Implementation and Evaluation
Ensuring accessibility does not end with purchasing the material or choosing the vendor. Accessibility should be assessed in an on-going way. There should be regular checks to ensure accessibility still meets your standards. Vendors often need reminders about your commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
Accessibility checks should also be done with materials that you have created. There are a number of resources available that can help guide you in creating accessible content. The most commonly used is the Microsoft accessibility checker that can be used in Word or PowerPoint. It should be noted though that there is no checker that can guarantee full accessibility. All processes still involve manually checking some components and development skills such as creating effective Alt-Text. These checkers may be able to check for the presence of certain elements, they often cannot evaluate the quality of those elements.
Suggestions
- When working with vendors emphasize the importance of accessibility and inclusion
- Ask the vendor to share a key accessibility contact
- Ask vendors to share accessibility information when updating products
- Run regular assessments of product accessibility
- When products are updated re-assess accessibility
- Before updating software, ensure that the product is still accessible
Recommended Resources
- WebAIM - Accessibility Evaluation Tools Links to an external site.
- WebAIM – Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool Links to an external site.
- WebAIM – Color Contrast Checker Links to an external site.
- Section 508.gov - Test for Accessibility Links to an external site.
- Microsoft – Improve Accessibility with the Accessibility Checker Links to an external site.