Accessibility Debt — What is it? How to pay it off ???

Sometimes, accessibility isn’t important until suddenly it is.

Cartoon young man kicking a can

The accessibility paradigm shift from “yeah, eventually” to being included as part of “business as usual” usually derives from one of the following occurances:

1. a lost sales opportunity over lack of accessibility compliance
2. an EEOC complaint alleging discrimination based on disability
3. a lawsuit filed over lack of accessibility
4. Negative impact to brand reputation over a lack of inclusion

At many companies the “accessibility can” has repeatedly been kicked down the road (it’s not important … it’s not important) and then suddenly, it’s the most important thing for your company and your company needs it now. That can result in your accessibility effort getting kicked into overdrive, when it was previously stagnating or non-existent. The steps identified below are one way of accomplishing this.

National Debt Clock and federal spending information overlayed in front of a government building

Step 1: Stop Increasing Accessibility Debt

“Tech Debt” is the phrase used to describe development work that arises when code that is…