Nik Sorocenski
February 22, 2022
A service or tool is only helpful to those who can use it. A bus or public building is only useful for those who can enter it. A crosswalk signal only works for pedestrians who can see it. And in the world of software, and especially software as a service, the platform will always be limited if it cannot be accessed by everyone.
What the common denominator of all those things listed is their adjustability to help those who have limited access to them. When a need arises, we must adapt. New buses and buildings are built with wheelchair accessibilities, crosswalk signals are becoming equipped with noise sensors, and now software platforms are meeting accessibility standards.
What is Accessibility?
Accessibility by modern definition is being easily used or seen by people with disabilities. When we dive into what that means for an organization, efforts primarily consist of making their products and services able to be used by everyone. Over the past decade, organizations have focused in on making their websites user-friendly past the typical user interface maintenance most are used to. There have also been internet laws put into place for companies to expand their accessibility efforts.
One of Lineup’s main initiatives as an organization has always been to aid organizations focus in on diversity amongst teams. When we think of diversity, our minds jump to age, gender, ethnicity, etc. and tend to narrow our viewpoint of what inclusion typically looks like. When our team was presented with the challenge of expanding our efforts, we knew we had to look at our services and see where we were lacking.
Why Ablr?
Ablr is a mission-driven Disability Inclusion and Digital Accessibility organization committed to supporting the DEI community with the core purpose of ensuring all people, regardless of ability, have access to the same content, experiences, and opportunities. Born from the DNA of America’s largest employer of the blind, Ablr works to eliminate the digital divide, change mindsets, and create pathways for employment.
Ablr deploys an industry-first approach to digital accessibility through an optimal blend of technology AND Certified Accessibility Analysts, many of whom have disabilities themselves. This ensures the client’s content is not only ADA compliant, but fully accessible and usable for people with disabilities in support of WCAG. Additionally, their range of DEI training and service offerings help integrate accessibility practices into the core of their client’s organization.
Lineup’s Approach
We’ve taken an iterative approach to improving the accessibility of Lineup. This has allowed our clients to start seeing the benefits and accessibility improvements to the platform from early in the process. We’ve focused on the end-user, front-facing pages first—Lineup Forms, team surveys, and team invitations—which have the greatest impact on the widest audiences. Forms can now be navigated via keyboard and screen reader, and colors have been tweaked and refined to help with those visually challenged. Every release features some new improvement to help with accessibility, and our team continues to make Lineup a more inclusive experience.
“We are excited and humbled to be partnered with Ablr in making Lineup accessible and bringing our platform to everyone,” says Holly Tarpein, the lead coordinator of our accessibility efforts at Lineup. “Access to the internet should be a right to everyone, and we thank Ablr for making that world possible.”
Looking forward, the next phase in Lineup’s efforts includes making the Lineup website compliant with current accessibility regulations. This would ensure that anyone who wants to learn more about our services can do so with ease. An easy yet effective first step we have taken is to ensure that every image on our site has ALT text (a textual substitute for non-text content in web pages).
We know that accessibility does not look the same for everyone, and that it requires us to constantly reevaluate what we’re offering as a service. Lineup will continue to strive for a space that is accessible to all.