Accessibility has its rewards

Working in accessibility sometimes feels like an uphill struggle with little external recognition. We keep chipping away at the issues because we know it is the right thing to do and because we do know that we are benefiting our target audience. So I was delighted to hear that public recognition has been given to Graeme Whippy for his significant and continuing work in this area.

Graham is the senior manager for IT accessibility at Lloyds TSB. He has been responsible for creating a wholesale change in the bank’s approach to IT accessibility and making it ‘business as usual’. Through his efforts Lloyds TSB has become an exemplar in accessibility and his willingness to share best practice has influenced the adoption of accessibility in the financial services industry and beyond.

I have been particularly impressed by his evangelising fever at external conferences and also through the Employees Forum on Disability.

His public recognition came at the Finacial Sector Technology Awards 2009, when he won the award for Outstanding contribution to the industry by an individual.

I hope that more accessibility evangelists will be nominated and win similar awards. This is one way to make the importance of accessibility more widely known and appreciated.

If you want to hear Graeme then come to e-access 09 23 April at Olympia.