As you develop your accessibility efforts or launch a program or initiative, it’s important to know—and be able to prove–that your activities are having a positive effect. Accessibility can be confusing and complex, but it is possible to measure what you are achieving, and doing that will reinforce the value of your accessibility work and let you understand and communicate about your progress.
Here are some examples of metrics and reports used by both employers and ICT providers to measure the success of their accessibility efforts:
External Metrics
- Comments and complaints about products
- Legal actions
- Consultations with advocacy organizations, individuals, or researchers
- ICT or AT provider feedback
- Participation in public policy dialogues (comments on proposed rules, etc.)
- Awards and other recognition
- Public communication about your accessibility work
Development, Procurement, and Technology Infrastructure Metrics
- Procurements or internal development instances with different levels of explicit accessibility input
- Program scope (i.e., how many products or processes does your accessibility program reach and affect, including RFPs and testing?)
- Remediation plans accepted and acted on (for both employers and ICT providers)
- Products or processes moving up the ladder of accessibility
Staff and Leadership Metrics
- Employee awareness of and satisfaction with inclusion and accessibility efforts, including employees with and without disabilities
- Accessibility team member satisfaction
- Supervisor or other productivity program manager feedback
- Executive champion/CATO feedback
- Staff training (i.e., the number of people that have completed particular courses, what courses were developed)
- Membership in an accessibility professional organization or attendance at an accessibility event
- Success in managing the budget of the accessibility initiative