The following is more of the Reporting Inaccessibility Self-Advocacy Toolkit.
Where to Send an Accessibility Report
- If you can find an accessibility contact at a company, that is always going to be the best place to report any problems you’re having.
- However many, probably most, companies do not have dedicated accessibility support. When this is the case, look through any “Support” or “Contact Us” pages for anything related to reporting problems with the site.
- If the company has a staff directory, look for someone who deals with the site, such as a web manager, to reach out to directly. General technical support or inquiry emails are better than nothing, but are less likely to directly reach someone who can take action.
- You might also consider using phone or chat support to inquire if you can get the email address of the person in charge of the website to report a problem that you’re having.
- If you’re working with an iOS or Android app, you might also try reporting your issue through the features in the respective stores, though you may not get a response back.
Reporting Issues over Social Media
When email is getting you nowhere, social media may get you the response you’re looking for. A number of companies are handling customer support issues over X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook. These channels are often some of the fastest ways to get a response to your issue, and they can also be a great way to report accessibility issues.
Check the company’s social media pages and see if it responds to customer issues or directs you to a support account. If you find it does technical support through social media, whether with the main or a support account, use some of the same tips from the letter section when engaging the company.
If on X, start with a mention describing briefly that you use access technology, what kind you use, and briefly describe your issue. It’s okay to use a few tweets to do this. If the company responds, try to either get into a direct message conversation or request the best email to send something to, so you’re not limited by the two-hundred-and-eighty-character limit.
On Facebook, follow a similar process, engage the company first, and give all the details once you confirm you’re working with the right account.
Increasing Visibility of the Issue
Most companies have large numbers of customers who likely have many different issues and requests they are making of the company’s time and resources. While one report of an issue can and should be enough to get that issue resolved, it’s undeniable that more reports of the same issue, whether accessibility related or not, increase the likelihood that a company will take action. If you have friends or colleagues who use the same app or service, encourage them to reach out as well. Discuss the issue with groups you follow on social media and try to engage them in reporting and advocating for the issue to be resolved.
As always, encourage whomever you’re working with to keep their outreach professional as well. One person threatening legal actions or otherwise being unprofessional may doom the whole group’s efforts. Also, keep each other informed. If someone in the group receives a reply from the company, the whole group should ideally be informed.