Digital accessibility isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity, for millions of people and likely, many individuals using your digital product. By making your website or app usable for people with disabilities today, you expand your audience, strengthen your brand, and future-proof your online presence. Waiting for an executive mandate or a vendor budget only delays progress. The good news is that you can drive meaningful accessibility improvements with the resources you already have.
Why Digital Accessibility Can’t Wait
Every day you postpone accessibility remediation, you risk alienating customers and inviting legal challenges. Roughly one in four adults in the United States has a disability, and globally over one billion people rely on assistive technologies like screen readers and captioning tools. Ignoring accessibility not only excludes this audience but also leaves money on the table and weakens your search ranking. Starting now signals your commitment to all users, enriches your user experience, and builds credibility.
My Personal Experience
Back when I was employed in the eCommerce team of a major U.S. airline, we were mandated to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA within two years. That first year was spent attempting to get people to take this serious and gain executive leadership support. While we were working on this, we did the little things to make things more accessible, like remediating text alternatives on images, headings, bulleted lists and the like. By the time we finally receive support and funding for an external vendor, we had already made inroads in fixing the “low hanging fruit.”
Overcome the Executive Buy-In Barrier
It’s true that leadership support can unlock resources and accelerate adoption. However, you don’t need a boardroom decree to make initial, basic changes. Accessibility champions at all levels can influence colleagues by demonstrating quick wins. Share simple before-and-after examples, like improved keyboard navigation or properly tagged headings, to illustrate the impact. Small, grassroots successes often persuade executives faster than lengthy ROI calculations.
Low-Cost, High-Impact Digital Accessibility Actions
You don’t need to hire an external vendor to start making your site more accessible. Focus on high-impact, low-effort tactics, such as:
- Ensure all images include descriptive text alternatives that accurately conveys content.
- Verify sufficient color contrast between text and background to assist low-vision users.
- Enable keyboard navigation by checking that every interactive element receives focus.
- Add meaningful link text instead of generic “click here” or “read more.”
Each of these steps can be implemented by your existing web or content team without extra budget.
Leverage Free Tools and Community Resources
Countless free tools help you identify and fix accessibility issues right now. Browser extensions like ARC Toolkit and automatically flag violations against WCAG guidelines and client apps like Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) allow you to identify the most common accessibility issues, color contrast. Online resources, from the W3C’s official tutorials to community-driven forums, offer step-by-step guidance. GitHub repositories contain open-source code snippets that enhance ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) integration. YouTube channels and blogs break down complex topics into digestible videos and articles. Harness these assets to make immediate progress without waiting for outside funding.
Building Momentum and Measuring Progress
To maintain momentum, set achievable monthly goals and track your improvements. Start with a baseline accessibility audit using free automated tools, then document the number and severity of issues. Each sprint, focus on resolving one category, such as color contrast or form field accessibility, and update your report. Celebrate wins publicly, whether in an internal newsletter or a project management board. This transparent approach demonstrates progress, fosters buy-in across departments, and keeps the team accountable.
Cultivating an Inclusive Culture
True accessibility goes beyond technical fixes. Promote an inclusive mindset among content creators, designers, and developers by embedding accessibility into every process. Incorporate a quick accessibility checklist into your design templates. Train copywriters on plain language and meaningful link descriptions. Encourage developers to request peer reviews focused on ARIA roles and keyboard support. When accessibility becomes everyone’s responsibility, you create a sustainable culture that doesn’t require executive micromanagement.
Accessibility Actions for Non-Tech Teams
Digital accessibility isn’t solely a developer’s remit. Marketing, sales, and customer support teams can contribute immediately:
- Content teams can write text alternatives and ensure videos include accurate transcripts.
- Marketing can audit landing pages for accessible form labels and clear calls to action.
- Customer support can log accessibility feedback and share real-world user pain points.
These cross-functional efforts accelerate progress and demonstrate that accessibility is a shared responsibility.
Planning for Advanced Enhancements
Once you’ve tackled quick wins, plan for long-term improvements. Establish an internal accessibility roadmap that aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA standards. Identify complex features, like dynamic forms, multimedia players, or data tables, that may require deeper technical work. Assign ownership for these modules and schedule periodic vendor or consultant reviews if needed. Even without immediate funding, you can draft proposals, estimate timelines, and gather team support to keep the momentum alive.
Conclusion: Your Digital Accessibility Journey Starts Today
Waiting for executive sign-off or a vendor budget only delays the immense benefits of digital accessibility. By taking immediate, low-cost actions, like text alternatives, semantic markup, and color contrast, you demonstrate measurable impact. Free tools, community resources, and cross-functional teamwork fuel progress without stalling for external approvals. As you build momentum, your grassroots successes will attract leadership attention and pave the way for advanced investments. Make accessibility a priority now, and watch your inclusive website deliver better user experiences and greater brand equity tomorrow.
Ready to get started? Pick one quick accessibility fix today. Share your progress on your next team call. Your users are waiting, and they deserve an inclusive digital experience right now.