Outsourcing Accessibility

There have been a range of tools and platforms that have risen dramatically in popularity on the Web over the last few years – changing the process of how websites are built and used. Accessibility overlays that you can “bolt on” to your website claim to solve all of your accessibility problems with a line of code and a toolbar, the “build your own website” phenomenon of websites like Wix and Squarespace bringing large numbers of people without accessibility (or coding) knowledge to the Web, and the rise within the development community of pattern libraries, with pre-built accessible components, but a complete disengagement from their maintenance and decision-making process – for each of these, we’ll dive into what you’re gaining vs. what you’re giving up and whether they’re helpful or detrimental in the fight to make the Web more accessible.