You may think of website accessibility as something you add to your site for a small number of people. Not so.
You may be surprised to know that 15% of the population has some type of disability, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States alone, that equates to 61 million people.
It’s easy to see that website accessibility is important for a large number of people to have access to your site.
You’re Probably Already Convinced, But There’s More…
It’s not just that you need to prioritize website accessibility in order to serve your customers well. You also need to prioritize it so that you can avoid legal challenges.
Websites are considered “places of public accommodation,” which means they fall within the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes sites that are funded or owned by local or state governments and those that are owned by businesses.
In other words, you could be sued if your website is not accessible. And it’s not just the legal costs; it could also create a public relations crisis for your brand.
How Do I Know Whether My Site Meets ADA Requirements? There’s good news here, because there are international standards known as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and based on how well you match their requirements, your site is awarded a rating of A, AA or the top-of-the-line AAA. It can be pretty challenging to meet the highest standard, but businesses that meet AA requirements are generally considered as complying with ADA regulations.
Help! Finding out your website accessibility isn’t up to speed is a concern, but there’s no need to panic. For many businesses, this is the ideal situation for outsourcing to a third party with expertise in website accessibility. They will help you with a variety of elements that improve the accessibility of your site:
- Alt text for images and captions for videos
- Alternative ways to navigate your site
- Transcripts for audio and video files
- Adjust and fix contrast in images
Ready to get started on website accessibility? Contact us at SJC Marketing, where we specialize in inclusive sites that allow you to connect with every one of your customers. Let’s take a look at your site together!