Making accessibility guidelines usable

Accessibility guidelines are aimed at all those with a role and responsibility in the procurement and development of IT products and services. However, many important members of this diverse audience find these guidelines difficult to use. The result is products with in-built accessibility barriers. This paper describes the structure and presentation of a new set of Irish national IT accessibility guidelines. Drawing lessons from past failures, it describes how this structure was developed. The development involved extensive consultation with prospective users of the guidelines, in an inclusive user-centred process. Preliminary feedback at this early stage indicates that the new structure is effective, even in the absence of legislation. The account underlines the importance of usability in creating useful resources of this type.