last-minute tickets when you are busiest.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/bug-fix-cost.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/bug-fix-cost.jpg\" alt=\"A graph showing a relative cost to fix bugs based on time of detection\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Image source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.browserstack.com\/guide\/what-is-shift-left-testing\">BrowserStack<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/bug-fix-cost.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite this, companies constantly focus on the goal rather than the systems.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cAccessibility is both a state and a practice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sommer Panage, SwiftTO talk, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/sb_fhIa3PKg?si=YUKpoxB31-yhv7yD\">Building Accessibility into Your Company, Team, and Culture<\/a>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019ll take the liberty of tweaking that to an aspirational state. Without recognizing the importance of the practice, any progress made is at risk of regression.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, I encourage organizations to focus on building habits and embedding good accessibility practices into their workflows. A strong system not only ensures lasting progress but also fosters a culture where accessibility becomes second nature.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-your-actual-goal\">What Is Your Actual Goal?<\/h2>\n<p>That doesn\u2019t mean goals are useless &mdash; they\u2019re very effective in setting up direction.<\/p>\n<p>In my team, we often said (only half-jokingly) that our ultimate goal was to put ourselves out of a job. This mindset reflects an important principle: <strong>accessibility is a cross-organizational responsibility<\/strong>, not the task of a single person or team.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, in my opinion, focusing solely on compliance rather than culture transformation (or prioritizing the \u201cstate\u201d of accessibility over the \u201cpractice\u201d) is a flawed strategy.<\/p>\n<p>The real goal should be to build <strong>a user-centric culture<\/strong> where accessibility is embedded in every workflow, decision, and process. By doing so, companies can create products where accessibility is not about checking boxes and closing tickets but delivering <strong>meaningful and inclusive experiences<\/strong> to all users.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-do-we-get-there\">How Do We Get There?<\/h2>\n<p>Different companies (of various sizes, structures, and cultures) will approach accessibility differently, depending on where they are in their journey. I still have to meet, though, an accessibility team that ever felt they had enough resources. This makes careful resource allocation a cornerstone of your strategy. And while there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution, shifting left (addressing issues earlier in the development process) tends to be the most effective approach in most cases.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"design-systems\">Design Systems<\/h3>\n<p>If your company has a design system, partnering with the team that owns it can be one of your biggest wins. Fixing a single component used across dozens of places improves the experience everywhere it\u2019s used. This approach scales beautifully.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-pre-sidenote--left\">Involvement in foundational decisions and discussions, like choosing color palettes, typography, and component interactions, and so on, can also be very valuable. Contributing to documentation and guidelines tailored to accessibility can help teams across the organization make informed decisions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-sidenote c-sidenote--right\">For a deeper dive, I recommend Feli Bernutz\u2019s excellent talk, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/tHYtjAXnQcI?si=FpkSxJ3QQ86aaOu6\">Designing APIs: How to Ensure Accessibility in Design Systems<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"video-embed-container\">\n<div class=\"video-embed-container--wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"community-building\">Community Building<\/h3>\n<p>It is worth repeating, you\u2019ll need as many allies as possible. The more limited your resources, the more important this becomes. Something as simple as a Slack channel that becomes a safe space where people can ask questions and share tips can go a long way. Other ideas include lunch-and-learns, regular meetups, office hours, or building a more formal champions network. And, very importantly, it is about finding ways of recognising and celebrating wins and everyone\u2019s good work.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re exploring this, I highly recommend joining the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/12499821\/\">Champions of Accessibility Network (CAN) group<\/a>. It\u2019s a great way to learn and connect with others who are passionate about accessibility.