Should your Development Vendor be your Accessibility Testing Vendor?
No, never, not advisable!
I firmly believe that the developer and the tester need to be independent. It just is pure conflict of interest!
Accessibility testing is an Audit conducted of your website or mobile app. Which audit would you trust more:
- One where the developer has audited their own work
- Where an independent auditor checked the deliverable
Personally, I will trust the independent audit and I’m sure that’s due to you too.
So, if you have specified in your Statement of Work or RFP that the website or mobile app has to be accessible and meet Web Content Accessibility Guideline 2.1 Level AA, then I am sure you want to ensure it meets the standards.
Some of the benefits of performing a third party accessibility audit are:
- Accountability — ensuring that the website or mobile app is delivered as per the accessibility guidelines and hold the vendor accountable to the SOW or RFP
- Validation — the audit will help you test that the accessibility requirements are met as per WCAG.
- Managing Risk — ensuring that your website and mobile app is inclusive and accessible. This will also ensure you comply with the relevant laws such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Above all be a company that is inclusive. Ensure your products and solutions are accessible to people with disabilities. There are more than a billion people with disabilities in the world and have a disposable income of USD 3 trillion.
So choose right! Evaluate your options of vendors and don’t be limited by your “preferred vendor” list. Find the vendor partner that helps you to meet your accessibility needs.
Be Inclusive and Accessible!
Write to us at sales@barrierbreak.com to know more on how we can support you to be an inclusive organization.
