#Software Development Inclusivity Checklist#

##Description#

This document is intended to be as comprehensive a checklist as possible to ensure software written with maximum inclusivity and accessibility. Of course it won't be all-inclusive just yet (or ever), but we can try really hard to get close to all-inclusive.

The basic idea behind this document is that even though software is written for computers, it is actually written for people. By taking care of the people who use our software, we can maybe make the world a slightly friendlier place.

This page was written with web-development in mind, but many can be applied across multiple domains.

##Accessibility#

This section concerns users who have disabilities and/or whose usage of your site is limited, but many of the tools we use to accommodate users who have disabilities also make for a better user experience.

The US Government has certain accessibility requirements, outlined in the Web Accessibility Initiative, which can be found here.

###Vision Impairment#

• Do all non-text elements have a text equivalent (often, this is the alt-text)?
• Are documents readable without the associated style-sheet?
• Are rows and columns in tables and charts clearly labeled?
• Does all content on the screen still make sense if it is rendered in black-and-white?
• If there is a video (or other multimedia presentation), does the audio of that video or presentation fully communicate everything that needs to be known?
• Is the tab-path for all forms sensible and linear?

###Hearing Impairment#

• Do all audio elements have a text equivalent?
• Do videos and multimedia presentations have either a transcript or subtitles/captions?
• Is it possible to fully engage in the website without relying on sound or audio cues?

###Language and Cognition#

• Is language clear and concise?
• Is written material set to an appropriate reading level?
• Is information required for certain tasks located near the tools necessary to complete those tasks? (For example: do users have to scroll up and down between looking up information and filling out a form?)
• Are translations to other languages offered?
• Is the site's structure simple and clear, so as to help people who have reading or attention difficulties?
• Are site elements clearly and logically labeled? Is navigation straightforward?
• Does important information fit onto one screen?

###Mobility#

• Does the site or web application require a mouse?
• Does the site or web application have time-sensitive elements that might prove prohibitive to someone who has fine-motor control problems?
• Does the site have elements, particularly dynamic elements that require very precise mouse or keyboard usage?
• Is the tab-path (for elements on the site) well-structured?
• Are site elements very closely placed?

###General Accessibility Notes#

• If your site discusses persons who have disabilities, does your site use person-first language?
• If there are images of people on your site, do some of the people portrayed have visible disabilities, and if so, are those people portrayed positively?

##Inclusivity#

###Race and Ethnicity#

• Is the user only asked to provide information regarding race and/or ethnicity if it is directly relevant to the task at hand?
• If the user is asked to provide information regarding race and/or ethnicity, is the user able to type that information into a text box (instead of a drop-down menu or radio box selection)?
• Is "Other" an option for race or ethnicity? (It almost certainly shouldn't be)
• If there are images of people (particularly stock photos), do the people pictured represent a variety of races and ethnicities?
• If there are images of people, is there a roughly equal power distribution among people pictured (for example: if there are multiple images of bosses talking to employees, are all of the bosses the same race?)?
• If users are asked to pick avatars which look like people, do those avatars represent a wide variety of races and ethnicities?
• Do any of the images or language used on your site perpetuate racial or ethnic (or geographic) stereotypes, even if they are "good" stereotypes? Are value statements made on the basis of race or ethnicity?
• Does the site or application assume anything about the race or ethnicity of its users ("Their race/ethnicity shouldn't matter here" counts as an assumption)?
• Does the site make assumptions about its users' names (for example: whether the family name comes before or after the given name, whether capitalization rules are enforced, whether hyphenated names are allowed, whether diacritical marks are allowed, etc.)?

###Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation#

• Is the user asked to provide information about gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or preferred gender pronouns only if absolutely necessary?
• Does the user experience change if different gender options are chosen?
• If the user is asked for their gender, are they able to enter their gender into a text field instead of selecting from a list (pulldown menu, radio buttons, etc.)?
• Is "Other" an option for gender? (it almost certainly shouldn't be)
• If it is necessary to know the sex of the user, does the site or application distinguish between sex and gender?
• Does your site ask the user to select an honorific ("Mr.", "Ms.", "Mrs.", "Dr.", etc.)?
• Does your site use gendered pronouns ("he", "she") in lieu of gender-neutral pronouns ("they", "them", "ze")?
• Does your site assume that its users are heterosexual?
• Does your site make assumptions about the marital status of its users ("I don't see why that matters" counts as an assumption)?
• Does your site make assumptions or perpetuate stereotypes (good or bad) about gender, sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation? Are value statements made on the basis of gender, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity?
• If there are images of people, do those people represent a variety of genders and gender expressions?
• If there are images of people, is the distribution of power (within those images) relatively equitable between genders?
• If there are user-selectable avatars that look like people, are a wide variety of genders and gender expressions featured in those avatars?
• If there are images of people, are a wide range of body types featured in a positive way?

###Socio-Economic Class#

• Does your site make assumptions about the socio-economic class or financial ability of its users?
• Do the images or language on your site perpetuate stereotypes or make value statements based on class?

###Age#

• Does your site make assumptions about the age of its users?
• Does your site perpetuate stereotypes (good or bad) about the age of its users?
• Does your site only ask the users for their age if it is absolutely necessary (This includes birthday verification if your site requires users to be above a certain age in order to access features)?

##Additional Readings##

• A Web for Everyone: Designing Accessible User Experiences, Sarah Horton and Whitney Quesenbery
• Accessibility Handbook, Katie Cunningham
• Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance, Richard Rutter et al.