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"education\">Education<\/h3>\n<p>Education is key for scaling accessibility efforts. While not everyone needs to be an expert, <strong>we should strive for everyone to know the basics<\/strong>. Repeatedly raising basic issues like missing accessibility labels, small target sizes, poor color contrast, and so on, can\u2019t be productive.<\/p>\n<p>Consider periodic training for different roles (PMs, designers, engineers\u2026), embedding accessibility into onboarding sessions and documentation. You\u2019ll need to find what works for you.<\/p>\n<p>At Spotify, I found onboarding sessions for designers highly effective, as most features start with design. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deque.com\/blog\/auditing-design-systems-for-accessibility\/#design-should-consider-accessibility\">A Deque case study found that 67% of automatically detectable accessibility issues originate with design<\/a>, reinforcing the importance of this approach. If your company has an education or training programme, partner with them. <a href=\"https:\/\/makeitfable.com\/article\/how-to-scale-accessibility-knowledge-from-experts-at-spotify\/\">At Spotify, they were our biggest allies<\/a>. They\u2019ll help you get it right.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"automation\">Automation<\/h3>\n<p>Everything that can be automated should eventually be automated. We know there\u2019s already a lot on your plate, and automation should help lighten the load. This is especially true in larger organizations, where it can help scale efforts more efficiently. However, automated accessibility checks are not the silver bullet some might hope for.<\/p>\n<p>One key issue is viewing automation as the solution rather than a safety net. Some companies claim automated tools catch as much as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deque.com\/automated-accessibility-testing-coverage\/\">57% of all issues<\/a> or even <a href=\"https:\/\/accessibility.deque.com\/hubfs\/Semi-Automated-Accessibility-Testing-Coverage-Report.pdf\">80% of issues by volume<\/a> (PDF), though it is widely accepted that the figure is about 30%. Native mobile apps present greater challenges, making it likely that the real number is significantly lower for iOS and Android. These tools, and the high expectations around them, can create a false sense of security or reduce efforts to merely appease an automated tool of choice.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p>\n    <a class=\"pull-quote__link\" aria-label=\"Share on Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=%0aAutomation%20doesn%e2%80%99t%20%28and%20shouldn%e2%80%99t%29%20replace%20intentionality.%20We%20should%20aim%20to%20deliver%20great%20accessible%20experiences%20from%20the%20start%20rather%20than%20wait%20for%20a%20tool%20to%20flag%20issues%20after%20the%20fact.%0a&amp;url=https:\/\/smashingmagazine.com%2f2025%2f04%2ffostering-accessibility-culture%2f\"><\/p>\n<p>Automation doesn\u2019t (and shouldn\u2019t) replace intentionality. We should aim to deliver great accessible experiences from the start rather than wait for a tool to flag issues after the fact.<\/p>\n<p>    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<div class=\"pull-quote__quotation\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__bg\">\n      <span class=\"pull-quote__symbol\">\u201c<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Whether your focus is on compliance or customer satisfaction, manual testing remains an essential part of the process. Whenever possible, you should also be testing with real users.<\/p>\n<p>For me, the greatest value of automation is in <strong>catching basic regressions before release<\/strong> and serving as <strong>a gentle nudge<\/strong> to developers, reminding them to consider accessibility more thoughtfully. Ideally, they don\u2019t just fix an issue and move on but take a moment to reflect:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How did this issue arise in the first place?<\/li>\n<li>Did we consider accessibility during development?<\/li>\n<li>Did we skip manual testing with a screen reader?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When it comes to shaping habits, the environment matters. A strong accessibility culture isn\u2019t built on willpower alone. It thrives on systems that encourage good practices and make bad ones harder to fall into. Nudges like automated checks, documentation, and proactive education are invaluable for keeping accessibility at the top of the mind.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"remediation\">Remediation<\/h3>\n<p>I won\u2019t lie; the moment I was first told my new job was to work on accessibility, I immediately jumped in, doing what I knew best, trying to fix as many issues as possible myself. While rewarding at first, this approach isn\u2019t scalable in larger organizations. It can quickly lead to burnout. It also sets an expectation within the company that it\u2019s your team\u2019s responsibility to get it done, an expectation that becomes increasingly difficult to reset as time goes on.<\/p>\n<p>Not saying you shouldn\u2019t be hands-on, though! But you need to be <strong>strategic<\/strong>. Try to focus on supporting teams with complex issues, pair programming with colleagues, code reviews, or implementing cross-app improvements, ideally in partnership with the design system teams. This way, your efforts can have a broader impact.