The Benefits and Necessity of Having an Accessible Website
Web accessibility is a hot topic these days. With the explosive rise of the digital age and the prevalence of technology in our daily lives, web accessibility has become a top priority for many organizations.
Nevertheless, some firms that have yet to catch up with the times are still putting web accessibility standards and compliance issues on the back burner. However, taking an assertive and strategic approach to web accessibility will be mission-critical for your organization before the end of 2022. This article will explore why that’s true and how you can get started today.
So What Exactly is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility refers to making websites usable by people with disabilities such as blindness or low vision. Several different types of disabilities affect millions of people worldwide—and if you haven’t considered how compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act might affect your organization yet, now is the time to start looking into it.
The ADA was graciously signed into law in 1990 and has been updated multiple times. This legislation protects those with disabilities from discrimination in employment, public access, transportation, and more. The goal of the ADA is to ensure equal opportunities for all citizens regardless of their abilities.
By ensuring that your company’s website is accessible to everyone, you are also demonstrating your commitment to fairness and equality for all people, regardless of their disabilities.
What Impact Does Web Accessibility Have On My Business?
The advantages of having an accessible website are abundant: it can reduce your organization’s legal risks, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, improve your search engine rankings, and even save you money on your IT budget.
But despite these benefits, many organizations fail to prioritize web accessibility when planning their digital strategy—primarily due to a significant lack of familiarity with how web accessibility can benefit them and their customers.
Though the reasons for making your website accessible to everyone are numerous, let’s take a look at three key motivations:
1. Our Society is Becoming More Digitally Dependent
The first thing you should consider is that there’s an increased digital reliance in our society today. That means more people are accessing websites than ever before—and they’re doing it on increasingly more devices than ever before. As such, the importance of ensuring that your website is accessible across all platforms can’t be overstated.
It’s common knowledge that we now live in a world where everything is online. We use the web to do everything from applying for jobs to communicating with customers and colleagues. Hence, there are now more disabled individuals online than ever before. If your website isn’t accessible, you’re missing out on engaging with a massive portion of the population that depends on it.
2. Web A11Y Lawsuits Are On the Rise
It is no secret that the legal landscape for web accessibility is changing. With the rise of web accessibility lawsuits, the threat of litigation is a very real one. Companies are being held accountable for not complying with web accessibility standards, and this trend will undoubtedly grow in the coming years.
ADA compliance (and other laws) requires that websites be accessible for people with disabilities. While it should not be the primary motivation for improving web accessibility, it is a genuine possibility that could significantly impact your organization.
So, if you’re not already making sure that your site meets these requirements, you run the risk of getting sued or fined by government agencies if someone complains about accessibility issues. These lawsuits are costly and devastating for organizations that aren’t prepared for them. It’s vital to take an assertive approach to ensure your site is compliant—before it becomes necessary.
3. New Web WCAG Compliance Norms Are Arriving
People with disabilities make up a considerable portion of your audience—and they represent a diverse group with different needs. Making your website accessible simply means you can serve these customers better by ensuring that it performs as wonderfully for them as it does for everyone else.
According to W3C (the Web Accessibility Initiative), new standards are under development: the completion and publication of WCAG 2.2 is anticipated for September 2022. And although the unofficial editor’s draft is frequently reworked, the latest public working draft of WCAG 2.2 was posted on May 21, 2021, for those who like to keep ahead of the curve.
So let your team know: new web compliance standards are rolling in! If you want your business to succeed in 2022 and beyond, you’ll need an accessible website that meets modern standards for usability and accessibility.
It’s Time to Test Your Website’s Accessibility
It’s time to take the next step in your organization’s website compliance journey. It is no longer enough to make sure that your content is accessible, you also need to make sure that your website as a whole is accessible.
Wondering how to make a website accessible? No worries. Sercas has got you covered. Our team of A11y experts has been helping organizations like yours since 2016, and we can help you too! We are passionately committed to making the web a more accessible place, and we do this by providing an array of services to help you make your website ADA compliant.
At Sercas, we offer full-service web accessibility audits that include everything from reviewing your site’s code and content to providing recommendations for improvement. We’ll walk through each area of concern with you and provide specific recommendations on how to fix them. We also offer web accessibility testing, certification, and guidance for organizations seeking Section 508 compliance and AODA/Ontario Accessibility Standards compliance.
Our web strategists have years of experience working with clients across all industries—from healthcare to higher education and retail—helping them take their websites from inaccessible to fully compliant with federal regulations. We know just how challenging and time-consuming it can be to keep up with these requirements; that’s why we’re here!
When it comes to creating a website that’s accessible for all users, it’s crucial that you don’t just throw up any old thing—you need someone who understands the intricacies involved in writing code that meets WCAG standards and how these standards impact users with disabilities, including color contrast issues and video content.
If you’ve been meaning to get started on your accessibility journey but haven’t yet found the right partner, we invite you to schedule a free consultation today!