In recognition of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Thursday, May 21, 2026
When we talk about accessibility online, we’re talking about something simple and essential: people being able to access information independently, with dignity, and without unnecessary barriers.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) encourages all of us to think more intentionally about digital access and inclusion and to recognize the experiences of the more than one billion people worldwide who live with disabilities or impairments.
At Service Coordination, Inc. (SCI), accessibility is part of how we live our values. As a people-first organization, we are committed to ensuring that the information we share is clear, inclusive, and usable by as many people as possible, including through our recently refreshed website.
Last year, we partnered with Wire Media to refresh our website, with accessibility as the primary driver behind every decision. While many people noticed the updated look and feel, the most important changes were behind the scenes, building a stronger, more accessible foundation that will continue to evolve over time.
Through this process, we deepened our understanding of accessibility, not just as a technical requirement, but as a reflection of how we show up as an organization. What we learned is shaping more than our website; it’s influencing how we think about clarity, inclusion, and usability across all of our communications and brand experiences.
Why Accessibility Online Matters
Digital accessibility determines whether people can fully engage with websites, forms, and online content. For many, it is the difference between being able to navigate information with a screen reader, keyboard, or other assistive technology or being unable to access that information at all.
Think about how frustrating it is when your computer won’t respond, your mouse won’t click, your keyboard isn’t working, and you can’t get where you need to go. Now imagine facing that barrier on essential websites like paying bills or ordering food—not occasionally, but regularly—that’s what it’s like when assistive devices can’t properly navigate a site.
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- People who rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers, braille displays, eye- or head-tracking systems, or trackballs, to navigate and understand content
- People with low vision or color blindness (or even those who forgot their readers), who may have difficulty reading small text or content with low color contrast
- People with cognitive disabilities, who may find complex language or high reading levels difficult to understand
- People with motor impairments, who may have difficulty clicking small buttons or navigating with precise movements
For mission-driven organizations like SCI, dedicated to supporting people with accurate, timely, easy-to-understand information, accessible design is essential to ensuring people can find what they need and take the next step with confidence.
Our Website Refresh: Accessibility in Action
SCI’s previous website evolved over nearly 15 years, during a time of significant change in technology and user expectations.
Our refreshed website reflects a deliberate shift: designing with accessibility and inclusion from the start. This includes using plain language, consistent structure, and design practices that better support people using assistive technologies.
An accessible website ensures that more people can engage with us. As Marcy Rye, Founder & CEO of Wire Media, shares:
An inaccessible website is the equivalent of not having a ramp or elevator for wheelchair users to get into your building.
In partnership with Wire Media, we set WCAG 2.2 AAA as an aspirational standard to guide our work, reflecting a deeper commitment to inclusive, high-quality digital experiences.
We also recognize that accessibility is never “finished.” Needs, tools, and expectations evolve, and so will our website. SCI remains committed to ongoing improvement, grounded in our values and informed by feedback.
A Conversation with Marcy Rye, Founder & CEO, Wire Media
Marcy Rye, Founder & CEO of Wire Media, has led accessibility-focused design and technology work across mission-driven organizations.
Through our partnership, we benefited from an approach that treats accessibility as both a technical discipline and a human responsibility. One key insight from this work: meaningful accessibility requires intention, transparency, and a willingness to continuously improve.
Read our conversation with Marcy below.
What is one common misconception about accessibility online?
Marcy Rye: One common misconception is that “overlay widgets” can magically remediate an a accessible website for a low cost. The presence of overlay widgets is often indicated by a small button on the site with a disabled person icon in it. When you click it, it reveals seemingly helpful options like zoom or enhance color contrast. However, these widgets actually interrupt the normal behavior of assistive devices and actually make the site more difficult to use.
This article talks about a group of over 400 blind people who published an open letter asking companies to stop using such technology. Disability advocates are raising concerns that some automated tools claiming to make websites ADA-compliant not only fall short of true accessibility but actually create new barriers for people who rely on assistive technologies.
What kinds of accessibility considerations were built into SCI’s website refresh?
