Why Is Website Accessibility Important for Your Business?
Website accessibility is not just a form of business courtesy. It is mandated by law, and full compliance is required for websites. Website accessibility means providing access and ensuring all users have ease of use regardless of the person’s level of ability, condition, or circumstance.
Website accessibility eliminates barriers to users’ access and comprehensibility, creating a fully inclusive website experience for everyone, even those with visual, cognitive, physical, and auditory impairments.
Regarding website experience, what could be a mere annoyance to some – the squinting at poorly designed fonts or frustration at a hard-to-navigate page – could be prohibitive for people with disabilities.
The Primary Reasons Why Website Accessibility Is Important:
1. Inclusivity provides equal access for even those with disabilities.
13% of the population of the United States has a disability. Alienating this demographic will be akin to giving up on a potential market. It will not be suitable for any business.
2. Improves overall user experience.
Website accessibility enhances usability and ultimately yields a more intuitive user experience. Sites that conform to web accessibility best practices make it easy for everyone to navigate through and comprehend the contents available on the site.
It is wrong to assume that web accessibility is only for the benefit of people with disabilities. There are circumstances when even people without disability benefit from accessible design and layout:
When they need to rely on captions in noisy surroundings
When they have difficulty reading in dark or very bright environments
When they need to read transcripts for a better understanding
When they solely rely on keyboards in the absence of a mouse
3. It is not just courteous; it is conscientious.
Website accessibility provides people with disability with an equal footing in terms of engagement and participation in the website content.
Everyone profits when society acts progressively and looks out for everyone’s good. That’s what web accessibility implies. Such is the social contract that website accessibility embodies.
4. Compliance is mandated by law.
Federal and state laws mandate business websites to be accessible to people with disabilities.
ADA – Under Title III of the American with Disability Act, “all areas of public accommodation, including websites, must be accessible for all users.”
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act – mandates that all advanced communications services and products be accessible to people with disabilities.
Who Benefits From Web Accessibility?
At the heart of website accessibility is inclusivity – nobody is left out. It makes for a better society when everyone is granted equal opportunity to engage, even if it is just website content. It is the principle that matters.
It speaks volumes of how much society gives importance to disabled community members. It makes for a more caring society.
Web Accessibility provides a more effortless user experience for people hampered by the following disabilities:
Visual – blindness, low vision, and color blindness
Hearing – deafness and auditory impairments
Neurological – epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease