Technology & SaaS Accessibility
Technology and SaaS accessibility helps software companies make web applications, cloud platforms, dashboards, and digital products usable by persons with disabilities. Effective programs combine WCAG 2.2, accessibility testing, remediation, and continuous monitoring across the product lifecycle.
What Makes Technology and SaaS Products Accessible?
- Technology accessibility — Products and services should support people with different disabilities across core digital workflows.
- Accessibility features — Keyboard navigation, focus management, captions, text alternatives, adjustable content, and assistive technology compatibility should be built into the product.
- Accessible content — Text, images, documents, forms, and multimedia should remain perceivable and usable across different access needs.
- Accessible technology — Technology products should work reliably with screen readers, keyboards, voice control, magnification, and other assistive technologies.
- Digital accessibility — Accessibility should extend across websites, SaaS applications, customer portals, dashboards, and other technology products and services.
- Universal design — Designing for a broad range of users from the beginning can reduce barriers and improve the overall user experience.
- Accessible tech — Accessibility should be considered throughout product design, development, testing, and ongoing updates rather than treated as a final-stage adjustment.
How Does Accessibility Support Technology Users With Disabilities?
- Equal access — Accessible technology gives persons with disabilities more consistent access to digital products and services.
- Assistive technology compatibility — Assistive technology users can interact with software through screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, magnification, and other access methods.
- Visual accessibility — People with visual impairments and users with low vision can benefit from readable content, sufficient contrast, text alternatives, and scalable interfaces.
- Motor accessibility — Users with motor disabilities can navigate and operate technology through keyboard access, alternative input methods, and appropriately designed interactive controls.
- Hearing accessibility — People who are deaf or hard of hearing can access multimedia and important information through captions, transcripts, and visual notifications.
- Inclusive user experience — Designing products to be accessible to persons with disabilities makes digital experiences more adaptable for users with different needs.
Which Assistive Technologies Should SaaS Products Support?
- Screen readers — SaaS interfaces should provide meaningful structure, labels, focus order, and status information for users who rely on a screen reader.
- Braille displays — Accessible interfaces should expose text, controls, and semantic information correctly to braille displays used with screen readers.
- Text-to-speech software — Clear content structure and accessible controls help text-to-speech software interpret and communicate digital information effectively.
- Keyboard and alternative input — Products should allow people who use assistive technology to navigate, operate controls, and complete essential workflows without relying solely on a mouse.
- Assistive technology compatibility — SaaS products should be tested with relevant assistive technologies to identify barriers that automated testing may miss.
- Accessible interaction patterns — Technology should support how people with different disabilities use assistive tools across authentication, forms, dashboards, and other core workflows.
Which Accessibility Standards Apply to Technology and SaaS Products?
- WCAG — The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines provide the primary framework for evaluating and improving the accessibility of web-based SaaS products.
- Level AA — WCAG Level AA is commonly used as a target for organizations seeking broad accessibility coverage across digital products and services.
- Accessibility requirements — SaaS providers should identify the accessibility requirements that apply to their product, market, customers, and procurement environment.
- Accessibility conformance — Teams can document conformance by evaluating applicable success criteria, addressing identified barriers, and maintaining evidence of accessibility work.
- International standards — Organizations operating across markets may need to consider multiple accessibility standards and regulatory frameworks rather than relying on a single requirement.
- Ongoing compliance — Maintaining accessibility requires continuous testing and remediation as technology products introduce new interfaces, features, and content.
How Can Technology Companies Improve Digital Accessibility?
- Improve digital accessibility — Integrate accessibility into product design and development from the beginning rather than treating it as a final-stage correction.
- Create accessible interfaces — Build navigation, forms, controls, and workflows that allow users to interact with digital content through different input methods and assistive technologies.
- Include accessibility features — Provide features such as keyboard navigation, captions, text alternatives, scalable content, visible focus indicators, and accessible forms.
- Test and improve accessibility — Combine automated testing with manual evaluation and assistive technology testing to identify barriers and continuously improve accessibility.
- Ensure accessibility of information — Make text, documents, images, video, and other content accessible so users can access digital content in ways that meet their needs.
- Maintain accessibility efforts — Incorporate accessibility into design systems, development workflows, quality assurance, content management, and ongoing product updates to support more inclusive digital experiences.
How Can Companies Identify and Address Accessibility Barriers?
- Identify lack of accessibility — Review digital products, workflows, and content to uncover barriers that prevent people from accessing or completing essential tasks.
- Test inaccessible technology — Combine automated scans, manual testing, keyboard checks, and assistive technology testing to detect accessibility issues across the user journey.
- Assess barriers for persons with disabilities — Evaluate how persons with disabilities experience navigation, forms, authentication, multimedia, and other critical interactions.
- Map accessibility requirements — Compare findings against applicable accessibility requirements, such as WCAG and relevant regulations or customer procurement criteria.
- Prioritize remediation — Address barriers according to their impact on technology access, user experience, legal requirements, and critical product functions.
- Use accessibility software — Accessibility testing and monitoring tools can help teams identify recurring issues, track remediation, and maintain an accessible digital experience over time.
How Can We Help Make Your Technology or SaaS Product Accessible?
Make technology accessibility part of your product lifecycle with a structured approach to digital accessibility, testing, remediation, and ongoing monitoring. Our accessibility solutions help technology teams evaluate accessible technology, address barriers, and work toward measurable accessibility conformance.
Whether you need to improve digital accessibility, validate accessible technology products, or integrate accessibility software into your workflow, we can help identify priorities and turn accessibility requirements into practical product improvements.
Ready to improve your SaaS accessibility? Talk to our accessibility experts about your product, current challenges, and next steps.
