A Guide to Accessibility Panels
- Dec 13, 2023
- 1 min read
Introduction
This guide has been put together by members of the Accessibility Advisory Forum of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, along with disabled professionals who have experience of sitting on a wide range of Boards and groups.
The aim of this guide is to encourage organisations to involve customers, experts and service users who experience access barriers into their decision- making. There are lots of ways to do this – one of which is to introduce an accessibility panel.
This guide is not meant to cover a definitive list of issues or provide a full explanation of the factors you need to consider. But it is intended to help you understand the value of an Accessibility Panel and the key issues to address in your planning process. Don’t be afraid to exceed the advice in this guide. A panel of this nature should evolve over time – this is just a first step.
One of reasons that organisations avoid having accessibility panels or consulting with disabled people is a fear of ‘getting things wrong’ or ‘saying the wrong thing’. This sort of fear is precisely why your organisation needs to engage and learn more. The best thing to do is read this guide and dive in!
Download the pdf below and read more about the benefits of having an Accessibility Panel.
I found it really helpful how the guide breaks down accessibility panels, especially the part about ensuring content is readable and navigable for everyone. It makes me think about how easy it is to overlook small design choices that can make a big difference in usability.
It also reminded me of how attention to detail matters in other areas, like when refining text with an Online AI Content Editing Service. Even small adjustments—whether in wording, layout, or interface—can completely change how someone experiences a page or a piece of content. I wonder how often people test these features in real-world scenarios versus just assuming they work as intended.