Accessibility
At Exygy we believe that Accessibility should be Inclusive. Period. While we don’t always get it right the first time, we are committed to designing all of our products to be accessible to everyone.
It's central to our mission to ensure that the products and services we build are truly human-centered and reach as many people as possible. This is especially true for those that have been traditionally marginalized or underserved by technology. Is it therefore vital that we design for accessibility and inclusiveness from the outset.
We have brought this ideology of empathy into our entire design and development process by focusing on research, testing, and feedback from ALL our users. While we adhere to Section 508, 504, and WCAG accessibility guidelines, we are always seeking ways to further our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
We developed this framework to clearly communicate our commitment to accessibility and hold ourselves accountable. We hope that it helps educate, inspire, and aid in creating equal access to digital services for all.
Good question. Simply put - accessibility is ensuring our products can be used by as many people as possible.
Accessibility can mean different things to different folks so it’s helpful to clarify some terms as a starting point.
At least 1 in 5 people in the world are living with a disability. 1 Committing to web accessibility means ensuring that people with a range of disabilities can use your digital product. The disabilities that relate to digital accessibility include four types of users: 2
We are all required by law to make our design accessible to a certain degree.
What is required, however, is not nearly sufficient. We can do much better than the bare minimum! By sharing these ways to increase accessibility and inclusion we hope to bring others together around this common mission of making design accessible and to hold ourselves accountable as agents of equity.
Designing for accessibility takes commitment. To effect change and to break from the dominant narrative of non-accessible products, we must commit ourselves to create in a way that is human-centric for every one among us. The following commitments serve as starting places for our community here at Exygy.
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Our core commitment to accessibility is an earnest intention to serve those underserved communities. Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding to focus on accessibility. Setting realistic expectations and creating alignment upfront can make a long-term commitment to accessibility more feasible. We are all in this for the long haul.
We firmly believe that we cannot be committed to accessibility without belonging to a community that reflects those beliefs. When we work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders and accountability partners we can produce the most inspired and holistic work. As most of us are able-bodied, it is important to include those we wish to serve throughout the entire design process.
Designing for accessibility should be present from the beginning to the end of a project. In the ongoing conversation at the intersection of Design and Accessibility here are some important starting places.
As we engage with our community partners, it’s clear that we can expand the reach of our work and nest our accessibility efforts within a larger umbrella of inclusiveness. Inclusive design aims at serving cultural, social, and intersectional needs. 4
“Inclusive design is a design methodology that enables and draws on the full range of human diversity.” 5
Some of the solutions that fall under this category include designing for those with limited internet access, using inclusive and anti-racist language, and creating simple and intuitive interfaces for those with limited technological experience.
Designing for accessibility is just the first step in authoring a more inclusive future. Inclusive design may start with PwD but it aspires to fully embrace all how we can look towards design that proactively responds to all the barriers of engagement. Let's build a more equitable future together.
