On July 12, 2025, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) adopted Resolution 2025-09 regarding improving accessibility of enterprise software tools, marking a significant escalation in advocacy efforts targeting business-to-business (B2B) digital platforms. This resolution signals a strategic shift toward holding enterprise software providers accountable for accessibility compliance and indicates potential future litigation against non-compliant providers.
The NFB—the largest, oldest, and most influential nationwide consumer advocacy organization of blind people in the United States—has historically driven major accessibility improvements through strategic advocacy and litigation. When the NFB adopts a resolution, it represents a coordinated national strategy that typically precedes concrete legal and regulatory action.
What Does the Resolution Say?
Resolution 2025-09 addresses the pervasive accessibility shortcomings of enterprise software tools that create barriers for blind employees and entrepreneurs. The resolution identifies that while some platforms like Slack and Microsoft 365 offer robust accessibility features, the vast majority of widely adopted enterprise tools have significant accessibility defects.
The resolution specifically calls out the following problematic platforms:
- com (project management)
- Smartsheet (collaboration and project management)
- Jira and Atlassian suite (including Confluence and Product Discovery modules)
- Carta (equity management)
- Upwork (freelance management)
These platforms are described as having "significant accessibility defects which make them difficult or impossible for blind people to use."
Key Findings Highlighted in Resolution
- Workplace Productivity Barriers: Blind employees "routinely encounter inaccessible software tools when joining new employers, creating barriers to productivity and career advancement."
- Entrepreneurial Impact: Blind entrepreneurs with the capacity to create jobs and bring innovative ideas to fruition are disadvantaged when commonly used startup packages are not accessible.
- Beyond Basic Compliance: The resolution calls for enterprise tools to be not only accessible and usable, but a "joy to use" for blind employees, setting a higher standard that benefits both employers seeking to hire blind talent and blind professionals striving for workplace equality.
- SaaS Ecosystem Dependency: Modern startups and enterprises rely heavily on cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions for collaboration, project management, human resources, finance, and equity management—making accessibility in this space critical for workplace inclusion.
The NFB's Demands
- WCAG 2.2 AA Implementation: All providers of enterprise software must "adopt and rigorously implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA and engage in formal accessibility testing with blind users before general release."
- Consultation with Blind Users: Major SaaS companies, including but not limited to Atlassian, Monday.com, Smartsheet, Upwork, and Carta, must "seek the advice of blind people when conducting audits, devising plans to remediate accessibility barriers, and publishing roadmaps toward full compliance."
- Market Pressure: Employers should "prioritize accessibility as a first-order criterion when selecting internal tools, thereby driving market demand for inclusive design."
Legal and Business Implications
The resolution signals pending litigation risk for enterprise software providers who fail to voluntarily improve accessibility, representing a strategic shift from the NFB's historical focus on consumer-facing platforms to the previously under-scrutinized B2B market. Enterprise software used in workplace environments creates dual liability exposure for both software providers (who create inaccessible tools that prevent ADA compliance) and employers (who fail to provide accessible workplace technology), while federal agencies and organizations receiving federal funding face additional Section 504 and/or Section 508 compliance requirements under the federal Rehabilitation Act.
The resolution's call for accessibility as a "first-order criterion" in procurement decisions suggests that organizations failing to consider accessibility in purchasing may face discrimination claims from employees with disabilities, with companies using or competing with the specifically named platforms facing immediate scrutiny and advocacy pressure from the NFB and disability rights community.
Organizations that develop, distribute, or procure enterprise software tools should immediately assess their accessibility compliance standing, as the relative safety of operating in the B2B space without accessibility scrutiny is rapidly diminishing.
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