Yesterday, I wrote that you can't wait for permission to start working on accessibility.
It's not just that you can't wait. You don't even need anyone's permission.
A lot of the initial accessibility work happens at the implementation level. It's in how you write your code, structure your HTML and label your form fields.
These aren't product decisions that need sign-off. They're craft decisions that sit entirely within your control as someone building the thing.
Here are some things that need permission:
- Changing your pricing model
- Adding a new feature to the roadmap
- Removing functionality that users rely on
- Shifting your brand positioning
These are strategic choices that affect the business. And yeah, you absolutely need to get people on board before you crack on with them.
But accessibility is different.
Using semantic HTML doesn't require a stakeholder meeting. Adding alt text to images doesn't need board approval. Making sure your colour contrast passes WCAG standards isn't a product decision. All this is just you doing your job properly.
It turns out that before you come up with a top-down strategy for accessibility, the overwhelming majority of accessibility improvements are about quality. How you build the product. They've got nothing to do with product strategy.
You're not changing what you're building. You're changing how you build it. For the better. And that's always been within your purview.
The wonky button still does the same thing. It just works for more people now.