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Presenters

Chiara Nicastro

Independent

chiaranicastro1@gmail.com

Justin Harford

MIUSA

jharford@miusa.org

Molly Stern

AFS Intercultural Programs

molly.stern@afs.org

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Outline

What is a digital accessibility policy?
What should a digital accessibility policy include?
What does implementation look like?

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What is digital accessibility

Documents, websites, learning management modules, and multimedia content follow guidelines that make them usable by the widest range of people with and without disabilities possible

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What is a digital accessibility policy

The policies, rules or procedures within an organization that contribute to the production of accessible digital content over time

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Proposing a Strategy to Create Internal Digital Accessibility Policy

From Values to Action: Building Digital Accessibility with Strategy is Key

Developing a digital accessibility policy starts with a strategy — building inclusion into systems, not just statements
Laying the foundation for sustainable change

Chiara’s Talking Notes: Proposing an Internal Digital Accessibility Policy

Thanks, Justin! Before diving into what a digital accessibility policy includes the first step an individual needs to take is Proposing an Internal Digital Accessibility Strategy to their team.��From Values to Action: Building Digital Accessibility with Strategy is Key…. Let’s start with a big-picture question: How do we turn our values around inclusion and access into actual policy, systems, decisions, and standards in our digital work?

That’s where a digital accessibility policy comes into play — but before we can write one, we need a strategy. (READ OFF SLIDE HERE)

Developing a digital accessibility policy starts with a strategy — it turning inclusion into systems, not just statements
Laying the foundation for sustainable change

Strategy gives us the structure, goals, and team alignment we need. It turns good intentions into real, measurable progress.

So today, we’ll begin by exploring how you can propose an internal strategy to your team. You don’t need to be in leadership to drive this effort — because a policy without a clear plan for digital accessibility won’t create real lasting change.

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Why strategy matters:

Defines where you are, where you’re going, and how you’ll get there
Shifts accessibility from reactive fixes to proactive, human-centered design
Builds collaboration and shared ownership across teams
Aligns with legal standards (ADA, Section 508, WCAG)
Reduces digital exclusion while reinforcing your team’s values and company mission

Chiara’s Talking Notes: Start by Proposing an Internal Accessibility Strategy

To truly embed accessibility into our digital work, we have to treat it as a strategic priority not a one-off compliance task. So Why does a strategy matter

I’ll read the slide aloud now for accessibility:

Defines where we are, where we’re going, and how we’ll get there
Shifts accessibility from reactive fixes to proactive, human-centered design
Builds collaboration and shared ownership across teams
Aligns with legal standards, like the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG
Reduces risk while reinforcing our values of equity and inclusion

It shifts us from reacting to accessibility barriers to proactively preventing them — so that, eventually, accessibility becomes second nature. It’s about embedding access into the foundation of how we design, build, and deliver digital experiences. A clear strategy also helps us meet legal requirements and reduce risk, while more importantly, reinforcing our organizational values and mission.

[Chiara Pause briefly]

And just as importantly, a well-communicated strategy invites team-wide ownership. It connects compliance, design, user experience, and mission — showing that accessibility isn’t a siloed task, but a shared responsibility."

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Diving into Digital Accessibility Policy

A digital accessibility policy is more than a statement — it's a strategy and framework

Ensures accessibility is built into content, tools, and team training processes

Chiara Talking Points:

Now that we’ve talked about why digital accessibility matters — and how to propose a strategy — let’s talk about what actually goes into a strong policy.

A digital accessibility policy isn’t just about compliance. It’s a roadmap. It outlines how your organization makes inclusion real — in your content, your tools, your team processes, and your day-to-day decisions. Its Rooted in lived experience — addressing real-world barriers faced by disabled users.

Speaking from experience, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to create, support, or audit digital accessibility policies — because as a disabled and neurodivergent person who relies on assistive technology like voice-to-text and text-to-speech tools, I kept running into barriers that teams hadn’t considered.

I’ve encountered images with no alt text, forms that didn’t work without a mouse, and trainings that skipped captions or transcripts — making it difficult, sometimes impossible, to fully participate or contribute. And these weren’t intentional exclusions — they were just... overlooked.

That’s the problem. Accessibility can’t be left to chance. Accessibility isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’ — it’s essential. A strong policy doesn’t just prevent these gaps — it builds a culture where access is expected, planned for, and built in from the start. It makes sure people like me — and millions of others — aren’t fighting for access after the fact, but are included by design.

