How I Almost Lost My Job Because of a Product Platform Change
Most people who consider the concept of web accessibility, think it only relates to federal agencies or those companies who receive federal funding. Furthermore, major lawsuits and overhauls happen at large public-facing companies, especially in the retail industry. But, what about web and desktop products that are not public-facing but are used to perform a job function? I’m talking about software that is used in professions such as accounting, human resources/payroll, and call-centers. In my case, I almost lost my job because my company’s recruitment software called an applicant tracking system (ATS) did a major update and became virtually impossible for me to use to do my job.
A Little Bit About Me
Before we get too far, let me give you a quick introduction to my background. I am Visually Impaired/Blind since birth. As technology advanced, my tools advanced from Braille to using the computer, in particular Jaws for Windows, as a screen reading software. I’m not a software developer, nor am I super interested in technology/computer programming. Rather, I am a recruiter and have been in the human resources industry for 18 years. Finding and changing jobs was always overshadowed by whether the company’s technology would work with Jaws. Most, for the record, did not work.
How I Almost Lost My Job
Now back to my story, I had been working with a version of an applicant tracking (ATS) software at a great company for over 6 years. The software did not completely meet Accessibility Standards, but I could do 90% of the tasks for my job, and this worked out fine. After six years, we were informed that the ATS company was going through a major update to their technology stack. ‘Don’t worry’, they said, the look and feel would change a bit but we shouldn’t notice many changes. So, naive person that I was, I chose not to worry, right along with the rest of my team who, by the way, did not utilize Jaws.
I Should Have Worried
It was a Monday morning when I arrived at work, having completely forgotten about the ATS changes that happened over the weekend. I opened the application first thing and headed off to grab a cup of coffee. When I settled back at my desk, coffee in hand, I was astounded to find I couldn’t click on anything in the application. Perhaps I need to reboot I thought, so that’s what I did. Nothing changed. Then I checked my email and was reminded of the changes the ATS had made over the weekend. I frantically asked my other co-workers if they were having issues and they were not. They loved the new look and feel of the product.
The ATS Product Team Was No Help
Per my supervisor’s suggestion, I grabbed our inhouse HR technology specialist and we jumped on a call with the ATS product manager and one of their software developers. After 15 minutes on the call, I was in tears. The product manager, not being technical, basically said there was nothing they could do. The developer informed me that the changes were already complete and reversing the changes would be a major change that would affect their customers globally. Even though my supervisor reassured me we would somehow fix this, I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to perform my job independently again, meaning I would need to leave the company and a job I loved, and frankly, was great at.
The Importance of Strong Advocates
I’m forever grateful for my supervisor at that time. She reassured me from the beginning that she would do everything in her power to enable me to perform my job successfully. We brainstormed ideas including hiring a temporary employee to do all of the work on my behalf under my direction. My co-workers offered to help. None of this was ideal because it would require me to be dependent on others. Finally, my supervisor made several calls to the ATS and long story short, the ATS decided to hire an accessibility consultant to advise their developers on how to make their product accessible. This consultant also helped me find other workarounds to use the system. It was never fully compliant, but I was brought back up to being able to perform 90% of the tasks. I’d never been so happy to be back to that standard and, think about it, 90% is only an A- grade.
Why Don’t Companies Include Accessible Development Practices from the Beginning?
Over the years, I’ve had many conversations with software developers and company leaders about web accessibility. Here’s what I’ve found. Many developers haven’t even heard of web accessibility standards. Or, they think it is only for government websites. Or, they think the site won’t look nice or, it won’t be “fun” to develop. Finally, I’ve heard it is just too expensive. It’s nothing personal they say, it is just a decision that is best for the business. The legal team said they didn’t have to, so they didn’t.
Let’s Get Personal for a Moment
When people think of others with disabilities and the need for assistive technology, they don’t realize the growing number of people who will utilize some sort of assistive technology in their lifetime. While some people have certain disabilities present since birth, other disabilities can occur for several reasons. I encourage you to learn why and how people with disabilities use the web and the barriers they face. You’ll learn that people find themselves in need of accessible websites, applications, and tools due to aging, surgeries, health conditions or due to some sort of accident. No matter what, nobody is invincible to depending on web applications, tool,s and products to meet accessibility standards. In fact, on average as of 2012, 13.2 Million people in the United States have at least one disability* that section 508 in particular, is meant to help with. *Erickson, W., Lee, C., P., & Von Schrader, S. (2012) Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute(EDI).
Become Accessible from the Start
My story is very personal, and I don’t often advertise my struggles. Now that I work for a consulting company, one that provides web accessibility consulting, I feel it is my duty to share my story. So, I compel you, if you are a software developer, a leader of a company that produces products, or even if you just resonate with my situation, please become an advocate for accessibility. You can hire an accessibility consultant to help plan, update or even fix a product to ensure it is accessible. Depending on your resources, you can learn about Accessibility Compliance Standards and Test Your Product and make updates on your own. I’ll leave you with this last thought. How would you get through life and your career if it was always overshadowed by software not working for you? By advocating for accessibility, you’re ultimately advocating for yourself, or your loved ones’ futures.