<\/p>\n<div class=\"partners__lead-place\"><\/div>\n<h3 id=\"auditing\">Auditing<\/h3>\n<p>Accessibility audits are another tool in your toolbox. Audits can be valuable but are often overused. They\u2019re most effective after teams have done their best to make the product accessible, serving as <strong>a validation step rather than the starting point<\/strong>. After all, how useful is an audit if a significant portion of the flagged issues are basic problems that automated tools could have detected?<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, audits might help when you need quick results but don\u2019t have the time or resources to upskill your workforce in time for a timely and necessary remediation.<\/p>\n<p>While audits have their place and, as mentioned, can be valuable in certain situations, I wouldn\u2019t rely on them to be the cornerstone of your strategy.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"and-so-much-more\">And So Much More<\/h3>\n<p>\u200b\u200bTry to find what works for your team, and, most importantly, adapt as circumstances change. Beyond the strategies mentioned, you might explore other initiatives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Collecting accessibility metrics,<\/li>\n<li>Conducting user research and testing,<\/li>\n<li>Improving procurement practices,<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring accessible content and communications,<\/li>\n<li>Supporting accessible hiring, workplace platforms, and tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t mean one area of action is more important than another. Actually, in my view, one of the biggest reasons cultural change around accessibility takes longer than other areas is the <strong>lack of diversity in the workforce<\/strong>. Contributing to lines of action to address this issue might not be as immediately obvious as others.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcs.org\/policy-and-influence\/equity-diversity-and-inclusion\/bcs-diversity-report-2023-disability\/disability-and-it-employment\/\">The industry hasn\u2019t done enough to hire people with disabilities<\/a>, leaving them underrepresented in building products that truly work for them. Worse yet, they face more barriers in the hiring process. And even when they do get hired, they may find that the tools meant to enable us to do our work and be productive don\u2019t work for them.<\/p>\n<p>The key is to identify and lay out your areas of action first, then prioritize strategically while staying flexible as circumstances evolve. A thoughtful, adaptive approach ensures that no matter the challenge, your efforts remain impactful, avoiding stretching your team too thin and losing focus.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"valley-of-despair\">Valley Of Despair<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s the truth that everyone working in accessibility inevitably and unfortunately faces sooner rather than later: <strong>accessibility done right, as we\u2019ve seen so far, takes time<\/strong>. And that goes against the \u201cmove fast and break things\u201d culture of quick results and short-termism that many companies still follow, even if they won\u2019t openly admit it.<\/p>\n<p>The slow-cooking nature of the process can, therefore, work against us. Being patient and trusting that small changes will aggregate and compound over time is incredibly challenging and sometimes nerve-racking. On top of that, if there\u2019s a misalignment with leadership about what the ultimate goal is, or if there\u2019s pressure to deliver quick results, it\u2019s easy to feel like throwing in the towel, or worse, to experience burnout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-pre-sidenote--left\">Unfortunately, burnout is an all-too-common issue in the accessibility community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-sidenote c-sidenote--right\">If you\u2019d like to learn more about it, I highly recommend Shell Little\u2019s talk, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5gs54WDVBIw\">The Accessibility to Burnout Pipeline<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In those moments of doubt, it is useful to remember the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbssports.com\/nba\/news\/nba-finals-a-rock-hammer-and-cracking-of-spurs-majesty-in-game-7\/\">quote embraced by the San Antonio Spurs NBA team, originally from social reformer Jacob Riis<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWhen nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it &mdash; but all that had gone before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jacob Riis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This serves as a powerful reminder that every small effort contributes to the eventual breakthrough, even when progress feels invisible.