Accessibility Ireland – Digital access for everyone

/ Barry Walsh

Founded in 2023, Accessibility Ireland is dedicated to ensuring that everyone—including people with disabilities—has equal access to digital information, products, and services. Driven by a clear mission to bridge the significant gap in education and awareness around digital accessibility in Ireland, the organisation empowers companies to create inclusive digital experiences, from websites and apps to digital documents. Through community events, partnerships, and tailored training, Accessibility Ireland champions the belief that digital accessibility is not just a technical requirement but a vital step towards a more equitable society for all

At Accessibility Ireland they believe that everyone, including people with disabilities, must have equal access to digital information, products and services.

  1. Can you share the inspiration behind founding Accessibility Ireland and what motivated you to focus on accessibility?

Our motivation is clear: for years, we’ve observed a significant gap in education and awareness regarding digital accessibility in Ireland. We aim to bridge this gap by empowering Irish companies to create digital products and services such as websites, apps and digital documents, that are accessible to everyone. Whether it’s enabling users to perform online banking, purchase cinema tickets, or fill in an interactive PDF, our goal is for Ireland to lead the way in delivering inclusive digital experiences for all.

While much of our work as professional Accessibility Engineers has focused on U.S.-based products and services, we’ve consistently sought opportunities to share our expertise within Ireland through local meetups, workshops, and guest lectures for university courses. Now, we have formalised this effort into a dedicated group with a clear mission: to raise awareness and provide education on digital accessibility across the country.

  1. How has your professional background and experiences influenced your approach to creating accessible environments?

We all come from backgrounds in design and development, roles that significantly impact the accessibility of digital products and services. Both Mick and Michael have a background in web development, which is a huge benefit when making code accessible and understanding how that code is interpreted by assistive technology. Gareth has a background in web and graphic design, enabling him to leverage his design expertise when collaborating and educating designers on how to make their work more accessible.

Collectively, we’ve each spent nearly a decade working in accessibility-specific roles, covering areas such as web and mobile accessibility, design systems, content accessibility, and document accessibility.

  1. Accessibility Ireland offers a range of services including audits, training, and accessible event planning. Can you elaborate on how these services are tailored to meet the specific needs of your clients?

Our primary mission is to grow a strong community of accessibility advocates in Ireland while raising awareness. One of our primary initiatives involves organising Meetups, which have proven to be highly successful. Our first in-person event in April 2024 had excellent attendance, and we are now planning our fourth event.

We’ve also partnered with DublinUX, a leading community of designers, to expand our reach. Together, we’ve invited experts in accessibility and design to share their insights, highlight the importance of accessibility, and provide practical guidance on how designers can integrate accessible practices into their work.

A major goal of ours is to bring all these efforts together, with like-minded individuals and groups, in creating Ireland’s first conference dedicated to digital accessibility.

Besides organising Meetups, we also offer introductory workshops on digital accessibility. Whether the audience includes designers, developers, content creators, product managers, or those looking for a general overview, we tailor each session to address their specific needs.

  1. Could you provide an example of a challenging project you worked on and how your team overcame the obstacles to achieve accessibility goals?

In general, challenging projects often involve companies using outdated or third-party technology that claims to be accessible but falls short in practice. Improving accessibility in such cases can be difficult, especially if the third party is not proactive in logging and fixing issues. Companies relying on outdated technology, such as old operating systems or browser versions, also pose significant challenges.

To overcome or prevent these obstacles, ensure your product roadmap includes regular updates for all technologies involved. Test third-party software and tools thoroughly before adopting them.

As mentioned earlier also, there is a huge gap in terms of education and awareness around digital accessibility in design and development-related university courses. Therefore when working with individuals from these disciplines, it’s not just about mentoring them on the technical aspects to meet accessibility compliance, but also trying to challenge their perceptions and bias and effect change from a cultural perspective. For many who ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ when it comes to accessibility we’re essentially trying to make them break habits of a lifetime and change their mindset.

