Exploring the Need of Accessibility Education in the Software Industry: Insights from a Survey of Software Professionals in India
Parthasarathy P D, Swaroop Joshi
TL;DR
This study investigates the need for accessibility education in India's software industry by surveying 269 software professionals. It analyzes who already practices accessibility, how and when accessibility is considered in the SDLC, the challenges faced, and the resources required to improve accessibility. Key findings show very limited active accessibility roles (4.4%), partial adoption of inclusive design, and major barriers including lack of skilled professionals and awareness; education and training emerge as the most desired resources. The work provides industry-focused recommendations, highlights the urgency of accessibility education in the Global South, and offers open data to spur further research and monitoring of progress.
Abstract
A UserWay study in 2021 indicates that an annual global e-commerce revenue loss of approximately $16 billion can be attributed to inaccessible websites and applications. According to the 2023 WebAIM study, only 3.7% of the world's top one million website homepages are fully accessible. This shows that many software developers use poor coding practices that don't adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This research centers on software professionals and their role in addressing accessibility. This work seeks to understand (a) who within the software development community actively practices accessibility, (b) when and how accessibility is considered in the software development lifecycle, (c) the various challenges encountered in building accessible software, and (d) the resources required by software professionals to enhance product accessibility. Our survey of 269 software professionals from India sheds light on the pressing need for accessibility education within the software industry. A substantial majority (69.9%, N=269) of respondents express the need for training materials, workshops, and bootcamps to enhance their accessibility skills. We present a list of actionable recommendations that can be implemented within the industry to promote accessibility awareness and skills. We also open source our raw data for further research, encouraging continued exploration in this domain.