Leaders
Accessibility is a leadership deliverable.
It is more than just a technical checklist; it is a key driver of employee engagement, brand reputation, and legal compliance. As a leader, you are responsible for setting the tone, removing systemic barriers, and ensuring your team has the time and budget to build inclusive products.
Accessibility failures often surface late, publicly, and expensively.
Quick Wins
Set the Tone
Mention accessibility in your next Town Hall or team meeting. Make it clear that inclusion is a priority, not an afterthought.
Secure the Budget
Ensure your project budgets include line items for captioning, ASL interpreters, and third-party accessibility testing.
Hire Inclusively
Review job descriptions to ensure they don't contain biased language. Ensure your interview process is accessible to candidates with disabilities.
Model Behavior
Turn on captions during Teams meetings and ensure your own slide decks are checked for accessibility before sharing.
Check Vendor Compliance
Before signing a contract, ask: "Has this vendor provided an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)?"
Governance Toolkit
Resources to help you manage compliance within your department
Hiring & Onboarding
- Inclusive Interview Guide
- Accommodations Process for New Hires
- Accessible Job Description Templates
Procurement
- Vendor Evaluation Scorecard
- Standard Contract Clauses for Accessibility
- How to read a VPAT/ACR
Metrics & Reporting
You cannot manage what you do not measure. Use these frameworks to track your team’s progress.
Maturity Model
Assess your team’s current state—from “Ad-hoc” to “Optimized”—and identify the gaps needed to reach the next level.
Portfolio Health Dashboard
A centralized view (Power BI) of automated accessibility scores across your digital products. Monitor trend lines over time.
Defect Tracking (ADO)
Track the remediation status of critical and serious accessibility bugs using our standardized Azure DevOps queries.
What to expect in the first 90 days
Visibility into current gaps
Reduced late-stage surprises
Shared language across teams
References
wA11y Design System
The official “cookbook” for accessibility. Copy-paste patterns for tabs, accordions, and modals.
Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
A filterable list of all Success Criteria. Great for checking specific requirements.
The Business Case
W3C’s comprehensive guide on the financial, technical, and legal benefits of web accessibility.
Inclusive Leadership
Training module for executives on fostering psychological safety and inclusion.
