New free Accessibility and Inclusive Design Guide features AbilityNet

The Business Application Software Developers Association BASDA has announced today a free aid to help businesses support their accessibility agenda, entitled ‘Guide to Accessibility and Inclusive Design’.

Close up of Robin Christopherson standing on stage speaking

Featuring practical advice and guidance from experts including AbilityNet, you can download this free business software guide from the BASDA website.  

Collecting member insights into accessibility challenges

BASDA developed the guide from the collective insights of its members who shared challenges and successes from both the employer and employee perspective. The guide offers tips on the key accessibility development areas businesses should consider addressing within their workplace. 

Robin Christopherson MBE (pictured above), Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet, has worked on AbilityNet's Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) highlighted in the guide. “AbilityNet believes in a digital world accessible to all. Identifying when and where a business should start their journey can be the most challenging step, but it can also unlock great potential," he says.

"Our free Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) complements the latest BASDA guide and effectively allows a business to self-assess where they are with regards to accessibility at a current point in time and provides a clear indication and roadmap on how to move forward. These combined resources now available to businesses will help ensure that an organisation embraces and embeds inclusive design and then everything it builds is accessible by default,” Robin continues.
 

Download your free DAMM toolkit


A lack of knowledge, understanding and support are often barriers in prioritising accessibility and inclusive design.

BASDA notes: "Many businesses may not realise that accessibility and inclusive design can unlock a huge, overlooked market share, boost brand value as well as increase customer loyalty. Whilst many businesses are compliant with The Equality Act 2010 in terms of diversity and inclusion within their workforce and culture, they have yet to fully embed it within their software products and other digital assets. Designing for users with varying levels of impairment ensures that the needs and expectations of all potential users can be accommodated."

BASDA is a not-for-profit trade body, and works to ensure its members’ voices are heard within UK Government and policy makers as well as industry media. 

Get 10 training courses for the price of 8

Looking for accessibility and inclusive design training? AbilityNet has courses tailored to various roles in the workplace including HR, content editors and developers.

To help you get even better value this year, we have a 10 for the price of 8 bundle on our training courses for you and your team to enjoy. 


Book your training bundle
Save 10% on training courses: If you're looking to book individual courses, get 10% off any upcoming AbilityNet online training course if you book before the end of February using the discount code AbilityNetTraining10

Further resources

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology