Building a Complete Accessibility Program: From
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Building a Complete Accessibility Program: From Audit to Long-Term Inclusion David Sloan Amy Major Chief Accessibility Officer Practice Manager January 29, 2026 Agenda Setting the scene: Accessibility Maturity Getting Started: Accessibility
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01
Building a Complete Accessibility Program: From Audit to Long-Term Inclusion David Sloan Amy Major Chief Accessibility Officer Practice Manager
January 29, 2026<br>
January 29, 2026<br>
02
Agenda Setting the scene: Accessibility Maturity
Getting Started: Accessibility Audits and Accessibility Program Development
From Audit to Program
How Vispero Can Help: Managed Service Offerings
Q&A<br>
Getting Started: Accessibility Audits and Accessibility Program Development
From Audit to Program
How Vispero Can Help: Managed Service Offerings
Q&A<br>
03
Setting the Scene: Accessibility Maturity<br>
04
What motivates accessibility efforts? Lawsuits
Anticipatory: risk management strategy
Actual: dealing with a complaint or resolution agreement
Meeting B2B demands for accessible products
Suppliers to public entities, regulated industries
Keeping up with competitors
Realizing accessibility means designing a better product for a growing proportion of the target audience RISK OPPORTUNITY<br>
Anticipatory: risk management strategy
Actual: dealing with a complaint or resolution agreement
Meeting B2B demands for accessible products
Suppliers to public entities, regulated industries
Keeping up with competitors
Realizing accessibility means designing a better product for a growing proportion of the target audience RISK OPPORTUNITY<br>
05
Organizational accessibility maturity Organizations are at different stages in their accessibility journey
Some organizations know where they stand and what they need to get to where they want to be; others may need guidance in identifying those needs
Establishing a sense of organizational accessibility maturity helps identify current state and how to advance to a better future state in a sustainable way
Advancing to a better future state is the focus of an accessibility program<br>
Some organizations know where they stand and what they need to get to where they want to be; others may need guidance in identifying those needs
Establishing a sense of organizational accessibility maturity helps identify current state and how to advance to a better future state in a sustainable way
Advancing to a better future state is the focus of an accessibility program<br>
06
What does accessibility maturity look like? Organizations are at different stages in their accessibility journey. Maturity levels based on W3C Accessibility Maturity Model: https://www.w3.org/TR/maturity-model/<br>
07
Dimensions of organizational accessibility maturity Communications
Information and communication technology (ICT) development lifecycle
Knowledge and skills development
Oversight and culture
Personnel (inclusion for employees with disabilities)
Procurement (of third-party information and communication technologies)
Support (for customers/users with disabilities)
Reference: W3C Accessibility Maturity Model: https://www.w3.org/TR/maturity-model/<br>
Information and communication technology (ICT) development lifecycle
Knowledge and skills development
Oversight and culture
Personnel (inclusion for employees with disabilities)
Procurement (of third-party information and communication technologies)
Support (for customers/users with disabilities)
Reference: W3C Accessibility Maturity Model: https://www.w3.org/TR/maturity-model/<br>
08
Advancing organizational maturity requires deliberate planning and support Identifying scope of program based on maturity dimensions
Establishing goals
Securing budget, staffing, and leadership support to implement program
But how do you get started?<br>
Establishing goals
Securing budget, staffing, and leadership support to implement program
But how do you get started?<br>
09
Getting started: Accessibility audits and accessibility program development<br>
10
Accessibility at an early stage of ICT development lifecycle maturity Accessibility?<br>
11
Improving accessibility maturity by shifting left Accessibility<br>
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Accessibility audits as a starting point Audits are a common starting point for addressing accessibility concerns, often reactive and specific:
May be responding to or anticipating a legal complaint
Confined to a specific digital resource based on specific characteristics, for example: traffic, organizational priority, customer request.
Audits help identify accessibility issues and the level of work needed to address them
Support focusing efforts on fixing issues
But effectively and sustainably acting on audit results requires resources, expertise and strategic management<br>
May be responding to or anticipating a legal complaint
Confined to a specific digital resource based on specific characteristics, for example: traffic, organizational priority, customer request.
