The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has recently released a list of five digital accessibility rules (Opens in a new tab). These rules should help federal agencies create accessible digital content from the start. Digital accessibility should be added before a project ends. These rules are important for making sure all Americans can access government resources.
You’re likely aware that following these guidelines will involve significant change. Both product development and product acquisition culture will need to adapt. For many vendors, this transition will be a difficult journey. at XR Navigation, we’ve been living and breathing these rules since our founding. If you’re seeking to meet the OMB’s guidance swiftly and seamlessly, we’re ready to support you. Here’s a breakdown of how our products and culture already embody each of the five key elements:
1. Delivering Accessible Digital Experiences
“Prior to publishing electronic content, agencies should test it to ensure it meets accessibility requirements. Agencies are expected to include people with disabilities as part of digital product design and testing user groups.”
Our inclusive culture starts with building products to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) AAA compliance (Opens in a new tab). WCAG AAA exceed the baseline Section 508 standards (Opens in a new tab). We do monthly user testing with people who have different disabilities. We have a culture of inclusion that challenges us to find those who are currently not served by our product.
2. Creating Digital Accessibility Programs and Policies
“Agencies must designate a program manager accountable for defining and overseeing digital accessibility processes including how digital accessibility issues are reported, tracked, and resolved.”
Our bug reporting process includes a feedback button on every page. We want any concerns quickly put into our tracker and prioritized for fixing. We run studies to compare our interfaces with others to find pain points that we can fix. These studies quantify how accessible and usable our tools are. We make sure our products meet the needs of professionals and users alike.
3. Procuring Accessible Products and Services
“Agencies are encouraged to make accessibility subject matter experts part of the acquisition process to ensure any new information and communications technology an agency plans to buy will be fully accessible.”
We conduct independent accessibility audits and share these reports with procurement teams. We invite accessibility experts to scrutinize our products and contribute to their improvement. We also use IAAP certified accessibility specialists (Opens in a new tab).
4. Finding and Fixing Problems
“Agencies should regularly scan web content using both automated and manual testing tools and processes to fully assess whether accessibility requirements are met and immediately prioritize remediation if not.”
Our quality assurance process includes certified Accessibility specialists and testing by disabled users. This process is performed before every update. Our commitment to digital accessibility is ongoing and proactive.
5. Making a Positive Culture of Digital Accessibility
“Agencies are encouraged to offer Section 508 and digital accessibility training to employees on a regular basis.”
We provide continuous accessibility training to our team. We also champion leadership by individuals with disabilities. Currently all executives and board members of XR Navigation have a disability.
Working with us means you’ll have the data and tools at your disposal to help comply to the OMB’s guidelines. Let’s talk about how you can best meet these rules around maps.
