Accessibility in Practice:A Socio-Technical Study of Human, Organizational, and Leadership Barriers in Software Development

Accessibility in software systems remains a persistent challenge, yet it is a simple necessity for equitable access to digital resources. This study investigates the human-centered and organizational barriers that influence accessibility adoption across diverse socio-technical contexts in Europe and Africa. Drawing on survey data from 130 software professionals, we explore how accessibility practices are shaped by leadership engagement, team collaboration, organizational culture, and policy contexts. The study reveals that, in both continents, accessibility is frequently deprioritized due to competing project demands, inadequate training, and weak organizational incentives. This is true observed even in responses from the European Union, despite it's established accessibility legislation. The results indicate that to improve accessibility, there is a need for coordinated interventions, in both Africa and Europe, at multiple levels beyond the use of AI, including policy alignment, leadership support, and team-level communication practices. Our findings emphasizing accessibility as a socio-technical outcome that emerges from the interactions between people, processes, and technology. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for practitioners and educators seeking to integrate accessibility as a core principle of sustainable, inclusive software development.