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As a manager at the University of Rochester, you play an important role in advancing digital accessibility initiatives. By embedding accessibility into your team糖心传媒檚 digital operations and projects and ensuring compliance with the University糖心传媒檚 Digital Accessibility Policy, you contribute to a more inclusive digital environment for all users.

This guide provides you with information, strategies, and resources to lead your team effectively in achieving accessibility goals.

Digital accessibility ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can engage effectively with digital content. The benefits include:

• Enhancing user experience: All users can more easily navigate and engage with digital content.
• Boosting SEO and discoverability: Accessible websites perform better in search rankings.
• Reducing legal and reputational risks: Compliance with accessibility standards helps avoid lawsuits.
• Upholding reputation: Accessibility aligns with the University糖心传媒檚 commitment to its Meliora values.

Key responsibilities for managers

Understand Accessibility

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time project. It should be integrated into every stage of digital communications, operations, and product development, 聽from initial research to delivery and maintenance. Addressing it early is more efficient and cost-effective than fixing issues later.

Accessibility goes beyond technical fixes; it requires aligning people, policies, and processes to create an inclusive digital space. It’s a shared responsibility for everyone contributing to our digital environment.

While meeting accessibility standards is crucial, achieving true inclusivity involves continuous improvements, thoroughly聽, and adapting digital products to diverse user needs.

Foster an Accessibility-First Culture

• Set expectations that accessibility is a baseline requirement for all digital communications and products.
• Regularly communicate the importance of accessibility to your team and stakeholders.
• Include accessibility in performance metrics and goals.
• Incorporate .
• For digital design and web development roles,.
• When launching new digital projects, ensure accessibility is considered from the start of the design and development process. See guidance on including accessibility in your new website project.

Commit Resources to Accessibility

For accessibility to succeed, it requires dedicated resources糖心传媒攖ools, training, and time. Managers must ensure adequate support for these initiatives. This runs the gamut from financial backing for necessary technologies, to giving employees time to develop and apply their skills.

Require Your Team to Take Accessibility Training

Equip your team with the knowledge and skills to implement accessibility best practices. Provide incentives for applying these newly-acquired skills.

The University offers various accessibility training options:

• On-demand training via MyPath: Self-paced courses on accessibility principles and techniques.
• Live training sessions: Instructor-led for real-time learning.
• Consulting services: The digital accessibility team offers support and external training recommendations.

Ensure Accessible Project Workflows

Integrate accessibility into each phase of your project:

• Research: Identify user accessibility needs through user research, including people with disabilities.
• Planning: Make accessibility a key requirement, assigning roles and allocating adequate resources.
• Content: Ensure content follows accessibility guidelines for clarity, structure, and compatibility with assistive technologies.
• Design: Apply accessible design principles in files and style guides.
• Development: Implement best practices, testing individual components and full layouts.
• Quality Assurance (QA): Combine automated and manual testing. Document and prioritize issues. For high-risk projects, seek expert review and consult the digital accessibility team.
• Maintenance: Conduct ongoing testing and monitoring (for example, with platforms like Siteimprove) to prevent new barriers.

Prepare for Accessibility Challenges

Your team might encounter technical limitations or accessibility challenges such as outdated systems, older websites, or complex legacy code. It’s important to plan for these scenarios in advance.

When such challenges arise, seek support from the digital accessibility team. We can offer guidance and recommend resources, particularly when dealing with costly or complex issues. Additionally, familiarize yourself with the policy exception process to understand when special circumstances may apply.

Acquire Accessible Products and Services from Suppliers

When procuring digital products or working with external partners, make sure accessibility is a key selection criterion. The digital accessibility team can help evaluate a supplier糖心传媒檚 accessibility maturity.

Require suppliers to provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) and include accessibility requirements in contracts to ensure accountability.

For detailed guidance, visit the accessible procurement page.

Ensure Effective Feedback and Prompt Response

Provide a pathway for feedback, and respond to barriers promptly.

Ensure your audience can report accessibility issues and seek help by offering clear and visible channels for submitting feedback. Include a link on your website to an accessibility page or directly to a page for reporting digital accessibility barriers, allowing users to report any issues they encounter.

It糖心传媒檚 essential to respond to these reports promptly and address concerns efficiently. Be sure to act when the digital accessibility team reaches out to resolve raised issues.

Familiarize Yourself with Digital Accessibility Policies and Steering Committees

Familiarize yourself with digital accessibility initiatives at the University, including:

• Policy:
  • Digital Accessibility Policy
  • FAQs
  • Exceptions
• Groups: The following groups are shaping accessibility strategies, ensuring compliance, and promoting continuous improvements across the University糖心传媒檚 digital platforms.
  • Web Governance Council (WGC)
  • Digital Accessibility Task Force
• Resources:
  • Digital accessibility website
  • Training opportunities
  • Contact the Digital Accessibility Team

Regularly engaging with these groups and resources will keep your team aligned with best practices and organizational approaches.