W3C Accessibility Maturity Model

Incorporating considerations for the accessibility of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Accessibility into an organization’s workflow and quality governance can be a complex process. While some organizations have individuals or departments that support accessibility, many do not recognize the importance of ICT accessibility as a requirement, or the need for accessibility governance systems. This can limit their ability to produce accessible products and services, including training and documentation, which are essential for inclusive digital environments.

This challenge can be solved by encouraging organizations to establish and implement accessibility governance systems within their organizations. These systems integrate ICT accessibility criteria into policies, key business processes, organizational culture, and management structures in a consistent, repeatable, and measurable fashion. Only then can organizations address the complexities related to enabling ICT accessibility.

This proposed W3C Accessibility Maturity Model describes an overall framework for establishing a robust ICT accessibility program and identifying areas for improvement. The W3C Accessibility Maturity Model is a tool that:

• Assesses the current effectiveness and capabilities of an entire organization or subunits within the organization
• supports identification of gaps between the current capabilities and the next level of accessibility maturity
• supports plans for next steps to improve the organization's accessibility performance over time

Organizations know when they are doing well (or poorly) with product accessibility using audit reports and bug counts. However, these metrics don’t indicate how the organization is doing operationally to continue to produce accessible products without examining some key corporate processes. The W3C Accessibility ​Maturity Model is a big part of a “shift-left” methodology of preventing problems from recurring, not fixing them after they have happened.

​Most maturity models contain a number of levels with increasing levels of maturity. Each level contains a definition, controls, a list of processes, and proof points that can be produced for an organization to legitimately claim that they are at a particular level of maturity.

Accessibility maturity modeling is very different than accessibility conformance testing

• Conformance testing provides information about the level of accessibility conformance of a particular product. The results of a conformance test provide a picture of a particular version of a product (or a subcomponent of a product).
• Maturity modeling provides information about the ability of an organization to produce accessible products over the long term. The results of a maturity modeling assessment provide a holistic picture of an organization’s accessibility initiatives; where the organization is doing accessibility well and where improvements can be made to remove barriers.

This document is intended to guide and evaluate the levels of organizational accessibility maturity that encompasses a public or private sector organization at any scale.

The primary audience for this maturity model is:

• Executive levels of an organization’s leadership
• Other levels of management responsible for particular aspects of the maturity of the defined dimensions
• Policy and business process subject matter experts responsible for putting plans, actions, metrics, and governance in place

The W3C maturity model has been developed using research of existing maturity models and standards outside of WCAG. For example,

• ISO/IEC 30071-1:2019 Information Technology - Development Of User Interface Accessibility - Part 1: Code Of Practice For Creating Accessible ICT Products And Services

  This ISO standard includes specifics to the incorporation of accessibility practices into the design and development process. This is orthogonal to the W3C Accessibility Maturity Model which provides a way to assess an organization's accessibility maturity in dimensions beyond the design and development process. Adherence to ISO 30071-1:2019 could be used as a proof point for the maturity of the ICT Development Lifecycle dimension.

The following terms are used in this document:

accommodation

Modifications or adjustments that enable an individual with a disability to gain access and successfully complete tasks.

Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

A document that formally summarizes the extent to which an information and communications technology (ICT) product or service conforms to international accessibility guidelines and standards.

The report's format is based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®). ACRs are used by buyers to understand how accessible a product is, and any potential deficiencies.

contract lifecycle

The steps and processes related to the procurement of an ICT product or service beginning with the initialization of the solicitation process, response evaluations, vendor selection for award, implementation of the contract requirements, monitoring over the life of the contract including renewals until the contract reaches its end date.

customer

External or internal users of an organization’s products or services, including but not limited to students, members of the public, employees, and contractors.

dimension

An aspect on which an organization measures its accessibility maturity.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Information technology and other equipment, systems, technologies, or processes, for which the principal function is the creation, manipulation, storage, display, receipt, or transmission of electronic data and information, as well as any associated content.

Examples of ICT include, but are not limited to: computers and peripheral equipment; information kiosks and transaction machines; telecommunications equipment; customer premises equipment; multifunction office machines; software; applications; websites; videos; and electronic documents.

maturity stage

Granular stages used to signify the attainment or lack thereof of a specific maturity model dimension.

organization

Include, but are not limited to:

• A government agency (Federal, state/province, county/city, municipality, etc.)
• Any type of business entity (including a sole proprietorship, corporation, or LLC)
• Learning institutions (university, college, district school system)
• A nongovernmental organization (NGO) or non-profit
• Subunit(s) of an organization where accessibility maturity is needed

proof point

Written or tangible evidence specific to each dimension that can be used to measure the maturity for that specific dimension.

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®)

A document template established by the Information Technology Industry (ITI) Council used by vendors to evaluate how well each accessibility requirement is met by a particular product.

Vendors use this template to respond to a potential customer’s Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), which details how the product supports each criteria at one of four levels: Section 508, WCAG, EN 301 549 or international. VPATs, based on ACRs, are used by buyers to understand how accessible a product is, and any potential deficiencies.