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"an-uncomfortable-truth\">An Uncomfortable Truth<\/h2>\n<p>Top-down approaches are easier, and yet, most accessibility initiatives start from the bottom. For a sustainable strategy, however, you\u2019ll need both. If necessary, you\u2019ll have to get buy-in from leadership or risk feeling like you\u2019re constantly swimming upstream. Surprisingly, this is often harder than it seems. This topic could easily be an article on its own, but Vitaly Friedman offers some useful pointers in his piece \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smashingmagazine.com\/2024\/06\/how-make-strong-case-accessibility\/\">How To Make A Strong Case For Accessibility<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In my experience, <strong>leadership buy-in is crucial to fostering an accessibility culture<\/strong>. Leaders often want to see how accessibility impacts the bottom line and whether investing in it is profitable. The hardest part is getting started, so if you can make a convincing case this way, do it.<\/p>\n<p>I once watched a talk by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daviddame?miniProfileUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAAA5GpQBnIE99fhtGBHhwX8OG8mUW2SqBaI&amp;lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_detail_base%3Bhd0Q7%2BvrQGKtdxtNjXHe6w%3D%3D\">Dave Dame<\/a> titled \u201cStakeholders Agree That Accessibility Is Important, But That Does Not Mean They Will Invest In Accessibility.\u201d He made an excellent point: You may need to speak the business language to get their attention. As Dave put it, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/daviddame_accessibility-activity-7291902787003551745-ZUDt?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAAddFqsBZwIBQzaaJzWCPkPlL5CFAxXi5Rc\">I have Cerebral Palsy, but my money doesn\u2019t<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is also <a href=\"https:\/\/hdsunflower.com\/uk\/insights\/post\/who-is-purple\">data out there suggesting that accessibility can be a worthwhile investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n    break-out article__image\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/inforgraphic-showing-stats-purple-pound.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/inforgraphic-showing-stats-purple-pound.jpg\" alt=\"Inforgraphic showing stats of the Purple pound\" \/><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Image source: <a href=\"https:\/\/hdsunflower.com\/uk\/insights\/post\/who-is-purple\">Hidden Disabilities Sunflower<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/fostering-accessibility-culture\/inforgraphic-showing-stats-purple-pound.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Still, I would encourage everyone to strive to change that mindset.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pull-quote\">\n<p>\n    <a class=\"pull-quote__link\" aria-label=\"Share on Twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=%0aDoing%20accessibility%20for%20economic%20or%20legal%20reasons%20is%20valid,%20but%20it%20can%20lead%20to%20perverse%20incentives,%20where%20the%20bare%20minimum%20and%20compliance%20become%20the%20strategy,%20or%20where%20teams%20constantly%20need%20to%20prove%20their%20return%20on%20investment.%0a&amp;url=https:\/\/smashingmagazine.com%2f2025%2f04%2ffostering-accessibility-culture%2f\"><\/p>\n<p>Doing accessibility for economic or legal reasons is valid, but it can lead to perverse incentives, where the bare minimum and compliance become the strategy, or where teams constantly need to prove their return on investment.<\/p>\n<p>    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<div class=\"pull-quote__quotation\">\n<div class=\"pull-quote__bg\">\n      <span class=\"pull-quote__symbol\">\u201c<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It is better to do it for the \u201cwrong\u201d reasons than not to do it at all. But ultimately, those aren\u2019t the reasons we should be doing it.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/podcasts\/who-invented-voiceover\/\">13 Letters<\/a>\u201d podcast opened with an incredibly interesting two-part episode featuring Mike Shebanek. In it, Mike explains how Apple eventually renewed its commitment to accessibility because, in the state of Maine, schools were providing Macs and needed a screen reader for students who required one. It seems like a somewhat business-driven decision. But years later, Tim Cook famously stated, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/stevedenning\/2014\/03\/07\/why-tim-cook-doesnt-care-about-the-bloody-roi\/\">When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind, I don\u2019t consider the bloody ROI.<\/a>\u201d He also remarked, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tim_cook\/status\/624584736862679040\">Accessibility rights are human rights.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the mindset I wish more CEOs and leaders had. It is a story of how a change of mindset from \u201cwe have to do it\u201d to \u201cit is a core part of what we do\u201d leads to a lasting and successful accessibility culture. Going beyond the bare minimum, Apple has become a leader in accessibility. An innovative company that consistently makes products more accessible and pushes the entire industry forward.