When people have a say in decisions that affect their work, they tend to perform better.
When people feel they have control in a situation, they'll put in real effort. Especially if the situation is important and they feel it. But you need both importance and control. Because if they feel something matters but they have no control, they get defensive and start covering their backs.
I found that people throw themselves into work that aligns with their own interests. You can force compliance through orders, but you'll only get second-hand work. Work that is meh. Real commitment comes when people see how their work connects to their own goals.
So what can we learn from this?
If you want to get buy-in for accessibility, you need to do more than just tell teams they need to do it. You need to do the leg work to help them understand their role in shaping these decisions.
When developers and designers have a voice in how accessibility is implemented, they're much more likely to champion these changes rather than viewing them as requirements. They'll dig deep and appreciate user research. They'll look for simpler approaches that work for more people.
So it's your job to uncover what drives your team and connect it to accessibility.
Reaching more users? Building more elegant solutions? Creating tech that makes a real difference in people's lives? Trying new things? Or something else entirely.
When they see how accessibility aligns with their professional goals and values, they're more likely to commit deeply to the work rather than just checking boxes on a WCAG compliance list.