Late last year, I attended and spoke at the Accessing Higher Ground conference in Denver, Colorado with my associate and ServiceNow Head of A11y + G11n Customer Engagement, Dr. Alaina Beaver. This conference focuses on accessible media, web content, and technology in higher education. The one question we heard over and over again was “how do we get leadership buy-in to scale this across our college, university, or business?!”
As the industry begins to recognize the importance of embedding accessibility into our products and processes, now’s the time to embrace the future where accessibility is as critical as security. At its core, good accessibility is the ability to customize the way you want to work, to take in information. Accessibility goes hand-in-hand with usability. Modern UI IS accessible UI.
When we change how we define, we change how we design.
We know that when companies design for features or processes that are considered edge cases, they uncover a whole world of delighted but underserved users. Think of text-to-speech or predictive text features originally designed for folks with disabilities that we now take for granted as we use the power of our voices to text while driving. Consider dark themes that reduce eye strain or zoom features that make long days on computer screens easier to endure.
Download our attached Scaling A11y playbook PDF.
Get buy-in
Getting leadership buy-in on a new accessibility program starts by framing it in terms leaders already prioritize: growth, risk, and credibility. Instead of positioning accessibility as a moral one, connect it to measurable business outcomes and missions—market expansion, customer retention, operational efficiency, and regulatory resilience. Ground the conversation in evidence, such as user feedback, industry benchmarks, and examples of where inaccessible experiences create friction, downsell, lost revenue, or even legal risks.
Accessibility is the right thing to do. It’s also:
- A legal imperative — Many countries around the world have legislation that requires digital products and content to meet accessibility standards, with real financial, contractual, and reputational risk for organizations that do not.
- Good usability — When we design for people with diverse abilities, we create experiences that are clearer, more intuitive, and easier for everyone to use.
- Good SEO — Accessible content is well-structured, readable by machines, and easier to discover, which improves search performance and reach.
- Good business — Inclusive products expand market reach, reduce support and remediation costs, increase customer satisfaction, and help win and retain deals.
Scale across your org
Scaling accessibility across an organization requires more than good intentions or point-in-time fixes or remediation mindsets. Scaling accessibility requires initiatives and buy-in that sees accessibility as ongoing and non-negotiable, that sees accessibility as an integral part of a definition of done. When it becomes a part of an operational rhythm, accessibility becomes a catalyst for innovation.
- Designate owners — Establish clear accountability for accessibility across product, design, engineering, and content to ensure decisions are made consistently and progress is measurable.
- Create a Center of Excellence or champions network — Centralize expertise while enabling distributed teams through shared standards, office hours, and incentives for accessibility leadership.
- Scaffold training and guardrails —Embed accessibility guidance into existing workflows with role-based training, design patterns, checklists, and automated checks that support teams at every stage. Humans learn best when we are relaxed, interested, and can digest new ideas or skills a little at a time. Consider having your whole team practice and master one small change (like using proper hyperlink syntax!) before adding the next new skill (maybe color contrast?).
- Collect data – Capture insights from user feedback, product metrics, defect trends, and support cases to prioritize improvements, track progress over time, and demonstrate impact to stakeholders.
- Share success and build empathy — Regularly communicate user impact stories, highlight accessible features in action, and spotlight team wins to reinforce why the work matters and sustain momentum.
Momentum grows when accessibility is visible, relatable, and connected to outcomes people care about. Sharing real user experiences, demonstrating inclusive features in action, and reinforcing the impact through data all help turn awareness into advocacy. As accessibility becomes part of the broader narrative—touching brand reputation, customer trust, and long-term growth—it earns sustained investment and cross-functional support. Organizations that succeed here don’t rely on enforcement alone; they build networks of champions, inside and outside the company, who amplify the message and help scale impact organically.
To help teams align on these practices and accelerate their efforts, download and share the attached accessibility scaling deck PDF with your colleagues. Use it as a practical guide to move from isolated efforts to a repeatable, scalable accessibility strategy—one that benefits users and the business alike.
Questions? Reach out to our award-winning accessibility product team at Accessibility_Support@servicenow.com.
