Before delving into the reasons why accessibility is important for business, accessibility standards, and accessible design, let's give you a bit of history. For over 25 years, WSI has been providing digital marketing services and strategies – including website accessibility checklists - to businesses of all sizes and across various industries.
Our webinar host and WSI Digital Marketing Consultant is Eric Cook, MBA, a “recovering banker”, award-winning web designer, and three-time contributing author to Digital Minds: A Strategic Approach To Connecting And Engaging With Your Customers Online.
What Is Website Accessibility?
The official definition from W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative is: “Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.”
Bearing in mind that each of these has its own nuances, these are some categories of disabilities:
- Auditory: Do you have closed captioning on your videos?
- Cognitive: Does your website rely on big blocks of text?
- Neurological: Do you have an alternative to flashing and light pulses on your videos?
- Physical: Can your website be navigated via the keyboard?
- Speech: As voice search is gaining popularity, do you provide non-verbal options?
- Visual: Is there enough contrast for those who are color blind?
Not only do individuals with some form of disability benefit but there are also additional non-disability advantages. These include input modes for devices with small screens, less mobility due to aging, short-term disabilities such as a broken bone or misplaced specs, and environmental limitations such as bright light and a poor internet connection and/or bandwidth.
Why is Website Accessibility Important for Your Business?
The statistics answer this question best:
- 16% of the world’s population has some form of disability.
- That currently translates to 70 million Americans, 101 million people in the European Union, and 21.4% of Australians who have a disability.
- Of that, 1 – 3% of the global population and over 7 million Americans have an intellectual disability, while 74.6 million have a physical disability.
- 59.6% of the U.S. population with disabilities were living in a household with internet access.
- 23% of disabled respondents say they “never” go online.
- By 2060, the number of seniors (65+ years old) could double to 98 million.
Keeping these figures in mind will motivate you to make the changes necessary to make your website and other digital interactions accessible. Refer to these stats in meetings and as part of a (digital) paper trail.
Another reason why website accessibility is essential is to avoid being on the receiving end of an accessibility lawsuit. With so much more reliance on online-only trading during COVID-19, digital accessibility lawsuits increased by 50% from 2019 to 2021. To avoid being one of the ten new lawsuits filed daily, your website should include appropriate accessibility specifications, guidelines, and practices.
Top tip: Working in such a dynamic environment makes it essential that your digital stays abreast of trends and technologies.
Elements Impacting Website Accessibility in Business
These are the elements you will need to address:
- Content: The information on a web page or web application (text, images, sound, code, or markup).
- User agents: Web browsers, tablets, watches, media players, and so forth.
- Assistive technology: Screen readers, braille translation services, alternative keyboards, etc, that collect website data from the backend of the code and restate that to the user.
- The user: The experiences, knowledge and limitations, and a depth of strategies to using the web.
- Developers: Designers, coders, and authors should include developers with disabilities and users who can contribute content.
- Authoring tools: Software that creates websites to open up career possibilities for employees as well as caring for customers.
- Evaluation tools: Accessibility evaluation tools, HTML validators, CSS validators, and so on. Provide guidance by highlighting areas that need to be rectified. (Get in touch with your friendly WSI agency for assistance accessing these critical tools.)
The Benefits of Accessibility: Five Reasons to Make Your Website Inclusive
- Reduce your legal risk of an ADA-related lawsuit by complying with accessibility guidelines. Compelling, but hopefully not your sole reason for remediation.
- Improve your search engine optimization. SEO relates to communication between the browser and search engines to consume content.
- Improve your overall user experience. Although some things may be implemented specifically for users with disabilities, your able-bodied users might prefer them, too.
- Position your brand as one that values inclusivity. Proactively acknowledge, support, and serve people of all abilities.
- Reach a larger customer audience representing billions in spending power. Exposure to a larger consumer audience also leads to additional revenue streams.
Top tip: Remember your third-party partners, such as a scheduling or reservations service, an app platform, or a shopping cart. You cannot contract away your accessibility responsibility or liability!
How AI Enhances Web Accessibility and User Experience
AI technology is revolutionizing web accessibility by helping businesses create websites accessible to people with various disabilities, strengthening the brand image, and enhancing UX. By integrating AI-driven tools, companies can implement accessibility principles more effectively, making website content accessible to everyone, including those with hearing and visual impairments. Embracing AI broadens reach to a wider audience and reduces the risk of legal complications, aligning with ADA requirements and SEO best practices for improved visibility and user experience.
Why Accessible Design Will Be Essential for Businesses in 2025
As inclusivity becomes a priority, accessible design will shift from a best practice to a legal requirement by 2025. Businesses that adopt accessibility features are now preparing for this change and gaining a competitive edge by improving their overall user experience and avoiding discrimination.
To comply with ADA regulations and WCAG standards, websites need alt text, text for images, and compatibility with assistive technologies to help people of all abilities. Meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements also reduces the risk of lawsuits and ensures no users are excluded.
Accessibility improvements also enhance SEO ranking and visibility. Including alt text and other updates boosts ranking and enriches user engagement. Regular testing ensures updates remain effective, and feedback from users with visual impairments or other disabilities can refine the experience.
Finally, accessible websites and apps improve conversion rates by making Contact Us forms easy to use. Prioritizing accessibility is more than compliance; it builds trust and opens new opportunities in an increasingly inclusive digital marketplace.
Recommendations and Next Steps to Enhance Usability
Start by leveraging available technology such as Audioeye.
Then, for a quick guide to get you started, get your hands on WSI’s 90-Day Accessibility Checklist. Here are some best practices from it:
- Document research and conversations.
- Get your website tested.
- Enlist the help of a digital marketing professional.
- Put a website accessibility plan together.
- Maintain and review it periodically.
Reach out to your WSI Consultant for the best digital marketing results and expert assistance with increasing your website accessibility.
And don't forget, you can catch up on all the details we shared above in our latest Client Webinar: 5 Reasons Why Website Accessibility is Good for Your Business AND Customers.
