Reflecting on Disability Pride Month with TestParty

Every year, Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July. This month commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Disability Pride Month is also a celebration of disability pride and culture, recognizing the acceptance and pride that comes with having a disability. For me, Disability Pride Month is a celebration of how I have embraced my hearing loss as an asset and important part of my identity instead of a burden. Hearing loss has increased my sense of empathy for others and be upfront about advocating for accessibility.  

When I asked our CEO, Michael Bervell, about his relationship to Disability Pride Month he remarked “TestParty tries to both live and breath accessibility: 75% of our team has a disability or an immediate family member with a disability. That perspective is critical to our goal of building a more accessible internet. We’re proud to be inclusive both in mission and culture.”

This year is even more special because it also marks the 35th anniversary of the ADA. This legislation protects the rights of people with disabilities and prevents disability discrimination in everyday activities. Title II and Title III of the ADA require that all local and state governments and businesses that are public-facing must have accessible websites and mobile applications under the WCAG guidelines. 

But all too often this is overlooked. Businesses neglect the importance of web accessibility. As a result, inaccessible websites keep people with disabilities from accessing online information about governmental services, healthcare, education, and more. People with disabilities are unable to access vital information that helps them navigate their daily lives. TestParty is supporting people with disabilities as they access digital information online by providing a human-first digital accessibility compliance platform powered by AI for companies to use as they build their web products.

Some recent success stories from TestParty include:

Felt Right - TestParty helped Felt Right achieve ADA/WCAG compliance in two weeks so they could continue distributing their sustainable, design-forward felt wall tiles that contribute to more inclusive environments by absorbing sound and supporting sensory processing needs. 

Pepperdine University - TestParty helped cut down document remediation time significantly. As a result, students with disabilities at Pepperdine were able to access accessible PDFs and other documents much quicker. 

Even if you don’t know how to code, here are some easy accessibility tips to implement during Disability Pride Month:

Adding Alt Text - Alt Text is a textual description of an image or graphic. Adding alt text to a social media post or webpage allows those with visual impairments or those who use screen readers to perceive the picture.

Adding Captions or Subtitles - Captions and subtitles are transcripts of an audio file or video. Adding captions or subtitles helps those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing understand what is being said in a video or audio file. 

Overall, Disability Pride Month is a month to commemorate the progress towards equality for people with disabilities in all spaces. TestParty is proud to support efforts to make digital information accessible for all through its embedded AI-powered tools to make accessibility an integrated part of websites instead of an afterthought.