Building Accessible Software Products

As a product manager, ensuring that your products are accessible to all users is an essential part of your job. One of the most important standards for web accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). In this blog post, we’ll explore the key elements of WCAG compliance from a product management perspective.

What is WCAG?

WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to help make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines are organized into three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA. Level A is the most basic level of conformance and covers the minimum requirements for accessibility. Level AA is the middle level of conformance and covers a broader range of accessibility issues. Level AAA is the highest level of conformance and covers the most comprehensive range of accessibility issues.

What are some examples of WCAG Compliance?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 provides guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Some examples of WCAG compliance include:

1. Providing alternative text for images: This ensures that people using screen readers can understand the content of images.
2. Using headings and labels correctly: This helps people using screen readers navigate the content of a web page.
3. Making sure that text and background have enough contrast: This helps people with visual impairments read the text.
4. Providing captions for videos: This helps people with hearing impairments understand the content of videos.
5. Using simple and clear language: This helps people with cognitive and learning disabilities understand the content of a web page.
6. Providing a clear and consistent layout: This helps people with visual impairments find the information they need.
7. Making sure that all functionality is available through a keyboard: This helps people who cannot use a mouse access the content of a web page.
8. Making sure that the website can be navigated with a screen reader: This helps people with visual impairments access the content of a web page.
9. Making sure that the website can be navigated with a keyboard: This helps people with mobility impairments access the content of a web page.
10. Making sure that the website can be scaled up to 200% without loss of content or functionality: This helps people with visual impairments access the content of a web page.

These are just a few examples of the many guidelines provided by WCAG 2.1. It’s important to follow all the guidelines and test the website/app with real users with disabilities to ensure that it’s fully accessible to everyone.

Why is WCAG Compliance Important?

WCAG compliance is important for a number of reasons.

1. First and foremost, it ensures that your products are accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. This not only improves the user experience for people with disabilities, but it also helps to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
2. WCAG compliance can help to improve your product’s search engine optimization (SEO) and increase its reach.
3. For Enterprise products, WCAG compliance is essential before you can sell your product to large organizations in some cases. This would be necessary to close some deals

How to Ensure WCAG Compliance?

1. Conduct an accessibility audit: The first step in ensuring WCAG compliance is to conduct an accessibility audit of your product. This will help you to identify any issues that may be affecting accessibility
2. Incorporate accessibility into your development process: Incorporating accessibility into your development process is key to ensuring WCAG compliance. This means incorporating accessibility testing into your quality assurance (QA) process and making sure that your developers are trained on accessibility best practices.
3. Use automated testing tools: Automated testing tools can be a great help in ensuring WCAG compliance. There are a number of tools available that can scan your web pages and highlight any issues that may be affecting accessibility.
4. Involve users with disabilities in the testing process: Involving users with disabilities in the testing process is essential for ensuring that your products are truly accessible. These users can provide valuable feedback on the accessibility of your products and help you identify any issues that may be missed by automated testing tools.
5. Continuously monitor and improve: Ensuring WCAG compliance is an ongoing process. Regularly monitoring your products and making improvements as needed is essential to maintaining compliance.

What are some 3rd Party vendors that can perform WCAG Audits?

There are several third-party vendors that can perform WCAG audits on websites and digital products. Some examples include:

1. AccessibilityOz: This company provides accessibility consulting and testing services, including WCAG audits, to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to all users.
2. The Paciello Group: This company provides a range of accessibility services, including WCAG audits, to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to users with disabilities.
3. Deque Systems: This company provides a range of accessibility services, including WCAG audits and accessibility testing, to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to all users.
4. Accessible360: This company offers WCAG compliance audits and other accessibility services to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to all users.
5. WebAIM: This company provides a range of accessibility services, including WCAG audits, to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to users with disabilities.
6. SSB Bart Group: This company provides a range of accessibility services, including WCAG audits, to help organizations ensure that their digital products are accessible to all users.

These are just a few examples, and there are many other third-party vendors that can perform WCAG audits. It is important to research and compare different vendors to find one that can meet your specific needs and budget.

What are some testing tools to test WCAG Compliance?

There are several testing tools that can be used to test web content for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Some popular tools include:

1. WAVE: This browser extension analyzes web pages for accessibility issues and provides an easy-to-read report.
2. aXe: This browser extension can be used to test web pages for accessibility issues, and can also be integrated into automated testing frameworks.
3. WebAIM’s Contrast Checker: This tool allows you to check the contrast ratio of text against its background.
4. Accessibility Insights: This browser extension and the desktop app helps you test web pages for accessibility issues and provides guidance on how to fix them.
5. Siteimprove Accessibility: This cloud-based tool scans your website for accessibility issues and provides a detailed report with suggestions on how to fix them.
6. Tenon: This tool allows you to test web pages for accessibility issues and can be integrated into automated testing frameworks.

These are just a few examples of the many accessibility testing tools available. It’s worth noting that automated testing tools can only check for certain types of accessibility issues and should be used in conjunction with manual testing and testing by real users with disabilities.

What is VPAT?

VPAT stands for “Voluntary Product Accessibility Template.” It is a document that provides detailed information about how a product or service conforms to the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is a federal law that ensures that people with disabilities have access to electronic and information technology.

A VPAT typically includes information about the product or service, such as its name and version, as well as specific information about how it conforms to each of the accessibility requirements of Section 508. This can include information about compatibility with assistive technology, keyboard accessibility, and support for different types of disabilities.

VPATs are commonly used by government agencies and organizations that are required to comply with Section 508 when procuring electronic and information technology products and services. They can also be used by private organizations as a way to evaluate the accessibility of a product or service.

It’s worth mentioning that WCAG 2.1 is the international standard for web accessibility and it’s widely adopted by organizations worldwide. Some organizations may use WCAG 2.1 instead of VPAT.

In conclusion, Product managers should care about WCAG because it is an important aspect of creating inclusive and accessible products. Ensuring that your products are compliant with WCAG guidelines means that they are accessible to people with disabilities, including those who use assistive technologies such as screen readers or alternative input devices. Here are a few reasons why product managers should seriously care about WCAG:

1. Legal requirements: Many countries and states have laws and regulations that require websites and web applications to be accessible to people with disabilities. Ensuring WCAG compliance can help to mitigate legal risk and ensure compliance with these laws and regulations.
2. Improved user experience: Making your products accessible to people with disabilities improves the user experience for those users and helps to create a more inclusive and equitable society. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
3. Increased market reach: Ensuring WCAG compliance can help to increase the reach of your products, as it makes them more accessible to a wider range of users, including those with disabilities.
4. Better SEO: WCAG compliance can also have a positive impact on your product’s search engine optimization (SEO), as it can improve the accessibility of your site to search engines which will increase the chances of better ranking.
5. Competitive advantage: Companies that prioritize accessibility in their products are perceived as more socially responsible and innovative by their customers, which can give them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

By taking WCAG into consideration, product managers can create products that are inclusive, user-friendly, and legally compliant, which will help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and improve the overall performance of their products