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-good-news\">The Good News<\/h2>\n<p>Once good habits are established, they tend to stick around. When I was let go, some people (I\u2019m sure trying to comfort me) said the accessibility of the app would quickly regress and that the company would soon realize their mistake. Unexpectedly for them, I responded that I actually hoped it wouldn\u2019t regress anytime soon. That, to me, would be the sign that I had done my job well.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly, I felt confident it wouldn\u2019t. Incredible people with deep knowledge and a passion for accessibility and building high-quality products stayed at the company. I knew the app was in good hands.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s important not to fall into complacency. Cultures can be taken for granted, but they need constant <strong>nurturing<\/strong> and <strong>protection<\/strong>. A company that hires too fast, undergoes a major layoff, gets acquired, experiences high turnover, or sees changes in leadership or priorities\u2026 Any of these can pretty quickly destabilize something that took years to build.<\/p>\n<div class=\"partners__lead-place\"><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"wrapping-up\">Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n<p>This might not be your experience, and what we did may not work for you, but I hope you find this insight useful. I have, as they say, strong opinions, but loosely held. So I\u2019m looking forward to knowing what you think and learning about your experiences too.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no easy way or silver bullet! It\u2019s actually very hard! The odds are against you. And we tend to constantly be puzzled about why the world is against us doing something that seems so obviously the right thing to do: to invite and include as many people as possible to use your product, to remove barriers, to avoid exclusion. It is important to talk about <strong>exclusion<\/strong>, too, when we talk about accessibility.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEven though we were all talking about inclusion, we each had a different understanding of that word. Exclusion, on the other hand, is unanimously understood as being left out (&#8230;) Once we learn how to recognize exclusion, we can begin to see where a product or experience that works well for some might have barriers for someone else. Recognizing exclusion sparks a new kind of creativity on how a solution can be better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.campaignlive.com\/article\/recognizing-exclusion-key-inclusive-design-conversation-kat-holmes\/1488872\">Kat Holmes<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Something that might help: always assume goodwill and try to meet people where they are. I need to remind myself of this quite often.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIt is all about understanding where people are, meeting them where they\u2019re at (&#8230;) People want to fundamentally do the right thing (&#8230;) They might not know what they don\u2019t know (&#8230;) It might mean stepping back and going to the fundamentals (&#8230;) I know some people get frustrated about having to re-explain accessibility over and over again, but I believe that if we are not willing to do that, then how are we gonna change the hearts and minds of people?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/bencongleton_ndeam-goodjobsforall-inclusionworks-activity-7257013809737789440-CRwS?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAAddFqsBZwIBQzaaJzWCPkPlL5CFAxXi5Rc\">Jennison Asuncion<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019d encourage you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you haven\u2019t, just start. No matter what.<\/li>\n<li>Play the long game, and focus more on systems and processes than just goals.<\/li>\n<li>Build a network: rally allies around you and secure buy-in from leadership by showing that accessibility is not extra work; if considered after the fact, they\u2019re actually missed steps.<\/li>\n<li>Shift left and be strategic: reflect on where your limited resources can have the biggest, most lasting impact.<\/li>\n<li>Be persistent. Be resilient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But honestly, anything you can do is progress. And progress is all we need, just for things to be a little better every day. Your job is incredibly important. Thanks for all you do!<\/p>\n<p>Accessibility: This is the way!<\/p>\n<div class=\"signature\">\n  <img src=\"https:\/\/www.smashingmagazine.com\/images\/logo\/logo--red.png\" alt=\"Smashing Editorial\" width=\"35\" height=\"46\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><br \/>\n  <span>(yk)<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fostering An Accessibility Culture Fostering An Accessibility Culture Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats 2025-04-17T08:00:00+00:00 2025-04-30T09:33:23+00:00 A year ago, I learned that my role as an accessibility engineer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1082"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1083,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1082\/revisions\/1083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.diveintoaccessibility.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}