2.6 Prevent Accessibility From Impacting Delivery

Even when accessibility is well-supported on a project, delivery can still end up delayed.

To avoid this, ensure the team is fully aware of the client’s required documentation and procedures. Many public sector projects might include accessibility into their Authority To Operate (ATO) and will be blocked from release until approval from the agency’s Section 508 Office. That process can sometimes take weeks to fulfill, so it’s imperative to understand what needs to be done and when to start.

Avoid Launch-Blocking Defects

Accessibility defects are easy to avoid when teams use an accessibility-first approach to design and implementation. One situation anyone would want to avoid would be when an accessibility defect reaches a level that sends teams back to the drawing board, especially when a deadline is approaching. That is one of many reasons why following this playbook to adopt an inclusive, human-centric design and development process is so important.  When building with accessibility in mind from the start, it’s unlikely that accessibility issues will prevent delivery.

Working with a Section 508 Office 

Public sector projects often require accessibility approval either from a Section 508 Office or another equivalent team that could hold up delivery or your product. How these teams work and the size of their backlogs may vary, so it is imperative to learn what you need to provide and when so that  when you are ready to launch, you are not caught off-guard by avoidable delays. 

A Section 508 Office might have a backlog of several weeks, so don’t wait until the last minute to submit a request. Reach out to others familiar with the process, or the Section 508 Office itself for any background information that would be helpful towards preparation. 

Here are some helpful pointers to keep in mind when working with a Section 508 Office:

• Provide detailed instructions outlining how to use your product, including how to access a staging environment, since the office may have no context about your product or how to use it
• Avoid any visual descriptors, since people with lived experience may be conducting the audit
• Expect that the process might involve a sighted and non-sighted user performing the same task
• Anticipate that backlogs could be several weeks; the office should let you know when the audits begin
• Expect that audits might  take a week or more, and that you might be asked for a code freeze during that period
• Remediate all the defects that you know about beforehand; do not use the Section 508 Office to find your accessibility defects
• Know that re-audits are usually not required with every release, but might be required when releasing a major new feature 
• Plan to work with the Section 508 Office through misalignment with certain defects

If the Section 508 Office finds defects, they will request your team remediate them. You will also need to have the Section 508 Office verify that all flagged defects were remediated, which can take a few days. 

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