  1. What are some common misconceptions about accessibility that you encounter, and how do you address them through your work?

That accessibility is difficult: It’s not difficult; it’s just a different way of looking at things and being more considerate of everyone’s needs. It can take time to integrate accessibility into processes and refine them for efficiency, but once the right resources and processes are in place, it’s not much different from how companies already build things.

That there are quick fixes to inaccessible experiences: Avoid quick-fix solutions for accessibility issues, as many plugins and overlays may not be as effective as they claim and are merely a band-aid solution. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

That automated tools will identify all accessibility issues: This one could potentially be true if your website or app is inaccessible, as you’re shutting the digital front door of your business to around 20% of the population.

That AI will solve all my accessibility woes: Many AI testing tools have emerged recently, but they may not offer significant benefits over existing freely available automated tools. While AI can positively impact how accessibility issues are identified and rectified, it’s crucial to research and test these tools before adopting them. Ask for concrete examples of where these tools perform better than what’s already available.

That no one with a disability uses my site: This could be true, if your website or app is inaccessible you’re immediately shutting the digital front door of your business to around 20% of the population. Having an accessible site, while primarily being the right thing to do, also makes perfect business sense by extending your market reach.

  1. You also host networking sessions and nights for anyone involved in the area of accessibility in the digital landscape. How successful has this approach been? What other marketing efforts do you use to reach as many people as possible?

The Meetups have been a real success so far, bringing together newcomers to accessibility as well as seasoned professionals. These events are all about building connections and learning from one another by sharing stories of accessibility challenges, opportunities, and successes. Our hope is that attendees inspire each other to apply these learned insights in their own work and spread the accessibility reach within their own organisations and the community as a whole.

Our partnership with DublinUX has allowed us to connect with a large community of designers and we hope to do this with similar groups of professionals working in other disciplines within the tech sector in the year ahead.

  1. The website mentions a strong focus on collaboration and partnership. Can you discuss some of the key partnerships that have been instrumental in your journey?

In addition to DublinUX, Morgan McKinley has been an invaluable partner for our Meetups, graciously hosting us in their accessible venue. Their support has not only enhanced our events but also given them valuable insights into the importance of digital accessibility and its impact on local recruitment needs.

Each Meetup features a spotlight segment, providing an opportunity for other communities to address the audience and broaden the conversation around accessibility. So far, we’ve had AHEAD,  the Irish Accessibility Networking Group and a PhD research student from TU Dublin share their perspectives, and we warmly invite others with an interest in accessibility to reach out and get involved.

  1. Can you share some success stories or positive impacts that Accessibility Ireland has had on people or organisations?

We repeatedly get approached by attendees of our meetups who were inspired by the stories and the messages that they drive home, in particular the empathy sessions which demonstrate the impact inaccessible digital products and services have on people with disabilities.

We get contacted by professionals and students who are keen to learn more about accessibility or who are incorporating accessibility into their research and projects, because of what they learned at our meetups, and are looking for us to provide insight and feedback. It’s always a great success to hear that others are actually considering and including accessibility in their own work without being asked to do so but instead because they understand the importance behind it.

  1. For businesses or organisations just beginning to focus on accessibility, what advice would you give them to ensure they start on the right path?

The first priority for companies aiming to improve accessibility should be investing in people. This could mean hiring an accessibility professional who can provide valuable user insights, break down accessibility requirements, and educate different roles across the organisation on how they can contribute to creating more accessible experiences. Alternatively, or in addition, identify an accessibility champion from within and allow them time to upskill. It’s important to keep in mind that accessibility is everyone’s responsibility.

It’s essential for companies to recognise that there are no shortcuts when it comes to accessibility. No single tool or audit can fully assess how accessible your product or service truly is. If your focus is solely on compliance, you’re missing the bigger picture – accessibility is ultimately about people. Understand that accessibility will always be part of your processes and move away from the mindset that it is simply a box to be ticked.

  1. Outside of the accessibility world, what other people companies or programmes in DEI in Ireland are you big fans of?