Raising the bar: How accessibility and inclusion deliver a customized experience on the new Jacobs website

The voices and experiences of nearly 600 employees, clients, investors, future talent and community partners came together to create the new Jacobs.com – a unique, customizable experience personalized to the individual user. And as with everything we do, we put accessibility and inclusion first.

Early in development, one of our feedback sessions welcomed guests from our ACE employee network, including Marie Purmann Charles who talked with project, design and development teams about her experience being a screen-reader user, and what it feels like when you can't get the information you need – something many take for granted.

“It was important that the network could bring someone like Marie with lived experience of dyslexia to the process so that our teams designed with empathy and clarity and not just to a checklist,” reflects ACE Employee Network Leader Nerida Weller. “We also know that screen readers are used by a wide variety of users, including those with low vision, some physical disabilities or to assist with fatigue. One myth is that accessibility only helps a small minority, but actually there’s benefits for all.”

The impactful session with the ACE network reaffirmed our vision and demonstrated the value in making the site a key touchpoint for audiences to see how we truly are living inclusion. So, when it came to building our new site, we designed it to be usable first and flashy second.

Not only did we achieve WCAG 2.1, we took it even further by adding accessibility features prominently across our site. Features such as motion control and screen-reader compatibility help ensure everyone can fully experience the site. We’re on a continuous journey to remove barriers that might hinder a fantastic web encounter, and we’re already planning for additional features – such as highlight focus and hovering and sound muting – to continue providing an accessible, unique experience for all.

And, we didn’t stop there! The site is also fully navigable by keyboard, which is a great option for those with certain physical disabilities, RSI (repetitive strain injury) or anyone needing a break from mouse use. We’re also working to ensure all videos are captioned and now provide transcripts of our podcast episodes.