Every organization needs a starting point for accessibility, but true maturity is an ongoing journey. It’s not just about meeting a set standard and calling it a day.
Accessibility maturity is about continuous evolution and integrating accessibility into every area of your organization’s operations. Think of it as a garden that requires regular care and attention rather than a one-time watering. More than that, it’s about improving your capability to deliver accessible digital products over time.
Think of it as taking your spring garden that gives you (and probably the neighbors) some fresh vegetables for a while and continually evolving it until it produces sustainability all year long, not just because it is a better garden but because you’re a better gardener and have better tools and equipment. We’ve got good news for your accessibility garden whether you’re starting out or optimizing your existing program, you don’t have to go it alone. Let the W3C Accessibility Maturity Model be your gardening guide (green thumb not included).
What Is the W3C Accessibility Maturity Model?
Integrating accessibility into your organization’s workflow and governance can be as challenging as keeping that garden flourishing, especially if you lack dedicated resources. Fortunately, with the Accessibility Maturity Model as your guide you have a structured framework to assess and advance accessibility maturity by aligning policies, communication, training, and tools across seven key dimensions. It complements technical standards like WCAG, helping organizations build the processes and infrastructure needed for sustainable digital inclusion.
Overview of the Accessibility Maturity Model Stages
The Accessibility Maturity Model guides organizations through four stages of progress, making it clear that accessibility isn’t a “one and done” situation but a commitment to inclusivity:
- Stage 1: Inactive: Accessibility? Never heard of it! Accessibility isn’t yet on the radar, and no structured approach is in place. (You’re past this stage if you’re reading this blog.)
- Stage 2: Launch: Awareness has set in, and initial efforts are underway, but accessibility still feels like an “add-on” rather than an integrated approach.
- Stage 3: Integrate: Accessibility processes are formalized, consistent, and guided by a roadmap. Teams know their roles, and accessibility efforts are proactive rather than reactive (we’re finally remembering to water those plants before they wilt).
- Stage 4: Optimize: Accessibility is deeply embedded in the organization, with continuous assessment, improvement, and even … joy! In other words, accessibility becomes as natural as the routine of tending to your flourishing garden.
Each stage serves as a milestone, highlighting both progress and the next steps needed to deepen accessibility practices. If you’re wondering which stage your organization is in, don’t worry; no one starts optimized!
Spotlight on the ICT Development Lifecycle
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Development Lifecycle dimension is central to the Accessibility Maturity Model, emphasizing the need for accessibility in every phase of product creation. Effective implementation in this area enables sustainable accessibility across software, hardware, and digital solutions.
Unlike conformance testing — which is like bringing a plant back to life with a single watering. A maturity model ensures you have a procedure and process for keeping your plants watered so they never wilt. By establishing an accessibility governance framework, organizations can ensure accessibility is built into each stage. Here’s how:
Key Components of the ICT Development Lifecycle Dimension
To optimize accessibility maturity within the ICT Development Lifecycle, focus on the following areas (yes, it’s doable):
Design and Planning. Integrate accessibility from the start. Imagine accessibility like a vital nutrient in your soil. No one wants to realize they forgot to enrich the soil only after planting the seeds! Creating accessible design specifications from the get-go ensures accessibility is a fundamental part of every project.
Development. Best practices in development mean considering accessibility from day one. This might include using accessible coding frameworks, ensuring text alternatives for images, and making all interactive elements keyboard-friendly. In other words, cultivate your digital assets as if every user might be navigating them in an unexpected way.
Testing and Quality Assurance (QA). A thorough testing approach — both automated testing and manual audits — is essential to ensure that everything blooms as it should. Pro tip: Include users with disabilities in the process! This is like a “real-world test” where you find out if your product holds up under actual user conditions, not just under “perfect conditions” in the lab.
Maintenance and Monitoring. Accessibility is a bit like good gardening — you don’t just plant seeds and walk away. Regular updates and improvements are needed to keep up with evolving standards. Addressing Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs) and VPATs as part of maintenance helps sustain compliance and makes sure your digital spaces stay welcoming.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). For organizations that are “Optimized,” accessibility is tested in CI/CD pipelines so that every code update aligns with accessibility standards. Think of it as a continuous check on your garden’s health, ensuring no weeds slip through unnoticed!
User Feedback. User feedback is the golden ticket for ongoing improvement. Testing with users with disabilities post-launch gives valuable insight and reveals real-world usability issues you might not catch otherwise. And who knows better than your audience what works?
How the Accessibility Maturity Model Complements Conformance Testing
Conformance testing is valuable, but it’s just a snapshot — like inspecting a single plant and claiming the entire garden is thriving without considering the whole landscape.
Maturity modeling, on the other hand, provides a holistic view of how your organization supports accessibility long-term, identifying where you’re set up to succeed and where improvements can be made for sustained results. With the maturity model, accessibility shifts from a “project” to a principle guiding your operations and user experience.
Access this on-demand webinar to learn more about shifting from project to progress.
Moving Toward Accessibility Maturity
The Accessibility Maturity Model is designed to guide organizations in embedding accessibility as a core value, not just an afterthought. By focusing on the ICT Development Lifecycle, the model ensures accessibility is integrated into every phase of product creation, enhancing user confidence, improving product quality, and fostering inclusivity.
TPGi’s Accessibility Strategy Service builds on this model by helping organizations develop a tailored roadmap to address current challenges and integrate accessibility into their workflows, culture, and operations. With a focus on collaboration, process improvement, and internal capacity-building, this service lays the groundwork for sustainable, inclusive practices that grow with your organization. Contact us to get started with your accessibility strategy.
However, creating a strategic plan is the first step. The next step is to implement the strategy, and that’s a long-term effort. As standards evolve and technology advances, maintaining accessibility can feel overwhelming — especially without dedicated resources. That’s where TPGi as a Service (TaaS) steps in. Our team of accessibility experts provides the ongoing support, testing, and guidance you need to confidently progress toward full accessibility maturity. Speak with an expert to get your accessibility maturity program on the right path.
