Accessible Interactions and Experience

Bishop International Airport

origin

Let's create an accessible high traffic website while adhering to brand standards and simplify a complex navigation.

Timeline

  1. Contributed to the Front-End Development while with a team at Addis Enterprises
  2. Communicated necessity of accessibility and strategy to development team
  3. Led the development of Experience and Accessibility Design in production until launch
preview of the final/current Flint Bishop International Airport website
Journey

Prompt

To make a hi-traffic website easily navigable and operable.

Strategy

In addition to developing cross-browser experiences, I aimed to make these sites as accessible as possible to promote discoverability, user retention, and potential audience. I regularly advocated for AE’s creations to be accessible and usable. I presented at conferences to spread a vision of Universal and Inclusive Design and Development across Michigan.

Challenges

In developing the FNT Airport site, I worked to foster a recognization and advocation for all people, of all abilities, to my fellow developers and all stakeholders through presenting on the WCAG standard and leading a strategy I developed to create accessible interactions; e.g., the navigation.

Response

Through my strategy, the entire development team aimed for maximum accessibility within the stakeholders' (client & leadership) vision. I led this effort and focused on a keyboard & screen-reader friendly navigation as per the WCAG 2.0 web app menu/menuitem guidelines.

preview of the FNT airport multi-tiered navigation
Moral

Solution

Screen-recorded video of the Bishop International Airport website working with keyboard controls and a screen-reader.
Notice the use of various keyboard keys as well as ARIA labels, descriptions, and more to make the menu accessible and operable.

Note: the website has changed since I left the organization

Growth

While presenting on the criticality of accessibility across the state, I took and succeeded at the opportunity to communicate to reluctancy within the organization in an effective manner.

Impact

Overcoming reluctancy towards accessibility out of fear of cost; not through fear or force, but through the inspiration of mutual gain taught me how to lead in what I was communicating to achieve a strategy I contributed to.