And we can’t assume it’ll just happen. It takes structure. Strategy. Commitment. So this next section walks through the core components of a good accessibility policy — and how it can turn our values into action.

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How We Can Begin — Without Overwhelm

Start with an audit of our website, intranet, and digital tools
Identify key accessibility barriers and build out the framework for lasting improvements
Use built-in tools:

Microsoft or Google accessibility checkers

Chiara speaker notes:��Getting started doesn’t have to be overwhelming … we can begin with what we already have.

That might look like doing a simple audit of our website, intranet, and digital tools —breath— taking stock of what’s already out there and where there may be accessibility barriers. This could be as straightforward as reviewing a few high-traffic pages or key internal platforms or documents to identify issues like missing alt text, low color contrast, or keyboard navigation problems.

The goal isn’t to fix everything overnight —breath— Identify key accessibility barriers and quick-win improvements—breath— it’s to find those first few areas where you can make meaningful, achievable improvements. That might mean adjusting heading structures, improving form labels, including Alt text to imagines, checking your color contrast, or adding closed captions, or transcripts to key videos. —breath— In the next slide

They’re can use built-in tools, like Microsoft or Google accessibility checkers, before we share content —breath— it’s a low-effort, high-impact habit that can make a big difference. Talk about the images on the side

Involving a small, cross-functional team helps bring a variety of perspectives, and most importantly, we should center feedback from disabled users and staff from the very beginning.

Starting small builds momentum —breath— and makes accessibility feel possible, not paralyzing

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What a Digital Accessibility Policy Should Include:

Clear Policy Standards (ADA, Section 508, WCAG)
Assigned Responsibilities
Processes for testing, maintenance, and user feedback
Training and procurement plans to embed Digital Accessibility Policy
A living Policy with regular reviews and accountability

Chiara’s Speakers Notes: What a Digital Accessibility Policy Should Include

Clear standards - A strong digital accessibility policy should clearly state which accessibility standards the organization follows. These often include global and regional standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 508 compliance in the U.S.

Assigned Responsibilities – The policy should also define who on your team is responsible for ensuring these standards are met — whether that’s individual team members, specific departments, or an internal accessibility committee.

If your team doesn’t yet have the capacity or expertise in-house, you might consider hiring an accessibility consultant or using automated auditing tools like WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. — breath —

Or, to build that expertise internally, your policy can point staff toward recognized training and certification programs — breath — like those offered training from Deque University or free modules from World Wide Web Consortium(W3C) — breath — to build team-wide fluency and accountability around digital access. — breath — You could consider having a member of your team receive the IAAP credential of Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)-— breath — You can take the exam in almost any area in the world, through one of the IAAP affiliated testing centers. The exam does cost some money, but it is an official industry credential that employers will recognize, so it can be worth it.

Processes for testing, maintenance, and user feedback- It needs to explain how you and your organization are regularly test and maintain accessibility, while encouraging feedback from users to identify any barriers we might miss.

Training and procurement plans to embed accessibility- Including plans for staff training and procurement of accessible technology helps embed accessibility into our daily operations, not as an afterthought.

A living document with regular reviews and accountability – Lastly, the policy must be a living document, regularly reviewed and updated, with clear accountability to keep us on track and continuously improve.

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Technical Requirements of Digital Accessibility Policy

Commitment to accessible digital content and tools
Clear standards followed (e.g., WCAG 2.1 or 2.2)
Defined roles and responsibilities across teams
Processes for implementation, testing, and maintenance

Chiara Speaker Notes:��I’ll read the slide aloud now for accessibility:

What should a digital accessibility policy include:

A strong digital accessibility policy should reflect more than just compliance —breath— it should reflect your organization’s values and long-term vision for inclusion.

At a minimum, it should include:

A commitment to making all digital content, tools, and technologies accessible to people with disabilities.
Follow defined and clear accessibility standards —breath— such as WCAG 2.1 or 2.2, the ADA, and/or Section 508 so everyone knows what success looks like.�Roles and responsibilities outlined across your teams, from leadership to communications, developers, procurement, HR, and beyond.
Processes for implementation, testing, and long-term maintenance, so accessibility doesn’t stop after launch. Accessibility is never “done.” Even the best teams miss things. Your policy should include a clear way for users (especially disabled users) to report barriers —breath— and a system for how those reports are addressed.�

But these elements are more than just technical requirements —breath— they’re a cultural shift. When we take the time to write thoughtful, strategic policies. We move from one-off fixes to intentional design. From reacting to digital problems to building access in from the start.

