Industry Leading HR and Payroll Company ADP Works with LightHouse to Enhance Accessibility of Products to Blind Users

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco and blind LightHouse staff members reached an agreement with the Professional Employer Organization ADP TotalSource® to enhance the accessibility and usability of the ADP Workforce Now® solution to LightHouse staff who are blind or have low vision and use screen-reading software to access digital content.

LightHouse, a 120-year-old nonprofit which supports and promotes the independence, equality, and self-reliance of people who are blind or have low vision in northern California, uses ADP TotalSource products for its human resources and payroll needs.

ADP is working with a leading web accessibility expert to help enhance the accessibility of its Workforce Now solution for the blind or those who have low vision. The group will audit the ADP Workforce Now web and mobile applications to help ensure they conform to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), version 2.1, Level AA.

ADP is also rolling out an enhanced policy that reaffirms its commitment to accessibility and outlines its procedures for incorporating accessibility into the development and testing lifecycle for its solutions.  ADP will also provide enhanced training to ADP TotalSource associates to ensure a deeper level of service that will help them provide greater technical assistance to individuals who use screen readers to access ADP Workforce Now.

LightHouse's CEO, Bryan Bashin, said, "This agreement is a major commitment by ADP TotalSource to building an accessible workplace environment for LightHouse's blind employees, managers and executives to participate efficiently alongside their sighted peers. We expect that this commitment represents an important step towards bringing an accessible workplace environment to any blind employee in the vast workforce ADP TotalSource serves."

"I am pleased that this work will result in my having greater access to essential human resources and payroll functionality, and I am excited that many other blind and visually impaired users of ADP's services will also benefit from these changes," said Frank Welte, Senior Accessible Media and Braille Specialist at LightHouse.

"We are delighted that ADP has committed to the on-going accessibility of its products, through the implementation of an Accessibility Policy that will incorporate accessibility into development and testing of its products," said DRA Senior Staff Attorney Meredith Weaver. 

"At ADP we highly value digital inclusion and are committed to ensuring our solutions are accessible to our clients and their employees, including those who are blind or visually impaired. We have taken substantial measures to provide quality user experiences and we will continue to evolve our solutions to meet digital access needs," said Bob Lockett, Chief Diversity and Talent Officer, ADP.

About LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides education, training, advocacy, and community for blind individuals in California and around the world. Founded and based in San Francisco since 1902, the LightHouse is one of the largest and most established comprehensive blindness organizations in North America, with a wide variety of programs to suit a wide variety of needs, as well as a rich network of blindness advocates and professionals. Visit www.lighthouse-sf.org for more information.

About Disability Rights Advocates

DRA is one of the leading non-profit disability rights legal centers in the nation. With offices in Berkeley and New York City, DRA's mission is to advance equal rights and opportunities for people with all types of disabilities nationwide. To advance that mission, DRA regularly advocates for greater access to modern technology. DRA has negotiated access improvements to several types of popular technologies including audio described content on HBO Max. For more information, visit www.dralegal.org.

About ADP

Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential.  HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll.  Informed by data and designed for people.  Learn more at ADP.com

SOURCE LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco