Short answer

Implement a structured assessment of your organization's accessibility practices using key indicators such as defined roles, training programs, and performance monitoring to identify areas for improvement and drive progress towards greater inclusivity.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Frontiers in Computer Science (2023)
Method: Systematic Literature Review and Analysis
Sample: 25 maturity models analyzed
Evidence: Moderate effect

Organizations can systematically assess and improve their accessibility by adopting a maturity model that evaluates key indicators like responsibility, competence, and monitoring. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Computer Science. Using Systematic literature review and analysis with 25 maturity models analyzed, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Implement a structured assessment of your organization's accessibility practices using key indicators such as defined roles, training programs, and performance monitoring to identify areas for improvement and drive progress towards greater inclusivity.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentModerate effect

Organizational Accessibility Maturity: A Framework for Evaluating and Enhancing Inclusive Design Practices

Organizations can systematically assess and improve their accessibility by adopting a maturity model that evaluates key indicators like responsibility, competence, and monitoring.

Frontiers in Computer Science · 2023

Key Findings

01Responsibility, competences & training, and monitoring are the most frequent indicators in accessibility maturity models.
02Existing models show variations in indicators when segmented by target group.
03Few existing maturity models specifically address higher education institutions, and none explicitly focus on the teaching and learning of accessibility.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Conduct an internal audit of your design team's or organization's current accessibility practices, using 'responsibility,' 'competences & training,' and 'monitoring' as core evaluation criteria. Identify gaps and develop a roadmap for improvement.

Project actions

01When evaluating existing solutions, consider how they address user needs and accessibility.
02Develop criteria for assessing the 'maturity' of a design solution in terms of its inclusivity.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can organizations systematically measure and improve their accessibility practices through the adoption of a maturity model?

MethodSystematic Literature Review and Analysis

ProcedureA comprehensive review of existing maturity models was conducted across multiple academic databases and through web searches. The identified models were analyzed to determine the common indicators used for measuring organizational accessibility, with a specific focus on those applicable to higher education contexts.

Sample25 maturity models analyzed

ContextOrganizational design and development processes, with a specific focus on accessibility in higher education.

Variables

IVMaturity model indicators (e.g., responsibility, training, monitoring)

DVOrganizational accessibility maturity level

CVTarget group (e.g., higher education institutions)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Comprehensive literature search across multiple databases.
+Systematic analysis of identified maturity models.

Limitations

The models reviewed are theoretical; their practical impact on actual accessibility outcomes needs further investigation.

Reliability & validity

The reliability of the findings depends on the thoroughness of the literature search and the consistency of the analysis criteria applied to the maturity models. Validity is supported by the systematic approach, but direct empirical validation of the models' effectiveness is not provided.

Think critically

To what extent do the identified indicators in accessibility maturity models truly reflect an organization's commitment and capability to create accessible products, beyond mere procedural compliance?

Design Principles

"Accessibility maturity is a measurable state that can be systematically improved through focused organizational efforts on responsibility, competence, and monitoring."

Understanding an organization's current accessibility maturity allows for targeted interventions to foster more inclusive design and development processes. This systematic approach helps identify gaps and prioritize improvements, leading to more accessible products and services for all users.

What This Means for Your Design

Organizations can get better at making things accessible by using a checklist (maturity model) that looks at who is in charge, if people are trained, and how they check things are working.

How to use in your project

1.Use the concept of maturity models to justify the need for specific design features or processes that enhance accessibility in your design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the importance of organizational maturity in achieving accessibility. By evaluating key indicators such as defined responsibilities, staff training, and ongoing monitoring, organizations can systematically improve their inclusive design practices. This framework can be applied to assess the current state of accessibility within a design team or organization, identifying specific areas for development to ensure more universally accessible outcomes.

Source

Frontiers in Computer Science

How to measure the accessibility maturity of organizations—A survey on accessibility maturity models for higher education

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about organizational accessibility maturity: a framework for evaluating and enhancing inclusive design practices?: Implement a structured assessment of your organization's accessibility practices using key indicators such as defined roles, training programs, and performance monitoring to identify areas for improvement and drive progress towards greater inclusivity. Evidence: Frontiers in Computer Science (2023).
Why does "Organizational Accessibility Maturity: A Framework for Evaluating and Enhancing Inclusive Design Practices" matter for design?: Understanding an organization's current accessibility maturity allows for targeted interventions to foster more inclusive design and development processes. This systematic approach helps identify gaps and prioritize improvements, leading to more accessible products and services for all users.
How can designers apply this research?: Implement a structured assessment of your organization's accessibility practices using key indicators such as defined roles, training programs, and performance monitoring to identify areas for improvement and drive progress towards greater inclusivity.
What were the main findings?: Responsibility, competences & training, and monitoring are the most frequent indicators in accessibility maturity models.. Existing models show variations in indicators when segmented by target group.. Few existing maturity models specifically address higher education institutions, and none explicitly focus on the teaching and learning of accessibility.
What research method was used?: Systematic Literature Review and Analysis with 25 maturity models analyzed.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Frontiers in Computer Science.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Conduct an internal audit of your design team's or organization's current accessibility practices, using 'responsibility,' 'competences & training,' and 'monitoring' as core evaluation criteria. Identify gaps and develop a roadmap for improvement.
What are the limitations?: The analysis primarily focused on existing models, and the specific effectiveness of these models in driving actual accessibility improvements was not directly tested. The focus on higher education also means applicability to other sectors may vary.