Before we buy it, can people use it?

What we found in the news

When W3C announced WCAG 2.2 in October 2023 (opens in a new tab), it described additions intended to address further accessibility needs. Among those additions:

“they expand guidance for touch input”

— World Wide Web Consortium, October 5, 2023

A technical standard cannot tell a service manager everything about a particular purchase. It can give a procurement conversation firmer ground. Ask what has been assessed, which version was assessed, what remains difficult, and how the evidence relates to the tasks your users need to complete.

Our interest is the practical work before a tool becomes part of somebody’s day.

Why this matters to us

Picture a supplier demonstrating a new booking system. They move smoothly between screens. The team can see why it might help.

Now change the demonstration. Ask someone to complete a booking using only a keyboard. Try it on the phone a participant actually owns. Find the explanation after making an error. Ask a colleague unfamiliar with the terminology to work out what happens next.

The room may learn something different.

At genus, we like questions that bring a promising idea closer to the circumstances in which people will use it. Buying a tool also means choosing some of the work that staff and participants will need to do.

Bring real tasks into the conversation

Choose a few ordinary tasks before meeting the supplier. Include an awkward one: changing an arrangement, correcting a mistake, finding help, or returning after an interruption.

Describe the goal without teaching the route through the product. The purpose is to discover what people can understand and accomplish, not how well they can follow the demonstrator.

Invite a range of relevant users to contribute in ways that work for them. Participation should be voluntary, appropriately supported, and recognized. One person cannot represent every disability, language preference, or level of digital confidence.

Keep test information fictional. A demonstration does not need someone’s real care record to reveal whether a label or control is understandable.

Ask for evidence you can use

Request accessibility documentation for the actual product and version being considered. Ask who assessed it, what was included, and whether the report identifies unresolved barriers. Arrange qualified review where your organization needs it.

Then connect the evidence with the tasks you observed. A statement on a sales page will rarely answer every question about your particular configuration, content, devices, or support arrangements.

If an important task remains difficult, ask what changes are proposed and when they could be tested. Record commitments clearly. Avoid planning a service around an improvement that has only been discussed.

Include the colleagues who will handle requests for help. They may spot a support burden that is invisible in a short demonstration.

Price the work around the tool

Consider preparation, training, content maintenance, and the time needed to answer questions. Who will keep instructions current? Who can raise a problem with the supplier? What happens when an update changes a familiar screen?

Maintain a workable route for people who cannot use the digital option. Explain that route in the places where they are likely to need it.

A useful purchasing discussion can end with a small trial, a revised requirement, or a decision to wait. There is value in discovering a poor fit before it becomes an everyday obligation.

What this means for the people you serve

Invite people to show what makes a task workable for them. Someone may want to act independently, use their own assistive technology, or ask for a particular kind of help. Those preferences should influence the service arrangements rather than being treated as a problem with the person.

The genus connection

Today, genus brings together configurable public and care-team experiences. The relevant modules, content, and workflows need to be reviewed for the organization’s intended use.

A genus demonstration should face the same practical questions as any other product. This article makes no claim of accessibility certification or suitability for every person. The useful next step is to examine the actual task, configuration, and evidence together.

One question for your next team meeting

Which task should a prospective supplier let our users try before we decide?