Demystifying Accessibility: Six Myths and Truths
One question we hear a lot at Disability Victory is: “We want to make our organization more accessible and inclusive, but how do we start?”
While many organizations want to improve their accessibility, they’re sometimes intimidated by the prospect. Other organizations may not see accessibility as a priority. Unfortunately, there are many myths floating around about accessibility that lead to misconceptions about what it is and how to implement it. These myths include:
Accessibility and accommodations only help a small number of disabled people.. Because it only impacts a few people, it’s not a big priority.
Accessibility is just something we have to consider when planning events.
Accessibility must be expensive and time consuming.
It’s an optional “add in,” only if you have enough time and extra money.
You can just implement it last minute, on an as-needed basis.
It’s something that you only have to do once, and then you can move on.
Follow along as we break down each of these myths and what you need to know about accessibility.
Myth #1: Accessibility and accommodations only help a small number of disabled people, and nobody else. Because it only impacts a few people, it’s not a big priority.
Truth: A quarter of the adult population in the United States have a disability. We also know that the number of people with disabilities is on the rise due to an aging population and COVID, which has led to temporary and permanent Long COVID in at least 17 million American adults.
This means that around a quarter of your own community and potential supporters are part of the disability community! Making your organization accessible means that disabled people in your community will be able to interact and engage with you. Without accessibility, there may be too many barriers for disabled people to interact with your work. These barriers may keep them from visiting your website, attending events, volunteering, or applying for jobs as staff.
Accessibility is vital for the disability community, and it also helps those who don’t identify as disabled. This includes people who aren’t comfortable with self-identifying as having a disability and nondisabled people. A common example of this is adding closed captions to videos. Those closed captions benefit people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have auditory processing disorders. They also help people who are watching your video in a noisy area or who are in a place where they can’t turn on the sound.
While accessibility can benefit everyone, it’s important to think of accessibility as a core progressive value. You should practice accessibility because you want to to be welcoming to and inclusive of disabled people. If you want to have an inclusive organization that meets the needs of your entire community, it must be accessible to people with disabilities.
Myth #2: Accessibility is just something we have to consider when planning events.
Truth: Accessibility and disability inclusion are important for every part of your organization, not just events and programming. This includes:
Hiring processes
Organizational culture
Employee relations
Volunteer relations
Websites
Social Media
Emails
In-person, virtual, and hybrid events
This list may seem intimidating, and even overwhelming. But think about accessibility as a value, not just as a procedure you need to implement within your organization. Think of the question: “how can our organization make sure disabled people are included as staff, volunteers, and supporters?” When you plan for accessibility and disability inclusion, it becomes a normal part of your organization’s culture.
Myth #3: Accessibility must be expensive and time consuming
Truth: Organizations of every size and budget can commit to being more accessible. While accessibility can sometimes involve budgeting for accommodations, there are many accessibility best practices that involve no cost and just a little bit of practice, such as:
Using alternative text on social media, websites, and emails to make images accessible.
Adding closed captioning to videos.
Listing accessibility information on your event and program registration pages.
Using inclusive language.
Adopting a scent-free policy at offices and events.
Preparing GOTV canvassers with information about local resources for voters with disabilities.
Creating accessible copies of slide decks and handouts.
Having program speakers introduce themselves with a visual description.
Of course, making your organization accessible can sometimes cost money. If your organization has employees, you must follow employment laws and make reasonable accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network has a wealth of information and resources to help you understand your obligations as an employer.
Some accessibility best practices, such as using alternative text, take a little bit of time and practice to learn. However, once you start regularly using these best practices, they become routine habits that take very little time. They will make your work more inclusive.
You may need to budget for some accommodations, for example an accessible website or American Sign Language interpreters for an event. The accommodations you make depend on the size of your organization, your budget, and the needs of your audience. While a large campaign or organization can and should regularly budget for these accommodations, smaller organizations may not be able to afford the same level of accessibility, and may have to find alternatives or partners to help them with accommodations.
Myth #4: It’s an optional “add in,” only if you have enough time and extra money
Truth: Accessibility is a fundamental practice for ensuring that disabled people can “get in the door”--whether that’s getting in the physical location of your organization, accessing information online, or attending virtual or in-person events. Sometimes, accessibility is viewed as an option, something that organizations can do only if they have extra time or money. But this excludes many disabled people. If your organization is inaccessible, disabled people may not even be able to participate in your programs.
Think about how you can incorporate accessibility into your plans from the start and make it a practice. When planning a program, think about what that program needs to be accessible. Do you have an accessible venue? Do you need accessible materials, such as electronic copies of slide decks and documents? Can an attendee request accommodations? Do you have a budget for accommodations, or do you need to find funding for them? Are there other accommodations you can make, such as putting up a captioned recording of the event once it has concluded?
Myth #5: You can just implement it last minute, on an as-needed basis
Truth: Planning for accessibility and anticipating access needs is far easier, and usually more affordable, than trying to make an inaccessible event or program accessible last-minute. If you plan an event and have to hire an ASL interpreter or CART captioner last-minute, they often have higher fees than if you hire them weeks in advance. If you’re holding an event in an inaccessible building and a disabled person is not able to get inside due to inaccessibility, it may be difficult or impossible to make the venue accessible to them. This is a frustrating and discriminatory situation that can be avoided with planning.
Planning for accessibility from the start makes your organization more inclusive and saves you time, money, and stress. How can you do this? Here are just a few examples:
Vet any physical event or office locations for physical accessibility.
Hire ASL interpreters or CART captioners in advance, if possible.
Have a way for people to request accommodations on registration pages (and if necessary, include a cutoff date for requesting accommodations)
If you’re serving food, ask attendees about dietary restrictions and plan to label food with allergens.
Create accessible versions of any program materials.
Myth #6 It’s something that you only have to do once, and then you can move on
Truth: Accessibility is a journey, not a destination. Even here at Disability Victory, we are always working to improve our accessibility. That means planning events that are accessible from the start, regularly testing our web pages with accessibility checkers like WebAIM WAVE and screenreaders, listening to feedback from the community and trying our best to incorporate it, and learning new accessibility best practices. Like any organization, we will not be perfect and we will make mistakes. But we commit to accessibility by learning from the disability community, and through lots of practice.
Organizations of any size can commit to accessibility, and you can start today in two ways:
Read our #MakeAccessAPractice series from last year, where we cover four easy tips for making your organization accessible.
Contact us to inquire about training your organization on accessibility and disability inclusion at hello@disabilityvictory.org. We are available to consult with organizations of all sizes and capacities about how to start practicing accessibility.