It's all about leadership and high-level decisions. It's when the "big bosses," the CEO, the CPO or the department heads, decide that accessibility is a priority.
This usually happens because they want to follow the law, avoid a lawsuit or make sure the company looks good to the public. Sorry to say this, but it's rare I've seen a C-level have real empathy for the end-user unless the end-user has a fat wallet.
In this approach, accessibility becomes a management mandate. It starts with them setting a policy and referencing some legal requirements. The focus is usually strictly on compliance, legal risk, company culture and procurement.
The good
- Accessibility gets funded. When the boss says it matters, people actually get paid to do it.
- The policy makes it consistent. Everyone in the company is suddenly following the same set of rules.
- It feels "official." Accessibility is no longer just a "nice to have" idea, but a requirement of the job.
The not-so-good
- Accessibility becomes a checklist. Sometimes, people get so caught up in following the rules that they forget they're building for people. So everything becomes a game of "did we pass the test?" rather than "can everyone use this?"
- Work lacks commitment and heart. If the leadership just wants to avoid a fine, the team might do the bare minimum. Technically, the product will meet the code, but just barely.
Under a top-down approach, accessibility is 100% subject to the management's whim. If they later decide it's no longer a priority, accessibility suffers a sudden violent death. No one cares any more.
This is very different in a bottom-up approach. We'll see why in the next email.