When asked about implementing accessibility measures on a website project, many developers claim they haven’t because they don’t have training in digital accessibility. In the current internet climate, asking whether ‘I didn’t know how’ is an acceptable response to this question is essential.
Accessibility has been a part of ethical discussions about the Internet for a long time. Still, it’s only recently that business owners, developers, and designers have paid proper attention. Even though that awareness is newer, it’s not enough to justify companies’ willingness to hire a professional who isn’t trained in at least the basic tenants of web accessibility. If you wouldn't hire a web developer who doesn't know how to code, why would you hire someone who doesn't know how to grant universal access to your website?
Aside from simply following trends, there are multiple reasons to ensure the entire website development team. The whole company has a firm grasp on at least basic accessibility skills from the time a company hires them. These reasons include cost, efficiency, legality, and the brand and reputation of a company.
Cost
Developers and designers who do not understand digital accessibility practices are likely unaware of website barriers faced by people with disabilities, such as using only colors to convey information.
In the future, the company may need to implement accessibility features. If untrained employees set it up, the business will have to pay to fix it, which increases the cost significantly. Web accessibility is constantly changing, so some fixes are inevitable. The changes will be minor if employees are trained in digital accessibility, and most updates can be done in-house, saving money.
If untrained employees set up accessibility features, updates will cost significantly more, and the business must pay to fix them. If employees have training in digital accessibility, updates will be minor and can be done in-house. It’s estimated that between 15 and 20% of people have a disability, and 15 to 20% of someone’s business can be lost if the site is inaccessible. Companies that disregard the disability community by hiring web developers and designers who don’t know enough about accessibility risk a great deal of money through this oversight.
Legality
Lawsuits and legal complaints about website accessibility have increased over the years, and a business could get caught up in costly litigation, penalties, and settlements if they don’t take this issue seriously.
For example, when Domino's Pizza was sued for failing to make its website accessible, the case went to the Supreme Court, resulting in a ruling against the company. This conflict is still a mark on the pizza restaurant’s reputation. Similarly, in 2021, Robinhood, the popular investment app, faced backlash for its lack of accessibility features, making it difficult for people with visual impairments to use the app.
It also served these companies with injunctions to fix the inaccessible features of their platforms. This was an incredibly costly affair between the litigation and the updates to their sites. And they could have avoided most of it if they had prioritized accessibility training during their candidate searches.
Branding and reputation
Website accessibility can harm or help a company's reputation. By hiring people who have learned accessibility practices, a company states that it values universal access and inclusion. In today's socially conscious world, consumers have prioritized messages like this when choosing where to do their business. Even customers with no disabilities will notice how companies handle this issue and take their money elsewhere if the business is found wanting.
So building a team that sends a message of inclusion and equity is important.
There are consequences to not doing this. Just as hiring people with disability training sends a message of support and inclusion, failing to do so sends a message of its own. The lack of experience on the team will also be noticed by customers with disabilities, who will assume that the company doesn't value their business. Likely, they won’t return after this. And they may take friends and family with them.
Expertise
There are skilled people trained in creating accessible web experiences. Forward-looking companies are building a workforce staffed with people who have accessibility experience.
Many people who are well-trained in accessibility are persons with disabilities. This brings a valuable perspective to the team that can educate from both sides of the screen. It also lets employers create more high-end jobs for people with disabilities. By hiring skilled workers with experience with the features the team is implementing, they can use their knowledge to improve the internet for the rest of their community.
Companies that do not prioritize accessibility risk being perceived as uncaring and insensitive towards people with disabilities, which can lead to negative publicity, boycotts, loss of revenue, and lawsuits. These are frequently not worth the risk when a population is out searching for jobs with this training. If more employers make accessibility training a requirement and assess applicants during their candidate searches, more developers would begin seeking it out as early as possible. This is one major way businesses can contribute to the ongoing growth of digital accessibility.
Comments