Communication Accessibility Checklist for Your Business

Ensuring your company provides inclusion and accessibility as a business can pose a challenge, especially in understanding where to begin implementing these systems for the employees and customers who need them to work to their full potential. That’s why we are sharing some actionable tips on how you can become more inclusive and accessible as a business to support employees and reach more customers.

Workplace Communication:

Physical Accessibility: Add flashing light sensors to your smoke detectors, fire alarms, and doorbells. Ensure that there is signage in braille. It can also be effective to have information about what accessibility services your business has available such as ASL interpreters or screen readers.
Clear Communication Guidelines: Develop clear guidelines for written and verbal communication to ensure clarity and inclusivity among leadership and employees. Practices such as introducing yourself before speaking can support with access for participants utilizing an interpreter to know who is speaking. Encourage the use of plain language in written communication to enhance clarity and understanding, especially in remote settings where visual cues may be limited.
Assistive Technologies: Invest in screen readers, speech-to-text software, visual interpreting and sign language interpreting services to support employees and customers with visual or hearing disabilities. You can also take advantage of no-cost Video Relay Service (VRS) and call captioning service for employees’ phone calls. Ensure remote meetings, presentations, and events are captioned and provide transcripts afterwards to support comprehension and engagement with participants who are neurodiverse, limited English proficient (LEP), Deaf, or hard-of-hearing.
Training Programs: Conduct regular training sessions to educate employees on creating accessible content and communication practices. Research 1 from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) indicates that companies with disability-inclusive cultures are more likely to outperform their peers financially.
Language Support: Provide interpreting and translation services or multilingual resources to accommodate employees and customers who speak other languages. This fosters inclusivity and facilitates effective communication in diverse teams.

Accessible Content:

Captioning Multimedia Content: Caption all multimedia content to ensure accessibility for neurodiverse, LEP, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing participants.
Accessible Presentation Materials: Provide accessible presentation materials in advance and in alternative formats if needed, accommodating diverse learning preferences and accessibility needs.
Physical Meeting Accessibility: Ensure meeting rooms and gathering spaces are accessible for individuals with mobile disabilities, complying with accessibility standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Inclusive Participation: Encourage inclusive participation in discussions and provide opportunities for feedback to ensure all backgrounds and abilities are heard and valued.
Designated Accessibility Point Person: Designate a point person to address accessibility concerns during meetings, presentations, or with the public demonstrating the organization’s commitment to inclusivity.

Digital Communication:

Website Accessibility: Ensure company website and digital content are accessible to individuals with disabilities by following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Proper HTML Markup: Use proper HTML markup and provide alternative text for images to enhance accessibility for screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Accessible Digital Documents: Design digital documents with accessibility in mind, including proper headings, formatting, and descriptive links.
Testing for Accessibility: Test digital communication platforms for accessibility and usability, ensuring they meet the needs of all users.
Training on Digital Accessibility: Provide training on creating accessible digital content for all employees to promote awareness and compliance with accessibility standards for colleagues and customers.

Feedback and Collaboration:

Open Feedback Environment: Foster an environment where employees and customers feel comfortable providing feedback on accessibility issues, encouraging transparency and continuous improvement.
Collaborative Problem-Solving: Encourage collaboration among employees to identify barriers to communication and implement effective solutions.
Leadership Commitment: Lead by example and prioritize accessibility in all communications and decision-making processes, demonstrating organizational values and fostering a culture of inclusivity.
Policy Integration: Incorporate accessibility considerations into company policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with legal requirements and industry best practices.
Regular Review and Update: Regularly review and update accessibility practices to ensure ongoing improvement and compliance with evolving standards and technologies.

Are you ready to start creating a more inclusive and accessible business? Sorenson is committed to providing a suite of solutions to ensure your business is as inclusive and accessible as possible. Sign up for a trial of Sorenson Express on-demand Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) or speak with our accessibility consultants about how to improve your DEIA strategy.