Beyond Compliance: Making Accessibility a Leadership Priority
It won't work without the top
You can listen to the main article in this newsletter (read by me).
Who from the leadership team supports the idea of improving accessibility? That's one of the first questions I ask if I go into a new organisation to support its accessibility initiatives.
For accessibility managers, gaining leadership buy-in for accessibility is not just a milestone—it's a strategic necessity. The journey towards accessibility and removing barriers will end early if the leadership team is not on board.
Creating an inclusive and accessible organisation won't work without the leadership team. That doesn't mean that every director must be passionate about accessibility (but it would help, of course). This means that the leadership team understands that the company will benefit if accessibility is a priority.
Here's how you can influence the leadership team to champion accessibility by sending the message that accessibility is important and not just a window-dressing exercise.
Not just a compliance issue
Accessibility is often seen as a compliance issue, but it's much more than that. It's an opportunity for the leadership team to show that equality and excellent customer experience for all are important to them. Senior leaders can prioritise accessibility by integrating it into the organisation's core values and strategic goals. This top-down approach shows to the whole organisation that accessibility is a priority for the operation and culture of an organisation.
For long-term success, leaders must champion cultural changes related to accessibility within the organisation. It must become a performance-relevant topic to drive inclusion and accessibility. Senior managers have the chance to create a roadmap for continuous improvement by including accessibility into the company's values and goals.
No success without allies
Success in accessibility and inclusion requires teamwork across various departments. Accessibility managers should search for allies who share their vision for a more inclusive organisation. Engaging these groups early in the conversation helps build a coalition that supports accessibility initiatives.
Some departments may be resistant to change. Unfortunately, these departments often have to do the actual work. Winning their support is crucial, as their cooperation is key for implementing accessibility solutions in practice.
Getting the leadership team on board
When presenting accessibility ideas to the leadership team, clarity and preparation are key. Understand their values and explain how accessibility and inclusion align with those values and why the future of the company is linked to these values. Use compliance as an argument, but don't stop there. Be passionate (if that's how you feel) and present solutions, not just problems. Paint a picture of how better accessibility could make your customers happier and generate a new customer group.
Focus on strategic goals
Accessibility is about reducing risks and improving the customer experience. Especially in transport, accessibility is also a health & safety issue. In the past, accidents with disabled passengers were regularly caused by the lack of accessibility. It's also a matter of equality and rights. Disabled people have a right to travel and society expects a decent service for all passengers.
Accessibility and innovation
Focusing on accessibility can drive innovation. Accessible and universal design often leads to better, more intuitive products and new ideas for improving processes. We would not talk to Alexa or our phones without speech-to-text technology, originally developed to support disabled people.
Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility, but it starts with the top
Everyone in an organisation has the opportunity to spark the needed change in accessibility and should do it if they can. But it won't work without the top of an organisation.
By adopting the social model of disability, you can advocate for an environment that removes barriers and fosters inclusion. This will improve the travel experience for disabled passengers and can inspire other industry players to do the same. And who doesn’t want to be the industry leader?
Some interesting links
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a $50 million penalty against American Airlines for numerous serious violations of the laws protecting disabled airline passengers between 2019 and 2023. DOT’s investigation into American Airlines uncovered cases of unsafe physical assistance that at times resulted in injuries and undignified treatment of wheelchair users, in addition to repeated failures to provide prompt wheelchair assistance. American Airlines also mishandled thousands of wheelchairs by damaging them or delaying their return, leaving travellers without the device they need for mobility.
A new partnership between the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Motability Foundation will explore innovative ways of making journeys better for blind and visually impaired people, including how assistive technologies can support independent travel.
My partner is blind and has Meta glasses for a couple of days. I don’t think it’s exaggerated to say it’s life-changing. Meta reads the oven display for him when he looks at it. It describes the surroundings and people if he asks the glasses to do it. Another app tells him about the shops and facilities when he passes them, and if he wants visual help from a human, BeMyEyes could support him. All by voice command and with the help of the camera in the glasses. Forbes has spoken to BeMyEyes’ CEO to discuss what the collaboration with Meta means for blind people.
Something to watch
That’s exactly what I experienced with the Apple Watch, too. It's a product that acknowledges that wheelchair users exist and that they want to have the number of pushes count. It also shows what a difference it makes when accessibility and inclusion are part of the core company culture.
Some final words
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Who is writing this newsletter?
I’m Christiane Link, and I improve the customer experience in aviation, transport, and travel. I worked as a journalist for over two decades and travelled extensively for business and leisure. I’m a wheelchair user.
Work with me
Whether you're a Customer service director, a Head of Customer Experience, a corporate Accessibility manager, a DEI leader, a transport planner, or a disabled employee resource group member, I can help you to make your organisation more inclusive. You can book me for speaking engagements or hire me as a consultant for your accessibility or DEI strategy, communications advice and other related matters. I have worked for airlines, airports, train operators, public transport providers, and companies in other sectors.
If you want to read more from me, follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky or Mastodon. You can also reply to this email if you want to contact me.
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