1. Making IT Good for Society
The Power of the Testers
SIGiST Conference Summer 2016: workshop write up

2. The background
Throughout the day we heard various stories and examples of how inaccessible software has a massive impact on the everyday lives of users with disabilities; and by that we mean both the people who use, or are affected by, the service. From doctors, to hill farmers, to manual workers expecting a weekly wage payment – we are all affected in different ways by technology and the service it provides or enables.
This falls directly into the BCS Capability Challenge – helping those in information and technology build a digital world for real people. We want to make a difference by working together to stimulate thinking, debate and action.
“Ask not what BCS can do for you but what together, as BCS members, we can do to Make IT Good for Society”
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

3. The discussion We posed two questions:
What can the software testing community do to have the biggest impact on digital accessibility?
What can this community do to bring that about?
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

4. This is what we learned
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

5. Influence White paper Help enforce DDA compliance
Influence Decision Makers
Help enforce DDA compliance
BCS Code of Conduct
Legislation not being implemented e.g. you can’t ignore legislation in other professions
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

6. Awareness Resources People need to know & understand Raise Awareness
Awards for accessible websites
Children & schools – talk to kids, excite them about the diversity so the generation becomes aware
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

7. Young people Get more kids with disability into testing
e.g. TV Raman
Go into schools and explain
Schools & education
Curriculum – does GCSE or A-level curriculum include testing?
University projects – provide training material in software testing
Get testing & accessibility into younger levels in schools
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

8. Development teams & testers
Compassion – if your how would you feel if friends/family had a disability and ad to use this software?
Perform usability testing earlier in the development cycle, not at the end
Teams should…, we should….
Inform the BAs/product owners about importance of usability so it’s planned in earlier
Advocate & educate at design & architecture stages – testers get involved earlier
Experience life as a blind person to give meaning to everyday issues
Accessibility shouldn’t be a non-functional requirement.
It should:
Be part of base product
Be part of functional requirements
Not be extra effort or budget
Be included as standard in test plan
Be signed off by wider users
Include accessibility at strategy level
Online video to show developers
Bring your daughter to work day = future engineer; bring your granny to work day = current system user
Call in a 3rd party/specialist earlier if needed, not at go-live
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up

9. So what next?
You can
Come on the journey with us and keep going with this topic…
Use this workshop as a basis for change, start something new, do something differently…
Contribute to the challenge thinking
Run your own BCS voices event (coming in the autumn)
Talk to us
Visit
We will
Review the notes and consider what BCS HQ might introduce, lead on as part of the Capability challenge
Use your inputs to feed into the challenge
Keep you informed via the website
Support you and promote the Making IT Good for Society initiatives you might launch
The Power of the Testers: Workshop write up