Factors for Adopting and Implementing Accessibility as a Cornerstone in Software Development Processes in Organizations

Abstract: Due to the increasing prevalence of laws, standards, and ethical discussions about web accessibility, developing websites and apps that are usable to everyone—regardless of disability and impairment—is more important than ever. In spite of this, most of the web is still inaccessible and accessibility is commonly treated as an afterthought. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how to implement web accessibility as a cornerstone of software development processes, and more specifically what motivates accessibility adoption and how to implement it successfully. The main part of the research consists of an extensive analysis of the literature to identify common themes. Although legislation and financial concerns play a role in why organizations adopt accessibility, the most frequently cited factors are social and ethical aspects as well as reaching a wider audience. The success of accessibility implementation is largely dependent on how knowledge is created, maintained, and disseminated in organizations. Prioritizing it and integrating it as much as any other basic requirement is also a key to success. Moreover, WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the recommended accessibility standard and compliance level, as informed by a law review and insights from literature. In addition, semi-structured interviews and a workshop were conducted with participants across three projects of a Swedish IT company with the aim of applying the findings in a real-life context and bringing about change in the organization. Final suggestions were based on the thematic analysis, and adapted to the case company through the insights from interviews and the workshop, as well as process documentation and corporate policies. Although not generalizable to all organizations, the suggestions provide understanding of enterprises sharing the case company's characteristics. Furthermore, the thematic analysis and law review have relevance for all types of private organizations.