Jump to a video summary of our operational finding.
How an organisation operates is important too. Organisations that adopted accessibility had:
- a cross-organisational approach
- clear roles and responsibilities
- invested in training programmes
Cross-organisational approach
Communications teams are often responsible for accessibility. This was common practice in our desk research as well. This is because the outputs are:
- a form of communication or
- published on a website
The communications team usually shares outputs. So, it is easy for responsibility to fall on a communications team. They oversee the last steps of the publication process. But interviewees said it was impossible for only one team to be responsible.
“We had to acknowledge from the beginning that it had to be everybody’s business. And not something that the comms team did.”
A key challenge is that other teams create some of the digital outputs. It is harder to make an output accessible at the end of a process. Outputs need to be created with accessibility in mind from the start.
“It costs six times more to fix accessibility issues…than it is to sort them out at the beginning.”
Accessibility Scotland Conference 2023
There is no “perfect way” to create a digital output. Accessible practice requires consideration from many perspectives. It is complex. Accessibility is an evolving practice. It requires a continuous improvement approach. This is why any one team will struggle to hold full responsibility.
We heard about a cross-organisational approach when there was success. This was a direct response of leadership support. Leaders knew that every team must help create an accessible culture. Knowing this leads to clear roles and responsibilities.
“I got to the stage where I wanted to hand over responsibility so that people took it seriously.
“[A member of another team] is responsible for accessibility compliance. It has meant that it’s seen as something that we need to do, rather than something that comms is just banging on about. And [not] something people can switch off if they don’t want to engage with it.”
Clear roles and responsibilities
Everyone has a role to play when it comes to creating a culture of accessibility. And this starts with executive teams. There needs to be a clear executive lead. Their role is to make accessibility a priority. They also set out roles and responsibilities.
The “why” is essential to creating an inclusive culture. Accessible practice helps people feel included. We heard how EDI teams have a role in sharing the why. EDI staff networks can also help with culture.
Most teams play a role in the creation of digital outputs. Thus, all teams need accessibility training. Learning and development teams are particularly important. They can put training programmes in place. They can also promote a culture of improvement. The involvement of IT teams is necessary. They ensure that websites and apps use technology that is accessible. Communications teams are important too. They often track changes in best practice. And if responsible for a website, they can publish content in an accessible way.
Investment in training
Interviewees shared their training experiences. All interviewees expressed how important training was. Organisations with an accessible culture prioritised training. They hired experts to train staff. Continuous learning was also important. In some cases, there was training for new employees or those moving into new roles.
These organisations also made time investments. Staff had time to do training and continuous learning. Projects had time to plan an accessible approach. Money and time investments are essential.
In unsuccessful situations, there was not a clear training plan. The value of accessibility expertise was not understood. In some situations, communications teams felt responsible. In the absence of a plan or external expertise, they filled the training gap. They developed and delivered training. They were not given training on how to do this. And in some cases, the team had not received any accessibility training. In most instances, individuals were self-taught. Accessible practice was not seen as a specialist skill.
Inclusive communications 