Exploring Experiences of UX Professionals in Accessibility

The session will share results from an exploratory research study that delved deeper into the experiences of technology professionals who are interested in digital accessibility. Despite the growing resources within digital accessibility, UX professionals lack support and resources for their accessibility work. This paper builds on these known issues to gain a deeper understanding of the resource needs and experiences of UX professionals as they develop their knowledge and skills in digital accessibility. Our specific aims were to learn more about 1) accessibility practices of digital product teams; 2) motivations, incentives, and rewards for integrating accessibility practices; and 3) resources and supports to develop accessibility knowledge and skills. Our analysis showed that the study participants reported they had adequate access to implementation and education-based resources but have limited people-based resources. This is important because some participants suggested that having allies and team members who shared their interest or passion for accessibility was a significant influence and crucial support for encouraging accessibility practices. They found interactions with these people-based resources highly valuable and multiple participants indicated a desire for more opportunities to engage with and learn from others.