Why accessible technologies matter.pdf
- 2. Why accessible technologies matter Technology is used for most of the things people do every day: communicating, working, learning and online transacting. Organizations that do not offer accessible technology to their employees, customers, citizens, and students exclude a significant population from their community. This may result in a smaller talent pool to recruit from, smaller customer base, and non-compliance with regulatory requirements. • Increase in talent pool • Reduction in staff turnover • Increase staff productivity • Increase in innovation Employee facing Increase in external user base Reduction in regulatory non- compliance risk Improvement in brand and reputation Reduction in cost to serve Reduction in engineering costs External user The benefits of accessible technologies: The solution: Business Applications
- 3. Why accessible technologies matter Technology is used for most of the things people do every day: communicating with others, finding out what’s going on, publishing and reading, watching videos, listening to music, selling and buying, going to school, and even more.
- 4. Why accessible technologies matter Employees are always connected and able to work online from many locations, adopting accessible technologies and strategies offers organizations the flexibility to drive higher levels of productivity, boost employee retention, meet regulatory needs, and ensure that the content developed can used by all their customers.
- 5. Why accessible technologies matter In a world where online interaction has become part of daily life, it is critical that organizations remove barriers that prevent customers and constituents with disabilities from completing a transaction. These online storefronts are essentially “closed” to a whole population of individuals if they do not adapt to offer accessible technologies such as screen readers, adaptive input devices, speech recognition, cognitive assistance tools, and wearables (e.g., smart glasses).
- 6. Why accessible technologies matter Research shows that there are economic and socioeconomic outcomes resulting from an investment in accessible technologies, to enable easier access for both employees and customers—building accessibility into technology and advocating for accessible technology programs in organizations can help lead to a more just world.
- 7. What is a disability? A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions)—disabilities come in many forms both visible and unseen1 Disabilities include: • Permanent disabilities like those listed below • Temporary impairments like cataracts or a broken arm • Situational requirements like working hands-free while driving 1Source: Disability and Health Overview | CDC
- 8. Accessibility empowers people with disabilities at work, school, and in daily life Vision Hearing Neurodiversity Learning Mobility Mental health
- 9. or 15% of the world’s population experience some form of accessibility needs1 • Today, only 1 in 10 people in need have access to assistive technology, which means many can’t fully participate in our economies and societies1 • 200 million people with low vision who do not have access to assistive products for low- vision1 • 466 million people globally experience hearing loss1 • The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is typically 2X that of people without1 1Assistive technology (who.int)
- 10. What leaders are thinking
- 11. It’s like saying to every fifth person who walks in your door… ‘I don’t really want your business’ If you don’t design for accessibility Bert Floyd Team Lead of Assistive Technologies TD Bank, Canada
- 12. Which of the following business initiative are your organization’s top priorities over the next 12 months? 81% Improve the experience of our customers 79% Grow revenues 76% Reduce costs/ improve margins 67% Better comply with regulations and requirements 65% Mitigate risk associated with legal proceedings
- 13. Which of the following business initiative are your organization’s top priorities over the next 12 months? Public sector 74% Reduce costs 69% Improve the experience of our constituents 62% Migrate risk associated with legal proceedings 54% Better comply with regulations and requirements
- 14. The benefits
- 15. Employee facing benefits of accessible technologies If companies in the US embrace disability inclusion, they will gain access to a new talent pool of more than 10.7 million people. In the US, the participation rate of people with disabilities in the workplace is 20.6%, compared to 68.6% for those without disabilities.1 Increase in talent pool Reduction in staff turnover Increase staff productivity Increase innovation
- 16. If companies in the US embrace disability inclusion, they will gain access to a new talent pool of more than 10.7 million people. In the US, the participation rate of people with disabilities in the workplace is 20.6%, compared to 68.6% for those without disabilities.1 Increase in talent pool The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than twice the average2. This population represents an enormous untapped talent pool at a time when we are all in need of great talent. Millennials: 75% of global workforce by 2025—choose employers who reflect their values. Reduction in staff turnover Staff turnover is also lower by up to 30% when a well-run disability y outreach program is in place.3 Increase staff productivity Offer experiences that let people work and participate in their preferred way and reduce lost productivity by up to 50%.4 Increase innovation Having employees with disabilities across departments helps ensure the products and services that go to market are truly inclusive. And making things more accessible for persons with disabilities can translate into products and services from which users with or without disabilities may benefit. For example, home devices using natural voice recognition. 1Bureau of Labor Statistics 2Accenture: Getting to equal: the disability inclusion advantage 3Disability Employment and Inclusion: Your Guide to Success—Business Case, Workplace Initiative, 2017 4A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study Employee facing benefits of accessible technologies
- 17. People with disabilities tend to be some of the most creative, innovative and, quite frankly, most loyal employees. A person with a disability wakes up every day thinking about being innovative—that is a skill set. That ability to problem solve is innate to them. Our training programs quickly went from philanthropy to skill search. David Casey VP, Workforce Strategies & Chief Diversity Officer CVS Health
- 18. Increase in external user base Reduction in regulatory non- compliance risk Improvement in brand and reputation Reduction in cost to serve Reduction in engineering costs 1Bureau of Labor Statistics 2National Federation of the Blind v. Target Corp.—Wikipedia 3A hidden market: The purchasing power of working-age adults with disabilities, American Institutes for Research, April 2018 4A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study External user benefits of accessible technologies
- 19. Increase in external user base The greater the number of people that can be reached, the greater the chances of the service or product to be successful. Companies with leading-edge disability programs and initiatives that can be potentially implemented by others, achieved, on average, 28% higher revenue, double the net income and 30% higher economic profit margins over a four-year period.1 Reduction in regulatory non- compliance risk Regulatory framework across the globe, however unclear for the digital world, requires digital products to be accessible. Otherwise, they may attract legal complications. For example, Target, a US- based retailer was fined $6M by the National Federation for the Blind.2 Improvement in brand and reputation 66% of consumers will purchase goods and services from a business that features persons with disabilities in their advertising, while 78% will purchase goods and services from a business that takes steps to ensure easy access for individuals with disabilities at their physical locations.3 Reduction in cost to serve Organizations across all industries have cited a wide range of savings from accessible technologies. These include cost to serve. Consumers with disabilities will often call the company for support because they can’t self serve. Also, paper forms are 10 times more costly than an online form.4 Reduction in engineering costs When digital accessibility is kept top-of-mind throughout planning and strategizing (design and code) and is not an afterthought that needs to be retrospectively fitted, the costs to develop the application may be 50%–70% lower. 1Bureau of Labor Statistics 2National Federation of the Blind v. Target Corp.—Wikipedia 3A hidden market: The purchasing power of working-age adults with disabilities, American Institutes for Research, April 2018 4A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study External user benefits of accessible technologies
- 20. Thank you
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