Audits help identify accessibility issues and the level of work needed to address them
Support focusing efforts on fixing issues
But effectively and sustainably acting on audit results requires resources, expertise and strategic management<br>
13
Accessibility Audits – Ideal Context Inventory all digital resources (websites, mobile apps, documents, software)
Prioritize each based on accessibility risk and opportunity:
Business needs (internal and external)
Frequency of use
Compliance needs (demand letter/complaint)
Audit each resource in prioritized order
Establish an accessibility baseline for each resource<br>
Prioritize each based on accessibility risk and opportunity:
Business needs (internal and external)
Frequency of use
Compliance needs (demand letter/complaint)
Audit each resource in prioritized order
Establish an accessibility baseline for each resource<br>
14
From Audit to Program<br>
15
Audits as insight to accessibility program strategy Accessibility baseline informs a strategy for dealing with issues and taking steps to reduce the chances of issue re-occurrence:
Process needs: Where/when did issues occur? Design? Development? Content creation? How can processes be adjusted to improve how accessibility is handled?
Accessibility training needs: Do issues indicate that specific types of accessibility training is needed?
Issue patterns: Do issues appear in multiple locations or on multiple sites? Which issues can be fixed in one central place (e.g. a code library)?
Procurement needs: Where issues exist in third party/vendor content and need a separate resolution strategy
UX needs: Do issues indicate a need to improve user experience for people with disabilities?
Documentation and support – How can known issues be communicated to people affected and appropriate support provided while they still exist?<br>
Process needs: Where/when did issues occur? Design? Development? Content creation? How can processes be adjusted to improve how accessibility is handled?
Accessibility training needs: Do issues indicate that specific types of accessibility training is needed?
Issue patterns: Do issues appear in multiple locations or on multiple sites? Which issues can be fixed in one central place (e.g. a code library)?
Procurement needs: Where issues exist in third party/vendor content and need a separate resolution strategy
UX needs: Do issues indicate a need to improve user experience for people with disabilities?
Documentation and support – How can known issues be communicated to people affected and appropriate support provided while they still exist?<br>
16
Accessibility Program: Key Features Building role-based accessibility knowledge and skills
Integrating accessibility into:
the design and development lifecycle
quality assurance testing
Including people with disabilities in user experience research and design
Including accessibility in ICT procurement processes
Establishing accessibility governance and reporting<br>
Integrating accessibility into:
the design and development lifecycle
quality assurance testing
Including people with disabilities in user experience research and design
Including accessibility in ICT procurement processes
Establishing accessibility governance and reporting<br>
17
Building knowledge and skills Role-based training
Ensure everyone understands their accessibility responsibility and knows how to meet that responsibility
Designers, developers, UX specialists, product/project managers, content producers, marketing and communications, technical writers, senior leadership
Resources and tools
Shared repository of accessibility resources
Tools to support accessibility checking (manual and automated)<br>
Ensure everyone understands their accessibility responsibility and knows how to meet that responsibility
Designers, developers, UX specialists, product/project managers, content producers, marketing and communications, technical writers, senior leadership
Resources and tools
Shared repository of accessibility resources
Tools to support accessibility checking (manual and automated)<br>
18
Integrating accessibility into the ICT development process In UX and visual design
In development
Manual checks
Automated testing integrated into the development process
In formal quality assurance testing
Ensuring accessibility bugs are documented and managed in an equivalent way to other bugs
In production of reusable resources such as design systems, style guides, and code libraries and their documentation<br>
In development
Manual checks
Automated testing integrated into the development process
In formal quality assurance testing
Ensuring accessibility bugs are documented and managed in an equivalent way to other bugs
In production of reusable resources such as design systems, style guides, and code libraries and their documentation<br>
19
Including people with disabilities in user experience activities Whenever activities involve representative users of a digital product
In exploratory research to establish requirements for a digital product
In co-design activities
When evaluating what’s being built to ensure it meets requirements
In representations of users/customers of the product
Build processes and resources to enable product teams to engage people with disabilities in user research
Hire people with disabilities in positions that influence digital resource creation<br>
In exploratory research to establish requirements for a digital product
In co-design activities
When evaluating what’s being built to ensure it meets requirements
In representations of users/customers of the product
Build processes and resources to enable product teams to engage people with disabilities in user research
