Some time ago, we wrote about the need for improved digital accessibility across the internet. In this blog we’ll explore why your company or organization should be interested in incorporating greater accessibility on your website. You might need an accessibility audit and not even know it.
Why Incorporate Digital Accessibility?
There are multiple reasons why greater web accessibility should be a goal for every website. The first is that including your entire audience opens the potential for capturing more and more conversions, whether that means more sales, more downloads, or more registrations.
About 64 million Americans, or one in five, have a disability, but that does not mean they don’t use the internet. In fact, many may use it more because of their personal restrictions. The COVID-19 pandemic, by forcing people to live large portions of their lives online, has shed light on accessibility and pushed changes that help to accommodate everyone, whether that means working from home or shopping from home. If your website offers greater accessibility, it will be far more competitive. User experience is so important for success.
Another incentive for improving accessibility is compliance and legal risk. In 2017 there were 814 ADA web-accessibility lawsuits. In 2020, that number was more than 3,500. Some of that increase very likely stemmed from the frustrations of people trying to work under lockdown restrictions, but the trend is for greater insistence on accessibility. People are relying more and more on ecommerce for their shopping, and they will no longer be shut out because of disability.
The Need for an Accessibility Audit
You may wonder how accessible your website is currently. An accessibility audit will reveal its strengths and weaknesses. There are many different types of audits. They range from risk audits that assess the potential for a lawsuit and focus on compliance with the law to detailed audits for usability and design as well as the steps to take to address any discovered problems.
Remember, accessibility is not limited to just websites. Your video, audio, software, apps, and document offerings should also be accessible to your entire audience. If you don’t know what kind of audit you need, don’t worry. We can help you determine that based on your goals and budget for implementation.
Thursday, May 20, 2021, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Siteimprove is offering a virtual celebration of accessibility. If you would like to learn with other people who are focused on championing inclusion and making the web a better place for all its users, join them for a day of webinars and discussions on this issue on May 20.
Corporate Conversions can provide your company with an accessibility audit, user tools, and help with compliance. Call us if your goal for your website moving forward is to include your entire audience, no matter what their personal accessibility challenges are.
