The European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into effect last weekend. The ongoing joke was that everyone was waiting to see how all sites flip a switch and become accessible overnight. But the truth is that many are feeling the pressure.
They think they need to blow their budget or halt everything to get started. They disregard the smart process changes they can set up rather painlessly without blocking ongoing work.
Here are just three small things you can implement today that won't break the bank or your timeline.
1. Add accessibility checks to existing code reviews. Your developers are already reviewing code before it goes live. Just add a simple accessibility checklist to that process. Takes an extra 10 minutes per review, costs nothing and catches some issues before they hit production.
2. Start documenting accessibility decisions. When your team makes design or development choices, just write down why you did what you did from an accessibility perspective. Takes just a few minutes, creates a paper trail for compliance and helps future team members understand the reasoning.
3. Create an accessibility questions channel. Set up a simple way for your team to ask questions and report accessibility issues. This shows you're taking it seriously and gives you real-world insight into problems you might miss.
These process changes might seem small, but they add up quickly. They all target processes you already implement, making them easier to tack on as "just one more thing."