Digital accessibility has come a long way. However, the gap between where we want to be in the future and where we are today is too wide. As of 2024, 96% of the top one million home pages have WCAG 2 failures.
Digital content creation is getting easier and faster as content creators increase their use of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), and the accessibility gap is widening instead of narrowing. Digital accessibility isn’t keeping up. We must get ahead and close this gap.
Fortunately, there are tremendous resources available for this effort.
We have established accessibility experts who can lead high-impact initiatives, drive innovation, and control strategic direction. We have a vast talent pool of developers we can equip with advanced accessibility testing tools. And we have the technology to accelerate and scale our efforts.
At Deque, we are working to expand digital accessibility across the globe, and people with disabilities are essential contributors to the success of this mission—as Deque employees, as disability advocates, and as community members.
Make accessibility everyone’s responsibility
Accessibility cannot be handled entirely by a small group of experts relying on manual testing alone. There will never be enough accessibility experts to do it all. We must free up accessibility experts to focus on strategy, coaching, and innovation while equipping developers and designers to accelerate the day-to-day work of making the web accessible to all.
We envision a future where accessibility testing and remediation do not require specialized knowledge, and developers are empowered to build accessible experiences from the start. By conducting accessibility testing early in the design and development stages (“shifting left”), teams can identify and fix issues sooner and with greater accuracy, saving time and money and creating better and more accessible products.
Leverage automation and AI to scale efforts
To achieve our digital accessibility goals, we must be efficient and effective. We must drive down costs while accelerating our pace and scaling impact.
To do this, automation is essential. Not to remove humans from the work, but to enable all humans to do their best work. Advanced automation does not replace accessibility expertise; it amplifies and scales it.
AI is also essential. Because, while AI is not a silver bullet, it can empower developers, accelerate velocity, and help realize our ambitions when used responsibly. In a world where content creation is accelerating rapidly through the use of AI and automation, we must ensure that digital accessibility advocates and developers have the advanced automation and AI to get ahead and close the accessibility gap.
Our goal is to enable developers to find and fix all WCAG accessibility issues in their code—before anything makes it to production. This is why we are aiming to automate as much compliance testing as possible with the highest levels of accuracy.
Give accessibility experts more power and control
Accessibility experts must be able to shift their focus to the highest-value efforts—usability, human-centered evaluation, and long-term impact—elevating them to strategic leaders who guide teams, shape technology, and drive accessibility forward. Expert oversight is also crucial as we continue to confront the limits and risks of AI.
Digital accessibility is about so much more than simply meeting compliance minimums. Accessibility experts, alongside our partners in the disability community, can lead the way toward building a truly global culture of inclusion.
The future of digital accessibility starts now
AI and automation must be used wisely, ethically, and in service of people. There’s understandable skepticism around test automation in accessibility. That’s why we’re building these technologies in partnership with our community to ensure they solve real problems and meet real needs.
Our vision is clear: a future where accessibility is easy for developers, where experts drive innovation, and where digital experiences are truly inclusive.
Success means people with disabilities can navigate the web without frustration, experts can focus on usability and innovation, and developers can build accessible software efficiently and effectively. At the same time, companies can reduce risk, expand their markets, provide outstanding user experiences, and further corporate citizenship.
