Logikcull’s mission is to democratize discovery. That’s not news.
But democratization can come in many forms.
Until recently, we were focused on enabling a self-serve, affordable, and secure approach to eDiscovery — one where you, not the expert, are empowered to collect, review, and produce your own data without involving third parties.
However, Logikcull has recently expanded its concept of democratization to include accessibility. We have been claiming for years that our main goal is to put eDiscovery in the hands of everyone — and everyone must account for the full range of human diversity.
Since December 2021, a team of eight “Accessibility Champions” — a mix of engineers, designers, and compliance specialists, supported by an expert accessibility consultant — have driven Logikcull’s accessibility program to continuously improve the platform so that it’s easier to visualize and navigate for users with disabilities.
Additionally, the program allows developers and designers that have an interest in accessibility to grow their knowledge on the subject and have an impact on the product and Logikcull’s user base.
"I decided to join the Accessibility Champions because I wanted to actively make a difference in ensuring that Logikcull is truly accessible to all. I’m also able to work closely with fellow Logikbots from other teams and learn new tools and technologies. I have really enjoyed my time with the Accessibility Champions & I’m excited to continue our work together!" - Christa Oshodi, Software Engineer at Logikcull
Not to mention, many Logikcull customers are public institutions required by law to provide accessible information and communication technology. By making our product more accessible, we’re also supporting those customers to better meet their legal and regulatory obligations while using the platform.
Developing an Accessibility Culture
When it comes to accessibility, the WCAG2.0 standards are the baseline standards for any company committed to delivering a better experience for users with disabilities.
The first thing Logikcull’s Accessibility team did as they started their operation was to complete a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to understand where Logikcull stood with regards to the WCAG2.0 standards. This report highlighted the main priorities that the team had to tackle first, and it helped them determine how to fit the rest of the changes into the product’s roadmap.
Some of the first improvements were focused on increasing visual accessibility, such as enhancing the app’s color contrast and enabling a dark mode, improving the layout of certain items, etc., while others — like adding more keyboard shortcuts to minimize the number of clicks needed to perform certain tasks — were related to motor disabilities.
“Every decision we make can raise or lower barriers to participation in society. It is our responsibility to lower those barriers through inclusive products, services, environments, and experiences.” – Microsoft Inclusive Design Manual
When looking for areas of improvement, the team always prioritizes double wins. These are changes focused on solving a problem for a specific group of people, but that have the potential to tackle many other issues.
For instance, by integrating user interfaces with assistive technologies like screen readers, the main focus is to help people with visual impairments. But if a product is accessible for screen readers, you get closer to integrating it with other assistive devices like smartwatches, which would open the door for a new cohort of people.
But this is just the beginning of Logikcull’s accessibility journey.
Now, the team is continuously testing the platform to spot opportunities to increase accessibility. They also ensure that all the new features that Logikcull is constantly releasing are accessible for users with different needs, and provide constant training to key stakeholders — all with the ultimate goal of embedding an accessibility culture across the entire organization.
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Interested in becoming an Accessibility Champion and democratizing eDiscovery? We’re hiring across all areas! Check out all open positions here.
