Scaling Digital Accessibility: My JSNation US 2024 Experience

Last month, I had the privilege of speaking at JSNation US 2024 in New York City, where I shared insights about scaling digital accessibility in organizations. As an accessibility lead from ABN AMRO Bank, bringing this message to the JavaScript community was exciting.

A Quick NYC Adventure

Landing in New York on Saturday, November 16th, We took the opportunity to do some sightseeing before the conference. Sunday was spent exploring the city that never sleeps – a fitting reminder that like New York's diverse population, our web applications need to serve to users of all abilities, 24/7.

Manhattan by night from a boat on the river

Conference Day: Spreading the Accessibility Message

Monday was all business at JSNation US. My talk focused on a challenge many organizations face: how to scale digital accessibility across teams and projects. Drawing from my experience at ABN AMRO Bank, I shared insights about building accessibility into the DNA of development processes.

Key points from my presentation included:

The reality that nearly 96% of homepages still don't meet WCAG standards The importance of organizational commitment to accessibility How different roles – from product owners to testers – contribute to accessible development The value of implementing structured feedback loops for maintaining accessibility standards

You can view my full presentation video over at GitNation.

Beyond the Guidelines

One of my main messages was that while WCAG guidelines are crucial, truly scaling accessibility requires more than just following rules. It needs:

Organizational buy-in from leadership and dedicated resources to support accessibility initiatives
An approach involving all team members, from designers to developers
Regular testing and monitoring to ensure compliance and improvement
A structured feedback system that helps teams learn and adapt
Testing with users to understand their needs and challenges

Looking Forward

This conference reinforced my belief that the tech community is recognizing accessibility not as an afterthought, but as an aspect of quality web development. As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible with JavaScript, let's ensure we're creating a web that truly works for everyone.

Group picture with all the speakers on stage

Want to learn more about scaling accessibility in your organization? Feel free to connect with me to continue the conversation!