A New Resource: Role-Based Accessibility Tasks
Accessibility succeeds when it’s built into daily work. Inclusion doesn’t happen at the end of a project. It happens when teams know what to do at each stage of the process. This new resource, Role-Based Top Tasks for Accessibility, highlights the responsibilities every role can take on to help make products accessible from the start.
This guide outlines the essential accessibility responsibilities for different roles within an organization, ensuring accessibility is considered at every stage of the process.
You can explore the highlights below or download the full guide:
Executive leadership
- Set accessibility policy
- Allocate budget/resources
- Review progress
Content authors
- Write in plain language
- Provide alt text
- Descriptive links
UI/UX designers
- Ensure color contrast
- Provide clear navigation
- Include users with disabilities
Developers
- Use semantic HTML
- Test keyboard navigation
- Validate with WCAG 2.2
Project and product managers
- Include accessibility requirements explicitly in project planning
- Allocate resources and time for accessibility testing and remediation
- Regularly verify accessibility milestones are met during development sprints
Quality assurance
- Automated + manual tests
- Keyboard + screen reader checks
- Track and verify fixes
Procurement
- Require accessibility in RFPs
- Verify vendor claims (VPATs)
- Track contract expectations
How this guide relates to W3C ARRM
The Role-Based Accessibility Tasks guide is designed as a quick, approachable reference for teams who want to embed accessibility into everyday work. It highlights the top three tasks for common roles in plain language.
For organizations ready to go deeper, the W3C’s Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Mapping (ARRM) provides a much more detailed framework. ARRM:
- Maps accessibility responsibilities across a wide range of roles.
- Connects tasks directly to WCAG success criteria.
- Serves as a standards-aligned resource for long-term governance and accountability.
View our guide as a practical companion to ARRM. Use this resource to start building awareness and ownership across your teams, then apply ARRM when you’re ready to formalize responsibilities in detail.
| Role-Based Accessibility Tasks (this guide) | W3C ARRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Quick reference and awareness-building | Comprehensive mapping of accessibility responsibilities |
| Format | Checklist-style, plain language, poster/infographic | Detailed matrix with stages, roles, and WCAG links |
| Audience | Teams across the organization (execs, designers, devs, PMs, QA, content authors, procurement) | Accessibility specialists, policy makers, governance leads |
| Depth | 3 core tasks per role | Extensive responsibilities with references to WCAG success criteria |
| Use case | Introduce accessibility responsibilities, build shared ownership | Formalize roles, responsibilities, and compliance requirements |
| Tone | Approachable, concise, easy to adopt quickly | Technical, authoritative, standards-aligned |
Putting it into practice
This role-based approach helps organizations embed accessibility into everyday work. Instead of leaving accessibility as an afterthought, each role contributes to building inclusive products and services.
For additional background, see the W3C’s Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Mapping (ARRM).
If you’d like help putting this role-based approach into practice, from quick role-focused checklists to workshops, implementation support, or aligning ARRM with your governance, download the guide (PDF) or contact A11y Is, LLC.
