Why Website Accessibility Is Essential For Modern Businesses

Disabled people need accessible websites. People with visual, auditory, cognitive, and other disabilities rely on assistive technology, much of which requires accessible websites and apps. In today’s competitive marketplace, an appealing, easy-to-use website is crucial.

There’s no denying that disabled internet users would benefit greatly from website accessibility, but what about business interests? See the reasons below:

1. It’s A Legal Requirement

The world’s governments know that laws need to be put in place to protect people with disabilities if they want to make the world a fair and equal place to live.

Website accessibility is required by law or regulation in a number of jurisdictions. Even if these regulations didn’t exist, it’d still be beneficial to make websites accessible to people with disabilities. However, many websites now give these customers top priority to avoid legal repercussions. In fact, in the US, it is now mandatory under the federal law that all websites must adhere to web ADA compliance, as well as WCAG 2.0 in order to stay protected from lawsuits filed by users with disabilities. Here, an expert company by the name of “Xcompliant” can help install a WordPress ADA compliant plugin, and make your site accessible to all kinds of users with physical or vision related disabilities.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are comprehensive guidelines for web content developers and others who need web accessibility standards, and they’re produced by the World Wide Web Consortium in support of this priority. The WCAG also serves as a source for researchers, managers, and policymakers who are working to ensure that everyone has equal access to the internet.

There are a number of laws that require digital accessibility, including:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

2. You’ll Improve Brand Recognition

Visitors come in all shapes and sizes. Both their likes and dislikes, as well as their relative strengths and limitations, are quite different. However, it’s human nature to appreciate one’s efforts.

The internet may be the most important tool for disabled individuals. It’s often more convenient for people to have things delivered straight to their homes than having to go out and find them. Your business has the potential to greatly better the lives of regular people with relatively little effort. 

You’ll stand out as a company that cares about its customers by catering to their different needs. Keep your word, and they’ll reward you with their loyalty. Disabled people are just like people in any other demographic as far as the impact of word-of-mouth and networking goes.

3. It’s Good For Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Improving accessibility benefits more than just consumers. When you write code that’s easy to read and understand, search engine robots will have an easier time crawling your site.

By catering to those with disabilities, you can attract more visitors, reduce your site’s bounce rate, and boost your sales. More people will visit your site if you put more effort into search engine optimization. The greater the number of qualified users, the higher your conversion rate.

How To Make Web Accessible

Accessibility should be considered from the start of any web design project, new or old. Accessibility for all users should be incorporated into the core of the design process. 

• Add Alt Tags To Your Images

Alt tags should be used for all images on your site. These tags provide concise descriptions of the images on your site that are otherwise lost in HTML. Screen reader users depend on these descriptions to understand the content of the photos on your site, but most users will never see them. An ideal alt tag is a concise, interesting description of the image it includes.

• Make Your Texts Clear

Make sure that your content is clear and well-organized by making the text large and bold. Increase the font size on your site to help those who are visually impaired. The structure of your writing should be clear and easy to follow. Also, ensure that your content stands out clearly against its background.

• Put Subtitles And Transcripts To Multimedia

Subtitles are a great benefit for persons with hearing difficulties or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), so be sure to include them in your videos. In order to cover all of your bases, you should also consider creating transcripts and captions as well.

• Make Sure The Website Builder You Choose Has Accessibility Features

Your website accessibility options will be heavily influenced by the content management system (CMS) your business utilizes. The accessibility features of WordPress and similar open-source platforms may require the use of a plugin developed by a third party, whereas those of a more specialized content management system (CMS) may come pre-installed.

Conclusion

You can make your business more accessible in every sense by taking simple measures. Building a brand and website that everyone can use is of paramount importance. It’s important to your business’s reputation and for gaining consumers’ trust. Accessibility should be a primary goal for modern businesses if they wish to reach their intended demographics and build loyal followings.