Start with Accessibility: How to integrate Accessibility into Web Projects

Accessibility is an essential aspect of web development. It ensures that people with disabilities can access web-based services like anyone else. Incorporating accessibility best practices at the beginning of a project’s development cycle increases the positive impact of designing for a broader constituency. Taking accessibility into account early on also decreases the development costs associated with accessibility remediation, making it more cost effective to do so at the beginning rather than towards the end of a project.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has set standards and guidelines to ensure that websites and web applications are accessible to everyone.

Avoid only considering accessibility at the end of the development cycle. Instead, be sure to incorporate accessibility from the outset of a project.

Steps to consider when integrating accessibility into web projects:

  1. Project Initiation and Planning: At the beginning of the project, identify legal requirements. Allocate budget, plan for quality of service, and decide on various technical specifications. This phase should include consultations on which technologies to use or avoid during development.
  2. Design Stage: This stage requires initial mock-ups and content creation. Consultations for design guidance and best practices are important, as they limit potential accessibility issues in the next stage. Getting feedback on initial visual or functional design prototypes will not only verify whether basic legal requirements for accessibility are being met, but will also ensure that the website or application works well for everyone.
  3. Development Stage: At this stage, consult the IT Accessibility office’s pre-development checklist. Also, perform components and modular accessibility reviews regularly. To start, ensure that developers have the right tools. Integrate accessibility into the development process. Include accessibility checks with current testing and quality assurance (QA) processes.
  4. Project Closure: During the project closure stage, request an Accessibility Compliance Audit. This will ensure that the website or application meets ESDC’s accessibility standards.

Post-Project Plan

It is a mistake to assume that a project will remain accessible after achieving accessibility compliance. Individuals change careers, technologies advance, and solutions will change. Therefore, a post-project-release monitoring plan should be put in place in order to:

  1. Perform regular reviews to ensure accessibility compliance over periods of time.
  2. Ensure that existing websites or applications remain compatible when new assistive/adaptive technologies, redesigns, updates, or features are implemented.
  3. Provide accessibility knowledge to staff in a continuous manner by offering repeated training opportunities as staff and responsibilities change.

Accessibility is one of ESDC’s top priorities. The Accessibility Curriculum and the ESDC Self-Paced Web Accessibility Course provide an opportunity for employees to increase their knowledge of accessibility. These resources will help employees meet the obligations set out in the Accessible Canada Act, which will assist them in better serving internal and external clients and fostering an inclusive work environment.

Educate Yourself Further

  1. Start with Accessibility
  2. Web Accessibility Standards: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA and the Harmonised European Standard (EN 301 549)
  3. Web Accessibility Checklist for ESDC Development Teams

Should you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to the IT Accessibility Office’s Awareness team.

Visit ESDC’s IT Accessibility Office to learn more about accessibility and ESDC’s Accessibility Plan.