Hire people with disabilities in positions that influence digital resource creation<br>
20
Procurement Integrating accessibility requirements into organization’s ICT procurement policy and processes:
In RFPs and other specifications of products/services to be procured
In evaluating candidate vendors and products for accessibility quality and capacity
In the selection process
In contract language
Accessibility risk mitigation plan for a selected product or service<br>
In RFPs and other specifications of products/services to be procured
In evaluating candidate vendors and products for accessibility quality and capacity
In the selection process
In contract language
Accessibility risk mitigation plan for a selected product or service<br>
21
Governance and culture Key components:
Organizational accessibility policy to communicate commitment and expectation
Technical accessibility standard
Leadership buy-in and communication of importance of accessibility
Disability present in representation of customers and product users; accessible internal and public communications
Intentional effort to grow number of employees with disabilities and improve accessibility of the workforce<br>
Organizational accessibility policy to communicate commitment and expectation
Technical accessibility standard
Leadership buy-in and communication of importance of accessibility
Disability present in representation of customers and product users; accessible internal and public communications
Intentional effort to grow number of employees with disabilities and improve accessibility of the workforce<br>
22
Reporting and monitoring Product accessibility reporting
Documenting level of accessibility in VPAT Accessibility Conformance Reports and information for users
Accessibility scorecard
Collected data on accessibility performance
Monitor year-over-year progress in key program areas; informs strategy and budget for areas of opportunity
Feedback loop
Receiving feedback on accessibility issues with products and providing support
Process for handling demand letters/complaints<br>
Documenting level of accessibility in VPAT Accessibility Conformance Reports and information for users
Accessibility scorecard
Collected data on accessibility performance
Monitor year-over-year progress in key program areas; informs strategy and budget for areas of opportunity
Feedback loop
Receiving feedback on accessibility issues with products and providing support
Process for handling demand letters/complaints<br>
23
Achievable program progress Focus on prioritizing efforts based on available resources
Set achievable goals and timelines
Find a community - identify and work with supporters and enthusiasts from leadership and grassroots
Celebrate and share success<br>
Set achievable goals and timelines
Find a community - identify and work with supporters and enthusiasts from leadership and grassroots
Celebrate and share success<br>
24
How Vispero Can Help Advance Maturity: Managed Service Offerings<br>
25
What does accessibility maturity look like? (refresher) Organizations are at different stages in their accessibility journey. Maturity levels based on W3C Accessibility Maturity Model: https://www.w3.org/TR/maturity-model/<br>
26
1 Vispero Service Offerings Training
General and role-specific training options
ARC Tutor: Training Library
Standard and Custom Training (Virtual/In-Person Delivery)
Strategic Consulting – Technical and Programmatic
Audits
Web, PDF, mobile apps, etc.
Remediation and validation support (i.e., Help Desk)<br>
General and role-specific training options
ARC Tutor: Training Library
Standard and Custom Training (Virtual/In-Person Delivery)
Strategic Consulting – Technical and Programmatic
Audits
Web, PDF, mobile apps, etc.
Remediation and validation support (i.e., Help Desk)<br>
27
2 Vispero Service Offerings Governance and Compliance
Policy and standards development
Accessibility reporting –
Public: VPATs and accessibility statements
Internal: Accessibility scorecards and benchmarking
UX/Design
Design reviews
AT user flow testing
User research and usability testing<br>
Policy and standards development
Accessibility reporting –
Public: VPATs and accessibility statements
Internal: Accessibility scorecards and benchmarking
UX/Design
Design reviews
AT user flow testing
User research and usability testing<br>
28
3 Vispero Service Offerings Program Management and Support
Expert Services – targeted specialist accessibility support
Strategic Consulting – Program planning; roadmap development and implementation support
Kiosk and Closed System Accessibility
Supporting accessibility of kiosks, self-service terminals, payment devices, and other hardware where users can’t install own AT
JAWS Scripting
Help customers help their employees who are blind or low vision successfully use their workplace software – when remediating the software isn’t an option<br>
Expert Services – targeted specialist accessibility support
Strategic Consulting – Program planning; roadmap development and implementation support
Kiosk and Closed System Accessibility
Supporting accessibility of kiosks, self-service terminals, payment devices, and other hardware where users can’t install own AT
JAWS Scripting
Help customers help their employees who are blind or low vision successfully use their workplace software – when remediating the software isn’t an option<br>
29
Q & A<br>
30
Thank You! We appreciate you joining us today! If you have any questions or wish to discuss how Vispero can help you on your accessibility journey, please contact us!
David Sloan – dsloan@vispero.com Amy Major – amajor@vispero.com<br>
David Sloan – dsloan@vispero.com Amy Major – amajor@vispero.com<br>