Accessibility Champion

An individual within an organization or institution who takes personal responsibility for promoting and advancing accessibility practices, often without formal mandate or recognition. Accessibility champions raise awareness among colleagues, influence procurement and development decisions, and model accessible practices. While champions are essential for initiating accessibility efforts, research shows that relying on individual heroes creates a precarious model — progress can collapse when these individuals move on, burn out, or change roles. Sustainable organizational accessibility requires transitioning from individual champions to shared responsibility through champions networks, centres of excellence, and embedded processes.