Digital accessibility is important. It is important because it is the right thing to do. It is also important because it is a law and non-compliance puts NYU at risk. So whether you prefer the “carrot” or the “stick,” please pay attention to digital accessibility.
Earlier this spring, we launched a substantially redesigned Digital Accessibility site. The new site is organized by role and contains how-to’s and checklists so that we can make sure we’re doing our part to support this essential initiative. Over the past few years, the Digital Accessibility team has worked with schools and departments to bring their public content up to standards, including the rollout of a new Accessibility dashboard that will help analyze the accessibility “health” of a particular asset (like a website) so that gaps can be filled.
The best way to bring others along is to set an example for them to follow, so I urge you to read through the content on the new site and make sure you and your colleagues are adhering to the recommendations you’ll find there and then maintain them going forward—it’s not a “one and done” process. Of particular interest to us in IT are the accessibility guides for content creators, software buyers, and developers and designers.
A couple of points to remember:
- Although there’s a Digital Accessibility team, the team effort involves all of us. Share the site with colleagues and co-workers.
- We don’t strive for digital accessibility because it’s a compliance obligation, but it IS a compliance obligation. Not prioritizing digital accessibility doesn’t just exclude members of the NYU community; it opens us up to legal consequences.
Everyone at NYU should be committed to accessibility, but we as technologists and tech leaders are especially well positioned to be advocates by making sure our work is compliant and always asking, “And what about digital accessibility?” during every planning session. It’s a legal obligation for NYU, yes, but more than that, it’s a basic consideration that we need to internalize because it is, simply, the right thing to do.