The seven dimensions of organizational accessibility maturity are:

• Communications: Information as it relates to an organization’s accessibility, as well as accessibility of all internal/external communications.
• Knowledge and Skills: Ongoing education, and outsourcing practices to fill gaps for accessibility operations.
• Support: Accessibility assistance provided to internal employees and external customers with disabilities.
• ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Development Life Cycle: Incorporation of web, software and hardware accessibility considerations in development processes - from idea conception, to design, development, testing, ACR production, user research, maintenance and obsolescence.
• Personnel: Job descriptions, recruiting, disability-related employee resource groups necessary to provide lived-experience to accessibility efforts.
• Procurement: A strategic process that concentrates on finding and acquiring accessible products required by an organization. Activities may include: sourcing, negotiation, and selecting goods and services.
• Culture: The attitudes, sensitivity, and behaviors around accessibility, including internal interaction, perception, and decision-making.

Each dimensional outcome has a range of suggested proof points, which includes any evidence or necessary measures that can be used to determine the maturity of each dimension. Progress towards achieving maturity is attained by creating the proof points described for each dimension.

• Proof points are evidence-based, organizational deliverables which indicate the maturity stage.
• Proof points are specific to the dimension being focused on. For example, if only procurement maturity is being measured, only procurement proof points should be evaluated.
• For some dimensions, proof points are further organized by category.
• Proof points can be partially completed at the Launch and Integrate stages, but must be fully completed for the optimize stage.

For example, if a dimension requires a plan to identify ICT accessibility related skill levels and gaps, then the corresponding proof point would be a document containing the evaluation of ICT accessibility related skill levels and gaps.

Each stage is attained by meeting the defined outcomes for that specific dimension. The completed proof points demonstrate the efforts to achieve the outcomes for a maturity stage.

All relevant outcomes should be addressed but not all outcomes will apply to all organizations and situations. When an outcome does not apply, it is marked N/A (Not applicable). For example, an accessibility policy does not need to reference native applications if the organization has none.

Stages are cumulative, so stage advancement is achieved by first meeting the specific criteria of a lower level.

Note: The terms for the stages were adopted for consistency with the Policy Driven Adoption Maturity Model, currently being used by some U.S. government agencies.

Stages loosely correspond to the following criteria:

Organizational ICT Accessibility Maturity is assessed using the W3C Accessibility Maturity Model assessment template. The template contains worksheet tabs specific to each dimension. The dimension tabs are organized with the dimension definitions and outcomes for each of the four maturity stages and provides a list of the dimension’s proof points.

The blank cells below each maturity stage are to be completed by the organization and provide space to document evidence that the organization has reached that stage. The evidence can include progress on proof point completion, or other relevant information that can be used to claim that the outcomes for that stage have been met.

Proof points can span across multiple stages, work being initiated in one stage and completed in a more advanced stage.

Make a copy of the assessment template worksheet to get started.

Communications should be accessible to the widest audience possible and meet the requirements in the accessibility standards. This dimension applies to all electronic communications:

• external and internal
• formal and informal
• major and minor
• generated by the organization directly or by third parties under contract to the organization

Accessible communications is an umbrella term for communications that are clear, direct, easy to understand and that can be rendered in multiple formats so that all users have equivalent access. It takes into consideration the various barriers to accessing information, and removes these or provides alternative formats for the communication. Also, accessibility information about the communications may be communicated so that users are aware of the extent to which they can interact with content.

Internal and external personnel at all levels of an organization should have accessibility knowledge and skills relevant to their organizational role. Accessibility knowledge and skills relevant to each individual’s position helps employees understand their part in achieving the organization's accessibility goals.

While this dimension includes proof points to be implemented at the organization level, knowledge and skills specific to each of the other dimensions should be included within their respective proof points, as appropriate.

This dimension includes support for both internal employees and external customers with disabilities. This includes reasonable accommodations for employees and customer support that is specific to users' accessibility needs.

Accessible Information and communication technologies (ICT) serves as a critical enabler that allow persons with disabilities to realize full and effective opportunities to participate, on the basis of equality, in all aspects of society and development that involve technology. Accessibility should be considered throughout the entire ICT development lifecycle: from idea conception, to design, development, testing, production of an ACR based on the VPAT, user research, maintenance, and obsolescence. Training programs must be established and ongoing to have necessary skills for the ICT Development Lifecycle dimension.

Persons with disabilities should be utilized throughout an organization’s hierarchy (all job types, all authority levels) where their unique insights and lived experiences can better inform decision making. This requires accessible and inclusive hiring practices covering applications, interviews, evaluations, onboarding and retention.

Procurement is a strategic process focused on finding and acquiring cost-effective products needed by an organization. Activities in procurement include sourcing, negotiation, and selection of goods and services.

The majority of ICT assets used in an organization are the result of procurement transactions and contracts.When accessibility criteria are integrated into processes and contract language for procuring ICT, an organization can be more capable of providing accessible products, services and workplaces.

Organizational culture consists of shared beliefs, values, policies, and processes established by leaders that ultimately shape employee perceptions, behaviors, and understanding.

To demonstrate cultural maturity in accessibility, all aspects of the organization’s operation, processes, and skills should include considerations for disability inclusion. Every member of the organization should understand and be sensitive to the importance of ICT accessibility, including their personal role and responsibilities in meeting the organization’s accessibility goals. Accessibility should be an integral part of diversity and inclusion within the organization with clear recognition of the benefits of disability inclusion and the impact of ICT accessibility on people with disabilities to facilitate access to jobs, services, and other aspects of life.

• Jake Abma
• Sheri Byrne-Haber (VMWare)
• Ralp de Rooij (Community Group Member)
• David Fazio (Invited Expert)
• Jeff Kline (Community Group Member)
• Mary Jo Mueller (IBM)
• Lori Samuels (NBC Universal)