Accessibility to own the dream

To grow Digital Accessibility, Rocket team members build a community on a shared mission with commitment, purpose, and values dedicated to inclusivity and equitable access for all. As humans, we're fueled by a desire to belong, and I have a tremendous sense of gratitude for everyone who empowers this work through consistent positivity, optimism, respect, transparency, and trust.

Embedding Accessibility (A11y) at scale is an intricate process and an ongoing journey of discovery and innovation. Every small step can make a big difference. When we remove barriers to equitable participation, we ignite hope, foster a sense of belonging, and uncover amazing potential of diverse talent.

Accessibility as a Pillar of Rocket Brand

As Compassionate Trailblazers, we shape the future of FinTech and homeownership by combining cutting-edge technology with empathy, inclusivity, and care. This is expressed in the Accessibility Pillar of our brand. Beyond our alignment to Web Content Accessibility guidelines and other industry standards, this year we continue to enhance resources and optimize processes by harnessing the power of Accessibility within diverse communication channels. Supercharging inclusivity of Al, SMS, chat, and video, our A11y resources, standards, and processes help build stronger connections with our users and transcend greatness through empowerment and inclusivity.

As we build digital products aimed to ensure that Everyone Can Own the Dream, our mission is to make them inclusive and disability friendly to Help Everyone Home. Most importantly, this is about creating value for our clients as expressed on our Rocket Mortgage Site Accessibility Page.

Through Assistive Technologies Testing, automation, and governance, we strive to remove digital barriers and welcome user feedback as expressed on Accessibility Pages for our products, such as RocketPro Site Accessibility. These actionable steps create value for our clients, team members, and partners helping shape the industry at large. In alignment with the vision of Rocket brand, we drive transformational change with critical optimizations across platforms to make the experiences more accessible, human-centered, and inclusive.

Rocket Design System 

This year, we worked to enhance Accessibility guidelines within Rocket Design System (RDS) in great synergy with our gifted Content and RDS teams. Because of its centralized nature, design systems streamline continuous improvement by establishing and maintaining a comprehensive set of standards, reusable components, patterns, and other elements at scale. Accessibility is a critical cornerstone of our inclusive design system and a vital aspect of product design and development process. As a human-centered business practice aimed to provide equitable access to the widest possible audience, Accessibility is aligned with our culture because it guides how to do the right thing for every client, every time

Volunteering in the Communities We Serve

At Rocket, our volunteering efforts are inspired by the notion of bridging the digital divide. As we volunteer in the communities we serve, we discover an invaluable connection between accessibility and innovation. Sharing the passion our team has for volunteering, this year I explored opportunities that further digital accessibility for all while igniting innovative mindset and creativity.

For example, among wonderful initiatives that I participated in was  project phaedra1039. This effort empowered us to support women in technical roles and grow Digital Accessibility in the community. It gave me and my peers an opportunity to transcribe 19th century documents produced by Women Astronomers. These early research works represent the irreplaceable history and evolution of observation methods and astronomy as a science. By transcribing these empowering examples of the contributions that women made to innovation, we made information more disability-friendly, inclusive, and accessible to all.

Inspired by Rocket values that we are “For More Than Profit,” Rocket Community Fund offers many other opportunities to volunteer and give back, reinvesting into the community.  For instance, I love volunteering to send cards to hospitalized kids at St. Jude. Connecting to our mission and culture, this disability-friendly volunteering opportunity shows how everyone can contribute and make a difference. As I explore and contribute to many other opportunities alongside with so many of my peers, I feel honored to be a part of the organization passionate about ensuring that every American has access to stable, healthy housing.

Accessibility Mentorship

At Rocket, our Accessibility efforts are inspired by the vision of creating inclusive environments fostering development opportunities to build transformational careers. As we continue to evolve our Accessibility guidance with Brand Central and Rocket Design System, we ignite organization-wide transformation through a clear, compelling vision, strategic prioritization, and process improvements.

So many resources in the industry convey strong Accessibility Business Case! They include significant benefits to driving user engagement, boosting conversion rates, and empowering team member growth and productivity. As we balance transformational change with critical product optimizations, we mentor team members, leaders, and interns on how Accessibility helps streamline and elevate an entire product and experience ecosystem, enhance their capacity, and unlock new levels of conversion

Cultivating an Inclusive Culture of Learning and Empowerment  

Through dedicated sessions, this year we explored communication strategies to foster a disability-friendly culture of cross-functional collaboration. Our Accessibility training & development efforts, engaging workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, and many other A11y initiatives help maximize the reach and inclusivity of tools and products. By applying A11y knowledge, team members iteratively improve our product design and functionality, integrate continuous feedback loops, cultivate design excellence, and fuel innovation throughout the product lifecycle. 

With dedication to an inclusive culture, our Accessibility Working Groups, Slack channel, and community events unite diverse perspectives building a community of Accessibility Champions. They increase visibility into the work of our teams by empowering them to learn and align their daily work with the vision of Accessibility. Our Accessibility Hackweek innovations are inspired by the creative energy and culture at Rocket as we take major steps in our journey to build an integrated homeownership platform. Surrounded by amazing forward-thinking people, we nurture talent and shape inclusive digital future because everyone deserves to Own the Dream.