Creating Accessible Web Experiences: It Starts with Cultural Change

10 Aug 2021
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Posted by Crownpeak
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Digital Quality Management (DQM) simplifies the process of creating an accessible, inclusive experience.

When it comes to delivering accessible web experiences, no two organizations are the same, which is why Crownpeak takes a custom, expert-led approach to every implementation.

Crownpeak’s Director of Solutions Engineering and Enablement, Kathryn Putt, has many years’ experience working with leading brands to deliver accessibility and inclusivity initiatives across complex, enterprise environments. We interviewed her to get her front-line perspectives on why Crownpeak’s personalized, end-to-end approach is so effective for enterprise environments, and how it can help them fast-track compliance.

What are some common misconceptions about digital accessibility?

Many organizations treat website accessibility and compliance as afterthoughts in the design and launch process. Companies often come to us at Crownpeak once their lack of accessibility and inclusivity has become problematic.

Whenever we start an engagement, the first objective is to clarify the scope of digital accessibility.

Many people are surprised that creating a digitally accessible experience isn’t just about tweaking a few pieces of code. It starts with changing an organization’s wider culture. It should be part of the UX design process, not something that is ‘fixed’ piecemeal every time someone complains.

There’s a tremendous amount of thought that goes into creating an accessible online experience. When you ingrain this into your culture, you put yourself at an advantage because everything you create is likely to comply with accessibility requirements.

Why is Crownpeak’s approach to accessibility different?

DQM is a website quality management solution specifically designed for complex enterprise environments. But it’s about much more than technology - it helps to embed a consistent approach to digital governance and informs the way in which accessibility actions are implemented within an organization.

What we do here at Crownpeak is help organizations change the culture of how they view digital quality and standards.

Our solution has two main components:

  • Our DQM platform provides automated scanning and monitoring of accessibility and digital quality issues.
  • Manual testing and expert consultation

What is the DQM platform?

The DQM platform provides automated scanning, identifying accessibility and other compliance violations and providing guided advice on how to remediate the issues. It focuses on the entire web presence, from websites to apps, or any way in which companies digitally engage with their audiences.

The platform helps companies support and embed their digital governance frameworks by enabling managers to formalize and assign responsibilities to individuals, who will then use the platform to manage, optimize and track accessibility, quality and compliance criteria that fall within their remit.

DQM covers a wide range of digital best practices, including: web accessibility, SEO, and regulatory compliance, but is also highly customizable to each company’s brand and business rules. It’s customizability is a major advantage of the platform and truly sets the solution apart from our out-the-box competitors.

For example, standards can be set up to cover everything from your messaging, corporate terminology, and branding rules - basically anything that impacts your digital presence can be monitored and measured.

The importance of human-powered testing and remediation

To become fully WCAG-compliant, an accessibility review and certification process is usually performed by a third-party organization. Here Crownpeak’s solution addresses a gap that exists in many technology-only providers – access to human-powered testing and remediation.

In addition to end-user testing, our consultants can work to nurture a culture of accessibility and assist with accessibility and planning.

Why Crownpeak provides the fastest, most sustainable path to compliance

Crownpeak’s unique pairing of technology and human-powered remediation is geared to the demands of complex, enterprise environments. It combines both the speed, scalability and efficiency advantages of our automated scanning and remediation technology with the deep subject-matter expertise necessary to embed a long-term, sustainable approach.

Our integrated model is proven to help organizations foster inclusivity, reach their goals faster and realise the value of their investment while meeting critical compliance objectives.

Ready to learn more about the power and efficiency of DQM? Try it free for 14 days , or talk to an accessibility expert, today .