And that transformation doesn’t just improve things for disabled users —breath— it creates better experiences for everyone.

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Designing a Sustainable Digital Accessibility Policy

Add a feedback mechanism for reporting barriers
Plan for procuring accessible technology
Staff training and ongoing education
Build timelines for review and continuous improvement
Ensure accountability at leadership and team levels

Chiara Speaker Notes:�This slide continues what we started on the last one —breath— the essential ingredients of a strong digital accessibility policy.

We’ve already talked about the what: standards, roles,strategy, and ongoing implementation. Now we shift into the how: how we make this work sustainable and meaningful.

That includes:

Adding in feedback loops and mechanisms so users, especially disabled users, can report issues —breath— because even with the best intentions, we’re always learning.
Updating procurement practices to make sure any new tools or platforms are accessible from the start.�Providing training and education, so all staff —breath— not just tech teams —breath— understand how they contribute to accessibility.
Setting regular timelines for review and improvement, because standards and tools evolve.�And finally, ensuring accountability at every level. From leadership backing to team checklists, this work must be owned and supported. And remember what I shared earlier you don’t need to be the lead manager to effect change, if your team needs to implement a disability accessibility policy even at an entry level role�

These elements take us from policy on paper to lived practice. From reactive problem-solving to proactive inclusion.

So my final takeaway for you is this:

Accessibility doesn’t happen by accident —breath— it happens by design.

And that design starts with us — with our teams, our decisions, and our shared commitment. Now I’m going to hand it over to Molly, who will walk us through some real-world examples of digital accessibility in action

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS

We chose an e-learning platform called Bridge.
We designed our digital content to be:

Easy to see and hear (perceivable)
Easy to use (operable)
Easy to understand (understandable)

This means that all learners can access the content, no matter their abilities.
We believe in inclusion. We also want to follow all accessibility laws and best practices.

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS | Features

Key accessibility features include:

Closed captions
Multiple language options
Adjustable video playback speeds
Screen reader compatibility (JAWS for Windows and VoiceOver for Mac)
Accessible PDFs

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS | ALT text

1. Text Alternatives

We provide text alternatives for any content that is not text — like images, icons, and videos.
Text alternatives make our content more flexible and easier for everyone to access and understand.

This helps people who need to use:

Large print
Braille
Screen readers (speech)
Symbols
Simpler words

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS | Media

2. Time-based media

Provide alternatives for time-based media

Captions
Transcript
Audio Description
Accessible Controls
Avoid Flashing Content

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS | Accessibility

Accessibility

Dark Mode is how users can engage with the platform in high contrast, exceeding standards, at a 7:1 ratio.

Dark mode on

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Examples of digital accessibility in programming - AFS | Accessibility

Multiple Languages

The native reader of the LMS program can be changed into 25 languages

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PDF Handbook

Criteria Considered

The accessibility review evaluated the document based on Adobe PDF Accessibility Standards, including:

Document structure (tags, language, reading order, title, bookmarks)
Page content (tab order, character encoding, multimedia, flicker, links)
Forms and form fields
Alternate text for images and elements
Table structure and headers
List and heading hierarchy
Color contrast

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PDF Handbook | Accessibility report

Accessibility Report

Filename:

Handbook+for+Participants+_+Global+Up+At+Home+_+ENGLISH.pdf

Summary

The checker found problems which may prevent the document from being fully accessible.

Needs manual check: 2
Passed manually: 0
Failed manually: 0
Skipped: 1
Passed: 11
Failed: 18

Detailed Report Page Content
Rule Name	Status	Description
Tagged content	Failed	All page content is tagged
Tagged annotations	Passed	All annotations are tagged
Tab order	Failed	Tab order is consistent with structure order
Character encoding	Passed	Reliable character encoding is provided
Tagged multimedia	Passed	All multimedia objects are tagged
Screen flicker	Passed	Page will not cause screen flicker
Scripts	Passed	No inaccessible scripts
Timed responses	Passed	Page does not require timed responses
Navigation links	Passed	Navigation links are not repetitive

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