How Geographic Solutions Ensures Accessibility in Software Development
You won’t find it on a list of the world’s most dangerous jobs, but this career path requires brave employees who are willing to work with JAWS. No, not the infamous great white shark, but something equally powerful in the world of accessibility technology: JAWS (Job Access with Speech). This screen reader software is a key tool used by Geographic Solutions’ Accessibility Services Team to ensure that web pages and applications are fully accessible to users with low or no vision.
JAWS Technology: Enhancing Accessibility for All Users
Considered the next frontier in worldwide accessibility equality, Geographic Solutions is focused on bringing ease-of-use in their products to people with disabilities. In the U.S. alone, over half of working-age people have disabilities, making it even more imperative to consider accessibility from the second a product is conceived.
While no days are typical in an agile-driven software development company, this team spends any given week analyzing websites, documents, and other materials for compliance with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The Accessibility Services Team: Pioneering Inclusive Design
The benefits far outweigh the challenges, and this group within the development department agrees that the most rewarding part is helping level the playing field for all individuals, regardless of specific impairment. JAWS technology is crucial in enabling this mission and ensuring our software meets the necessary accessibility standards.
As a company, we're committed to ensuring our software is universally accessible. As a testament to this movement, the Accessibility Services Team periodically creates awareness labs. These workshops not only show how important inclusive design is to our users, but also demonstrate to employees across all departments how impactful accessible design can be.
The Importance of Accessibility Compliance in Software Development
Part of an industry-wide movement since the Department of Justice revised regulations in 2010, accessibility guidelines not only enhance the product experience for those with disabilities but improve usability for all users.
“The Accessibility Services Team is here to help,” said Accessibility Services Team Lead, Patti Arouni. “We can answer questions, provide training, recommend tools, and do whatever else is necessary so that our products are usable by as many people as possible.”