When my team resists accessibility guidelines, I focus on education and empathy to bring them on board. I start by sharing real-world examples that highlight the impact of accessibility on users' lives. Organizing workshops or training sessions helps demystify the guidelines and shows practical ways to implement them. I also encourage open discussions where team members can voice concerns and ask questions. By emphasizing how accessibility benefits everyone, including the business, I aim to create a shared commitment to inclusive design.

To bring the team on board with accessibility guidelines, I'd start by emphasizing the broader impact making the product usable for everyone including people with disabilities which enhances inclusivity and expands the user base. I'd share the real world examples of how accessibility improves user experience for all and explain the potential legal risks of non-compliance. Offering training or workshops on accessibility could help the team understand best practices and collaborating to incorporate accessibility from the start can show that it doesn't have to slow down development but can be a natural part of the process.

Ignoring accessibility (a11y) is not an option. 1 Establish a11y as a core design principle 2 Create formal and informal opportunities for the team to learn about a11y and how to apply it 3 Define a11y as success criteria for the project and product design 4 Make a11y knowledge and application part of personal performance evaluations goals. Check on progress 5 Start small and start immediately. High-impact, low-effort methods include keyboard interaction, color contrast ratios, screen reader compatibility, and ALT tag descriptors to all visual content 6 Understand why your team resists a11y. It's unlikely to be a lack of awareness. A11y is a basic element of good design 7 Be positive and let everyone know this is the way forward

In order make teams aware of accessibility and adopt the guidelines it's important to stress who accessibility helps - it helps everybody. This is an idea referred to as Universal Design. - I have observed perfectly abled users suddenly develop some kind of disability due to an injury. And they still have to continue to stay productive. - Dual coding of controls and indicators on a UI helps everyone use these kind of interfaces under bright sun when it's hard to differentiate colors due to glare. For example this is applicable to everyone of us using smartphones outdoors. These are 2 examples of Universal design and accessibility helping all of us. Finding and socializing these stories helps designers adopt accessibility principles.

Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a gateway to innovation and broader reach. To get your team on board: 1. Educate: Share examples of how accessibility benefits both users and businesses. 2. Empathize: Run simulations so team members experience digital barriers firsthand. 3. Integrate: Make accessibility part of your workflow, not an afterthought. 4. Showcase: Highlight successful accessible designs and their positive impact. 5. Incentivize: Reward team members who champion accessibility. Accessible design often results in better design for all. Embrace these principles to create more inclusive, user-friendly products that stand out. Ready to turn resistance into enthusiasm for accessibility?