Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) serves as a powerful reminder that accessibility should be a core requirement when creating new technology.
At GivePulse, we wholeheartedly embrace this philosophy and understand that achieving true accessibility requires a collective effort and creating a culture where everyone, from top-level executives to our dedicated development team, is responsible and aware of accessibility. Everyone at GivePulse recognizes the importance of accessibility and is committed to making it a priority in the work we do.
Creating a Culture of Accessibility:
For accessibility initiatives to thrive, it is crucial to have buy-in from all levels of an organization. At GivePulse, we believe that fostering a culture of accessibility starts with creating awareness and understanding among our team members.
It's not just the responsibility of one person or department; rather, accessibility becomes everyone's shared duty. By instilling this mindset, we ensure that accessibility considerations are integrated into every step of the development process.
Our newest team members on the development team, Tommy and Akshay, are taking on accessibility improvements to the platform and sharing with us that...
“Accessibility matters because its impact extends beyond helping individuals with disabilities; it has the potential to benefit everyone. An accessible user interface not only enhances inclusivity but also becomes a catalyst for productivity by seamlessly integrating with third-party tools”
- Tommy Wiebell, Staff Engineer and Akshay Singhal, Frontend Engineeer
Building Accessible Components:
As we roll out more New View pages throughout 2023, we are committed to making sure that all of the enhanced functionality is accessible to people who use assistive technology when interacting with the GivePulse platform.
One of our accessibility projects has been to develop new accessible components within our codebase. These new components and proactive approaches allow us to streamline the accessibility implementation process and enable us to maintain a consistent level of accessibility across our platform. With every new release, we strive to make GivePulse accessible to all users.
Prioritizing Accessibility with New View:
As we focus on accessibility this year and beyond, we are excited to introduce our New View pages. With each rollout, we are incorporating accessibility features to ensure that every aspect of our platform is inclusive and user-friendly. By adhering to and exceeding accessibility standards and guidelines, we empower users with disabilities to navigate our platform with ease.
“I am a screen reader user myself, so it’s super important to me that GivePulse not only passes automated testing of our compliance with the WCAG standards but that I can navigate and use GivePulse without running into the barriers that are still all too common.”
-Jana Schroeder, GivePulse’s Community and Accessibility Specialist
Supporting Users of Assistive Technologies:
With a heavy emphasis on accessibility and inclusion in technology, we are committed to supporting users with disabilities and individuals using assistive technologies and making their experience on GivePulse as seamless and easy to navigate as possible.
If you use assistive technology, are looking for tips and tricks on navigating the site, or have any questions, our support team is here to help. Please reach out to us at support@givepulse.com, and we will respond promptly, ensuring that you have the tools, knowledge, and support to utilize our platform.
User Feedback and Collaboration:
Feedback from our users is invaluable to us. We actively encourage users to share their experiences and suggestions with us through our feedback form.
By engaging with our users, we gain insights into their unique needs and identify areas where we can improve our platform's accessibility. We understand that accessibility is an ongoing journey, and by listening to our users, we continuously enhance our commitment to providing an inclusive experience.
About GivePulse
GivePulse's mission is to enable everyone in the world to participate and engage in lifting their community to new heights. We do so by providing a platform to list, find, organize, and measure the impact of service-learning, community engagement, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and volunteerism.
Founded in 2012 in Austin, Texas, GivePulse works with 650,000+ groups, including colleges and universities, nonprofits, businesses, K-12/school districts, and cities and municipalities. Together, we connect millions of people in an effort to create positive social change.
Start making a difference today by visiting www.givepulse.com.