Congrats, you’ve finished your website. After a lot of hard work, you finally have a website that you’re satisfied with — but does it check all of the accessibility boxes?
Websites are more than just aesthetics. Sure, that may reel your audience in initially, but its user-friendly aspects are what will keep them engaged (and help you avoid costly lawsuits).
Let’s look at some statistics:
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An estimated 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability (5.9% are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing, 4.6% have a vision disability with blindness or serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses)
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90% of websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities who rely on assistive technology
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98.1% of home pages had detectable Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 failures
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93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies who offer excellent customer service.
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In 2020, there were more than 3,500 digital accessibility lawsuits
These statistics show that your website cannot be user-friendly and complete if it is not accessible and inclusive. By hosting an accessible website you broaden your potential customer base while staying in accordance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations, which helps avoid potential lawsuits.
Make sure your website checks the following boxes before completion:
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Includes alt text for all images: All images on a website should have clear, meaningful, and concise alt text to be read by screen readers so those living with visual impairments can have an understanding of the image.
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Uses closed captioning for all videos: Unlike subtitles, captions run in tandem with video. It doesn’t just include speech, it also includes noises (ie; a knock at the door, the sound of whistling, etc.).
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Has a visual-friendly design: This means having appropriate contrast levels (the minimum recommended color contrast is 4.5 to 1).
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Limited use of automatic media: This includes videos or speech that begins to play when your site loads.
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Users are able to customize their experience: Your site should have an alternative style sheet so users can easily enlarge font size without breaking the page layout. Users should be able to enlarge text up to 200% without impacting usability.
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It’s navigable by keyboard: Many blind and visually impaired users use support assistive devices instead of a mouse. A site should feature keyboard navigators for users with Braille keyboards to navigate the site with ease.
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Users can clearly see where to get in contact with customer service: Customer service options should be easy to find and have multiple contact options (ie; phone, live chat, etc.).
The best way to ensure your site is accessible is by having guidance during the fundamental building process. At our virtual event Develop for Accessibility on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 attendees will discover the most effective ways to accomplish an accessible design plan through these development strategies:
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Developing processes and checkpoints
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How to code for accessibility
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Automatic and manual testing processes
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User group testing, including testers with various disabilities
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Assistive technology testing
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How to tackle critical and minor issues before deployment
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Budgeting - financial analysis of the costs of developing accessibility versus not developing accessibility
Register now to reserve your spot to get started on creating an accessibility-compliant site.
The event is part two in our three-part series: Design, Develop, and Deploy for Accessibility. The third virtual event is Deploy for Accessibility on June 6, 2023.
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