Ensure accessibility

What is accessibility?

Creating services and / or solutions that are designed in a way that are usable for everyone, including people with disabilities.

Knowledge

• Understanding of accessibility standards (e.g. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Government Digital Service (GDS) Accessibility Guidance).
• Knowledge of best practice user experience design practices.
• Understanding of the law as it relates to accessible design, including the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Bodies (websites and mobile applications) Accessibility Regulations.
• Knowledge of assistive technologies. Understanding of inclusive usability testing.

Skills

Able to:

• Advocate for accessible design practice: Promoting the importance of accessibility to all team members and ensuring accessibility is a key consideration in every aspect of service design.
• Understand the needs of users: Mapping potential users of the service or solution and ensuring that an inclusive approach is in place to capture the diversity of user needs from the start of any transformation initiative.
• Apply accessibility standards: Ensuring designs are inclusive, considering channels, interface design, content, contrast, alternative text, keyboard accessibility, responsive design, technical accessibility, and continual feedback mechanisms.
• Plan and conduct usability testing: Using accessibility testing tools to identify accessibility issues and testing with real users to ensure services and solutions meet their needs.
• Consider assistive technologies: Determining how assistive technologies such as screen readers and voice recognition software might be used and how they will need to interact with services to deliver an inclusive user experience. 
• Make decisions: Balancing the need for accessibility and the requirement to make reasonable adjustments to ensure inclusive service delivery with consideration of the potential for excessive cost, risk, disruption, and administrative overheads, ensuring decisions about limiting accessibility take full account of the law and are justified.
• Collaborate and communicate: Working as part of cross functional teams to embed accessibility requirements at every stage of the design process.
• Solve problems: Identifying and resolving accessibility issues, ensuring options are considered.
• Manage time: Able to work within timescales and to project milestones.
• Manage risk: Identity, assess and manage the risks associated with accessibility, including legal, regulatory, financial, and reputational risk.