Accessible auction planning

Every organization should do this. For a disability services organization it is not optional and it is not invisible — the people who will notice a failure are the people you serve, and they will notice all of it.

The bidding experience

• Screen reader. Test the actual bidding flow with one, not just the page. Bidding, confirming and checkout are where these break
• Keyboard only. Every action reachable without a mouse, with a visible focus indicator
• Zoom. Usable at 200% without horizontal scrolling
• Contrast. Text and interactive elements legible with the brightness down
• Timing. Anything with a countdown needs an alternative for someone who cannot act quickly — a proxy bid, or a way to set a maximum in advance
• A non-smartphone route. A desktop path, and a person to phone

Test with real users rather than a checklist. You have access to exactly the people who can tell you what fails, and asking them is both better testing and the right relationship.

Item descriptions carry more weight than usual

A description that says "see photo" excludes anybody who cannot. Write the item in words: what it is, size, colour, material, condition, what a winner actually receives.

• Meaningful alt text on every image — what is in it, not "auction item 14"
• Captions and a transcript on any video
• Plain language, short sentences, no unexplained jargon
• Say access information for experience lots: is the venue step-free, are toilets accessible, is parking available, is there quiet space

That last one is worth building into the item template. An experience lot with no access information is unusable to a bidder who needs it, and stating it costs a sentence.

The event, if there is one

• Step-free access to everything, including the stage and behind any table
• Accessible toilets, and enough of them
• Accessible parking close to the entrance, reserved and enforced
• Circulation space between tables that a wheelchair can actually use — most events fail here
• Seating available throughout, not only at tables
• A quiet, low-stimulus room, signposted
• Captioning or interpretation where announcements matter; ask in advance what is needed
• Lighting that does not flash or strobe
• Food that accounts for dietary and texture needs, labelled
• A named person on the night whose job is access rather than the auction

Ask on the invitation, and then do it

"Let us know what you need to attend" on the invitation, with a named contact and a real deadline. Then act on every reply and confirm back to the person what has been arranged.

An organization that asks and does not follow through has done worse than not asking, because it invited somebody to tell it what they need and then ignored them.

Publish what is and is not accessible

Honesty beats aspiration. If the venue's stage is not step-free and cannot be, say so in advance rather than letting somebody discover it. People plan around known limitations and cannot plan around surprises.

General information, not legal or accessibility-compliance advice for your organization. Accessibility obligations, and the language conventions your own community prefers, differ — the people you serve and your own leadership decide how any of this applies.