To "equalify" something is to fix it with an accessibility-first mindset. Accessibility-first means raising the bar of work to guarantee that people with disabilities can use tools and access content with ease.
Equalify's handbook is modeled after Gitlab's handbook and contains comprehensive information about everything related to Equalify. By publishing our handbook publicly, we're fostering a culture of transparency and openness, and ultimately contributing to a more accessible internet for all.
Equalify is a platform for managing website accessibility, focused on improving conformance to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We offer a managed service at https://equalify.app/ and repositories in the EqualifyApp organization on GitHub for users to create their version of Equalify. Users who create their version are encouraged to contribute to our open-source codebase so that we can work together to make the web more accessible to everyone.
We aim to equalify 100 million accessibility issues by 2028. With over 96% of the million most popular homepages failing WCAG compliance testing1, we have a lot of work in front of us!
At Equalify, we believe everyone should have access to internet tools and information. Our commitment to access is reflected in both our mission (100 million equalified accessibility issues by 2028) and our business practices, typified by this handbook. Additionally, much of our code is published under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL). This license ensures that our software remains free and open for everyone to use, study, and modify. By making our code publicly available, we hope to inspire others to join us in equalifying the internet.
Equalify is commercialized open source software (COSS). We sustain ourselves by selling subscriptions to our managed service, https://equalify.app. We follow a skinny to thin crust open core model, more info on that here.
Much of our funds go to administration, development, and upkeep of the managed service.
We understand indie devs need cash, and oftentimes do not have the incentive to contribute to open-source projects. To spread funds around, we occasionally mark issues in repos "Open for Bids" to support independent developers. Issues open for bids should consist of a full scope of requirements, due dates, and budget restrictions. Anyone can bid on the projects or ask questions by commenting on the issue with the Open for Bids label. We encourage folks to be transparent about timing, costs, and requirements. We will not necessarily select the lowest price or quickest option. We are looking to pay for work by skilled collaborators who love transparency and can articulate a clear understanding of how to tackle a challenge.
Once we have a budget to hire full-time employees, we hope that many of our staff have contributed to Equalify via open bids or standard open-source contributions.
Yes! Equalify Inc. was founded recently (August 7, 2023). As we meet new challenges, this document will evolve.
Post additional questions, bugs, and enhancement requests under issues on this repo. Your feedback makes Equalify a better organization. We also use a Slack for folks building Equalify. Ping @bbertucc to join our Slack.