Business Case

From Education & Outreach

This page provides the structure for the Q3 2017 review and rewrite of the suite of documents linked from the current page Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your organization


GitHub repo for Business Case, Open Issues

Latest Info

Purpose

  • Primary purpose: encourage people in organizations of all types and sizes to recognize, understand and promote the business benefits of web accessibility
  • Secondary purpose: to provide tools to persuade others and link to resources for further exploration of the topic

Audience

  • Primary audience is advocates, managers, policy makers and leaders within organizations. Additional potential audience is widely varied from journalists and technical writers to business analysts and more. Generally this will be used as a source document for advocates to develop their own business case specific to the needs of their organization.

Approach

Up for discussion is an approach that provides:

  1. A "story edition" for people who want a more in-depth narrative.
    This could particularly speak to high-level executives.
  2. A "bullet edition" for people who want a succinct list.
    This could provide specifics that some project managers will want.
  3. A template for developing a business case for a specific organization.

Discussions:

1. Story Edition

Story Edition Draft

Concept (Story)

Based on these considerations and the fact that the Business Case has evolved, especially in the past five years, the approach should be different as well. There is less general skepticism about the need for accessibility and greater interest in how to integrate into existing processes. Arguments should therefore be stated less from a need to persuade more from a way to empower leaders. The case must be made clearly, briefly, crisply and in a way that encourages readers and gives them confidence to act on what they read.

It is proposed as one page, no need for the left hand navigation section.

2. Bullet Edition

Bullet Edition Draft

Concept (Bullet)

Some people will want a succinct list of the factors in a business case, specifically for web accessibility. This approach provides minimal information by default, and for people who want justification or more details, it provides supporting information under collapsed headings. It includes links to the specific WCAG success criteria that supports the point.

3. Template

Additionally proposed is a do-it-yourself (DIY) Business Case (probably a slide deck) to allow readers to download a template and fill in with information and resources most useful to their own situation. It will introduce questions like:

  • What country? (link to appropriate section of the Policy page)
  • What industry?
  • Demographic? Mission statements, etc that will provide context and help guide toward a relevant Business Case argument for the reader.

Previous Info

Editor's request for Case Study/Data

In support of making the argument for businesses to invest in accessibility, editors are seeking data and/or case studies to illustrate those arguments in the real world. Please share any information that can be made public. If the source is to remain anonymous, that is OK as well. Thank you!

[Add name here]

Submitted by:

Date of case study or data collection:

Details:

Purpose

  • Primary purpose: encourage people in organizations of all types and sizes to understand and promote business benefits of web accessibility
  • Secondary purpose: to provide tools to persuade others and link to resources for further exploration of the topic

Audience

  • From that document, these considerations:
    • Primary audience - people who are trying to "sell" accessibility to their organization, or get "buy-in" from an organization to start a Web accessibility initiative, adopt a Web accessibility policy, etc.
    • Secondary audiences include reporters, trainers, ... All types of organizations, including commercial/industry, government, education, non-profit, etc.
    • Direct audience for this document could be varied, such as technical Web developer, business analyst, outside accessibility advocate, etc.
    • The indirect audience is the people reading the organization's customized "business case" which is often managers and others who are responsible for allocating time and money resources to Web projects. These people may not understand the technical aspects of the Web.

Current Documents

To be addressed separately, later: "Web Accessibility is Smart Business" Presentation

Recommended Approach

  1. Request GitHub repository for Business Case (can this be done in format of new site?)
    — [done] https://github.com/w3c/wai-bcase (yes, you can do it in the new format :) ~SLH
  2. Request metrics for these pages, how often are they accessed and what is the difference in the access rate of the different "Factor" pages?
    — [done] sent to Editors ~SLH
  3. Analyze whatever data there may be and review content in that context.
  4. Confirm findings and conclusions. Share edit/tersification plan with review group and all of EOWG.
  5. Re-think existing structure and length of content. Is it necessary, repetitive, useful? Create streamlined version. Circulate to Review team (and any in EO who have interest.) In email to EO archive list, Vivienne suggests the following:
    • content is dense, hard to find what you need
    • would benefit from more current case studies
    • understanding/presentation of business methodology needs updating
  6. August 23 addition Based on data analyses and preliminary comments, the approach has been modified as follows:
    • Five page tabbed interface will be modified to be only one page.
      — Given this is a significant proposed change, I think it would be good to bring a detailed outline &/or an early rough concept draft to all of EOWG for review before finalizing approach and polishing wording. ~SLH
    • Case studies developed
      — Are you envisioning that the case studies will all be that one page, too? I think that gets away from what some were thinking of having smaller chunks of info per page. (not me, btw -- I usually prefer related info on one page, rather than lots of small pages :) ~SLH
      — In 1 I proposed that these are lower priority than other work. ~SLH
    • Post by September 1
    • Accept and address GitHub comments for two weeks and post how issues are addressed.
    • Once team agrees, bring to EO for final approval via survey.

Target Delivery date

Revised 09 November:

  • Draft to circulate to editorial team - 23 January
  • Review discussion in EO meeting - 01 February
  • Review comments due - 06 February
  • Editor's Draft for editorial team approval - 10 February
  • Approval to Publish to planning team - 14 December
  • Approval Survey - 16 February

Current references and notes

Discussion of these references and notes at the 07 November face to meeting at TPAC led to the following conclusions:

  1. Editorial team will not rely on the current method of organizing sub topics and categories.
  2. Will introduce more iconography, attempt to minimize wall of text.
  3. will include a number of supporting resources from the links and materials below.
  4. Will make first attempt at a one page structure but be open to breaking into sub pages if needed.

Revised Approach

  1. Frame the questions/answers about web accessibility in terms relevant to the industry you work within: What is it that is most important to the person making the decisions?
    • Can accessibility save them money?
    • Can it reduce legal risk?
    • Can it increase their income?
    • Can it increase their market share (and can it be demonstrated?)
    • Can it increase their institutional profile/reputation?
    • Does it align to their stated values, commitment statements (diversity and inclusion for example)
  2. Identify and address what is it that particular organizations/companies want that accessibility provides. Create a template that allows them to map the ways that accessibility benefits them to get to adoption more easily.
  3. Point to case studies (and/or testimonials) in support of statements made. Explore permission to use Barclay's Making Your Business Accessible and similar. W3C testimonial Guidelines

Questions EO participants can use to gather data

The following questions were brainstormed at an EO meeting and can be used as a place to start. Feel free to ask other, more relelvant questions to the situation that has the most meaning to those you interview:

  • What was the primary driver for your implementation of a digital accessibility program?
  • What (if any) were secondary ones?
  • At what stage is your accessibility program (for example would you say you were just getting started, mid-implementation, mature, etc)
  • What were/are the biggest hurdles to overcome?
  • Have their been any unexpected benefits? If so, please describe.
  • Overall how would you rate the ROI (low, acceptable, good, great)

Articles

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