GitHub Adds ACCESSIBILITY.md File Support for Repository Accessibility Statements

Centralizing Accessibility Information

GitHub has introduced support for an ACCESSIBILITY.md file, providing a dedicated location for projects to document their accessibility practices. This file can be placed in the repository's root, the .github/ directory, or the docs/ directory. Organizations can also inherit a statement from their .github/ repository.

Improved Discoverability and Context

Previously, accessibility information was often scattered across issue trackers, contribution guidelines, and internal knowledge bases. By giving ACCESSIBILITY.md a visible home on repository overview pages, GitHub aims to make this information easier for users to find when they encounter barriers and help maintainers retain context as project teams evolve. For public repositories, maintainers can add or propose a statement via Insights > Community Standards using a starter document.

Standardizing Community Health Files

The ACCESSIBILITY.md file joins other community health files on GitHub, such as contribution guidelines, codes of conduct, and security policies. This integration provides a consistent place for users and contributors to understand how a project operates. Additionally, new repositories will now include an 'accessibility' issue label by default, assisting maintainers in organizing and tracking related work.

Practical Application

An example from GitHub CLI's accessibility statement demonstrates its utility. It documents specific settings, known barriers (like screen reader difficulties with table output), and provides workarounds (e.g., a command to print pull request details one per line). It also sets expectations for contributors, asking them to show results with accessibility settings enabled when changing prompts or output.