Making Accessibility the Default: Continuous Accessibility Practices

Portland Accessibility and User Experience

Treating accessibility as a core concern leads to better user experience, reduced risk, &amp; more. But how do you make it the default?

Virtual Event: Making Accessibility the Default: Continuous Accessibility Practices Presenters: Devon Persing and Andrew Hedges Often relegated to episodic efforts such as late-stage audits and ad hoc projects, digital accessibility is most effective and efficient when it is the organization’s default mode of operation. Making the shift to continuous accessibility leads to better outcomes across the board, including improving the experience of disabled users, mitigating the risk of accessibility-related lawsuits, improving brand reputation, and even creating a positive return on investment (ROI).In this talk we provide practical strategies for embedding accessibility into daily routines and technical systems, demonstrating how to start small and scale over time. Key topics include:<ul><li>Establishing a repeatable accessibility routine and improving it over time.</li><li>The importance of data and metrics, such as bug counts and time-to-resolution (TTR), to establish a baseline and measure progress.</li><li>Rallying cross-functional allies to drive change (yes, even without C-suite mandates).</li><li>Creating a unified system where human workflows and technical tools work in concert.</li></ul>A real world case study illustrates how the strategic application of automated regression testing and clear bug prioritization led to a profound cultural shift where accessibility is treated like any other product quality concern. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for initiating and sustaining cultural change, making the case for accessibility as a core business principle. Agenda: The event begins at 6:00pm; join early, starting at 5:45pm for networking.<ul><li>5:45–6:00pm Networking</li><li>6:00–6:15pm Introductions and announcements</li><li>6:15–6:45pm Presentation</li><li>6:45–7:15pm Q&amp;A and discussion</li></ul>About the presenters: <a href="https://dpersing.com/" title="https://dpersing.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Devon Persing</a> is your neighbor to the north in Seattle, WA. Before joining “big” tech as an accessibility specialist around 2012, she worked in “small” tech as a UI designer, front-end web developer, and usability advocate in libraries, higher education, and local government. She has an MS in Information and is disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent, and as a result her approach to digital accessibility centers information literacy, organization dynamics, and disability justice. Her current focus as a solo consultant is on helping people do accessibility work that is more holistic, inclusive, cooperative, and sustainable. She wrote a book called The <a href="https://dpersing.com/book/" title="https://dpersing.com/book/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Accessibility Operations Guidebook</a> with that goal in mind. Portlander by birth and by choice, <a href="https://andrew.hedges.name/" title="https://andrew.hedges.name/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Andrew Hedges</a> is COO for <a href="https://assistivlabs.com/" title="https://assistivlabs.com/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Assistiv Labs</a>, an accessibility tooling company based in the PNW. His 28-year career as a web developer and engineering leader has taken him to companies from Apple to Zapier. As a longtime advocate for improving the usability of websites for people with disabilities, Andrew would love nothing more than for accessibility to become the default so we can finally realize the original promise of the web to democratize access to information for everyone. Accommodation requests: If you have any accommodation requests, don't hesitate to get in touch with us before the event to discuss.

Agenda

Networking

Introductions and announcements

Presentation

Q&A and discussion

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Making Accessibility the Default: Continuous Accessibility Practices

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Making Accessibility the Default: Continuous Accessibility Practices

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