How should we get started?

Knowing where to start is often tricky — and it can vary by institution.  Often you’ll find that one particular group of people is especially interested or invested in the idea of accessibility, and they will make good early adopters.

But in most cases a good, constructive place to start is an examination of the tools that you use in your work. After all, if the choices you’re making about what platforms you use to deliver content are not accessible, you’ve got no chance to present accessible content.

In most places this means an Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) audit.  Taking a hard look at the choices you’re making — everything from your web site, learning management system, content creation software, and interaction tools should be reviewed for accessibility.

You may find that some tools are simply not very accessible and have no plans to make themselves accessible. Others are working towards accessibility but are not quite there yet. Discovering that a tool is not accessible doesn’t mean that you absolutely must stop using it, but it does mean that you’ll need to mitigate that problem by providing an equally effective alternative version.

Back to the Accessibility FAQ