Marcy Rye: Before we built anything, Wire Media brought in WebAIM to review the wireframes and later to test a key set of live pages. Their team includes web professionals with disabilities. They provided a very long and detailed list of recommended changes to move the site towards AAA accessibility compliant, which is the highest level of accessibility according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Some examples of AAA decisions for the SCI website are:
- Providing a higher level of color contrast.
- Buttons at a certain minimum size to be large enough, for example, for someone with tremors to be able to tap it on a phone.
- Alt text training, so the SCI team can write quality alt text to indicate the context and purpose of images on the site for people using screen readers and who can not see the image itself.
How should organizations think about accessibility standards without getting overwhelmed?
Marcy Rye: That is an excellent question!
First, have a plan.
- I recommend first placing an accessibility statement on your website. That is a web page that outlines what you know to be true about your site’s accessibility, what your future plans are to improve or maintain it, and how to contact you if someone cannot get to content on your site. If possible, provide multiple contact options. (You can see SCI’s Accessibility Statement here and it’s linked in the footer of every page on our website.)
Second, start with the low hanging fruit that has a big impact. That includes things like:
- Checking color contrast using a color contrast checker and update your colors if needed. (Here is an example of how to use it.)
- Avoid relying on color alone since some people cannot differentiate between certain colors. Text links, for example, can be a different color but should also be underlined. In this pie chart, you notice the pie slices are color-coded but also pattern-coded.
- Make sure all images have alt text that provide the correct context. This alt text decision tree can help.
- Write at an accessible reading level. If the language is too complex, people might struggle to understand it. AAA guidelines recommend writing at a lower secondary education level (around 8th grade) whenever possible.
- Make sure forms are set up correctly with each field labeled, and the label appearing outside of the field.
- Check tab order. This means, using only a keyboard, click the tab key to move through the navigation menu and other links. Can you see where the focus is on the screen? Can you tell what you’re clicking on (with the tab key)? Does it go in an order that makes sense? If you press the return key does it “click” on the item? If you press shift-tab, does it reverse?
- If the keyboard commands do not work or make sense, then people suing screen readers will have a very hard time finding accessing content.
Third: consider getting an accessibility audit to identify what to do next. Then make a budget and a plan to remediate where needed. Remember that PDFs and other documents that may be on the site also need to be accessible.
What’s one small thing content creators can do today to improve access?
Marcy Rye: Start with your copy.
- Learn how to write alt text well
- Adjust the reading level of the website to meet your audience. The Hemingway app is a good resource for this.
- Use inclusive language. Often, links to content say “See more” or something similar that assumes the person can see. Consider instead using language like “Learn more” or “Get more information” that is more neutral.
Following this project with SCI, Wire Media shared more insights on their blog about how to work towards AAA.
Accessibility Is an Ongoing Practice at SCI
Through our work with Wire Media to refresh our website, we learned that accessibility doesn’t live only in code; it shows up in how we design, write, and maintain everything we share.
Through our updated website and accessibility statement, SCI outlines how we integrate accessibility into our practices, including policies, training, and continuous improvement efforts. We also provide transparency about our current level of accessibility and our ongoing plans to strengthen accessibility over time.
We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a framework, while recognizing that achieving full accessibility for every person in every situation is not possible. Instead, we focus on making steady, meaningful progress and remaining available to reach people in the ways they prefer.
Accessibility Note
We know accessibility needs vary and our work will continue to evolve. We remain committed to using WCAG guidance as we maintain and improve our website over time.
If you encounter a barrier, we want to hear from you
If you experience difficulty accessing content on our website, we encourage you to reach out:
- Phone: 301-663-8044
- Email: info@sc-inc.org
Your feedback helps us prioritize improvements and create a better experience for everyone.
A Small Way We Can All Help Today
Accessibility is a shared responsibility. Small actions, like writing clearly, using descriptive language, and structuring content thoughtfully, help make information easier to access for all.
Our website refresh reflects these principles, reinforcing that accessible communication benefits everyone.
Our Commitment to Access
On Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we are reminded that access is personal. It shapes whether someone can find information, understand it, and take action.
SCI remains committed to building and maintaining digital experiences, including our updated website, that are clear, inclusive, and increasingly accessible. Because people come first and access matters.