Skill, Will, or Both? Understanding Digital Inaccessibility from Accessibility Professionals' Viewpoint

Abstract

Digital inaccessibility continues to be a significant barrier to true inclusion and equality. WebAIM's 2024 report reveals that only 4.1% of the world's top one million website homepages are fully accessible. Furthermore, the percentage of web pages with detectable Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) failures has only decreased by 1.9\% over the past five years, from 97.8%. To gain deeper insights into the persistent challenges of digital accessibility, we conducted a comprehensive survey with 160 accessibility professionals. Unlike previous studies, which often focused on technology professionals, our research examines inaccessibility through the lens of dedicated accessibility professionals, offering a more detailed analysis of the barriers they face. Our investigation explores (a) organizations' willingness to prioritize accessibility, (b) the challenges in ensuring accessibility, and (c) the current accessibility training practices in technology workspaces. This study aims to provide an updated perspective on the state of digital accessibility from the point of view of accessibility professionals.