Maturity models and accessibility champions

Why it matters

Maturity models give organizations a way to assess where they are in their accessibility journey and set targets for where they want to be. Two models appear in the BoK: the BDF Accessibility Maturity Model and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM v1.1). Both use five levels, but their naming and ordering differ — a classic exam confusable. (BoK p. 66)

BDF Accessibility Maturity Model

The Business Disability Forum (BDF) Accessibility Maturity Model describes five levels of organizational accessibility capability: (BoK p. 67)

Level	Name	Description
1	Informal	Accessibility activities are ad hoc, reactive, and dependent on individuals rather than processes
2	Defined	Accessibility processes are documented and understood by the team
3	Repeatable	Defined processes are consistently applied across projects
4	Managed	Performance is measured, monitored, and used to improve processes
5	Best practice	Continuous improvement; organization shares knowledge and leads the field

(BoK p. 67)

The BDF also publishes the Accessible Technology Charter, which outlines 10 commitments that employers can make to ensure accessible technology for employees with disabilities — a voluntary pledge framework. (BoK p. 66)

CMM v1.1 (Capability Maturity Model)

The Capability Maturity Model version 1.1 was developed at the Software Engineering Institute (Carnegie Mellon). It is a general software process improvement model that the BoK references in the accessibility maturity context. Its five levels are: (BoK p. 67)

Level	Name	Description
1	Initial	Processes are unpredictable and poorly controlled
2	Repeatable	Basic project management; some processes repeatable
3	Defined	Processes documented, standardized, and integrated
4	Managed	Processes measured and controlled quantitatively
5	Optimizing	Focus on continuous process improvement

(BoK p. 67) (BoK p. 68)

Accessibility champions

Accessibility champions are employees within an organization who advocate for accessibility in their own teams or departments — not as their full-time role, but as a recognized responsibility alongside their main work. (BoK p. 68)

Champions bridge two worlds:

• They translate accessibility principles into the language and workflows of their specific team (development, marketing, HR, procurement).
• They escalate issues to the central accessibility team and bring back knowledge from training or communities of practice.

Effective champion programs:

• Are supported with training and resources, not just enthusiasm.
• Have a clear relationship to the central accessibility team or programme.
• Include champions across different departments, levels, and geographies. (BoK p. 68)

Real-world example

A technology company assesses itself against the BDF Accessibility Maturity Model and concludes it is at Level 2 (Defined): processes are documented but not consistently applied. Its target is Level 3 (Repeatable). To get there, it launches an accessibility champions program: 20 volunteers across engineering, design, content, and procurement receive two days of training and a toolkit of checklists. They begin reviewing new designs at the earliest stages, before code is written. Twelve months later, a follow-up assessment confirms consistent process application across projects — the hallmark of Level 3.