Your Company and Digital Accessibility

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It is common knowledge that the digital world has restrictions, especially for persons with impairments. One billion individuals are handicapped worldwide. Only 2% of websites, however, follow accessibility rules. Millions of individuals continue to struggle as more internet information and services become available. It is really a blessing to have ready access to cutting-edge technology. Others see the circumstance as a nightmare.

Said improving digital accessibility may help marketing and sales professionals considerably. Even though it is not required by law, doing so is ethically correct. As more individuals acquire access to easy-to-read digital information, sales leads and income may improve. Furthermore, many customers are more likely to purchase items from businesses that support ethical behavior.

Typically, the marketing department oversees the company’s website, external communications, and brand reputation. As a result, sales and marketing personnel must be able to access information digitally. When they are unaware of how to enhance their digital accessibility systems, a problem occurs. When this happens, having a team on your side, like QualityLogic, is helpful.

Their staff will inspect your present website to determine what is needed. They will advise and train your entire firm on how to increase digital accessibility, as well as assist you in creating better online content. You will watch your business expand in more ways than one with their assistance.

Why Is Digital Content Access So Important?

Technology and website design should be guided by the idea of digital accessibility for a range of moral and legal grounds, including the following:

A breach of the ADA may result in costly fines and other penalties. If a firm’s website is declared to be inaccessible to individuals with disabilities, the corporation may face a fine and other monetary penalties, as well as legal expenses and the need to restore it.

It is estimated that about one billion individuals, or 15% of the global population, are impaired. Inaccessible technology or websites can result in a variety of undesirable outcomes, including the loss of potential consumers and the denial of crucial service access.

Digital accessibility benefits non-disabled users as well. The majority of users can effortlessly explore a website due to its accessibility features.

Creating an inclusive culture may assist in building customer and employee connections. Despite the fact that corporations have begun to focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) programs and policies, much work remains to be done.

The Effects of Digital Access on Your Business

The purpose of digital accessibility is to make the internet more accessible to all users. Businesses may expand their reach and defend their brands’ reputations by being more digitally inclusive.

Prioritizing internet access is ethically right in both social and economic terms. Disabilities such as visual loss, hearing loss, and learning challenges impact around 61 million persons in the United States. This illustrates that many websites, campaigns, and social media interactions need to be made available or easier to grasp for many customers.

Accessibility is also required by law. In recent years, the number of legal cases concerning web accessibility has considerably grown. Each year, there are hundreds in the United States alone. Indeed, the Americans with Impairments Act (ADA) compels all companies to develop and maintain accessible and useable websites for individuals with disabilities.

Understanding how emphasizing accessibility affects the brand’s reputation is also important. Building and maintaining a brand’s reputation is one of the most critical duties for marketing and sales professionals.

Businesses that are strongly committed to accessibility and corporate social responsibility are recognized and rewarded. Sixty-two percent of customers prefer to buy from companies that support significant causes. 56% of consumers are prepared to pay a higher price for a product or service from a firm that is renowned for following social standards. Businesses are now compelled to donate to causes that they believe in and support. Many firms have realized that displaying a commitment to inclusion makes a major difference in highly competitive sectors.

“Looking attractive” is clearly not a reason to emphasize digital accessibility. It would help if you tried to transition because it is the correct thing to do.

Three Steps to Increasing Your Company’s Digital Accessibility

Improving your company’s internet accessibility is a continuous effort, but getting started does not have to be difficult.

Begin By Doing Some Research

Recognize the difficulty. Consider yourself to be one of your clients. Recognizing exclusion and its implications is crucial. Learn about problematic users and the troubles they encounter as a result. Try to communicate with these users. Inquire about the difficulties and ease of access to the content.

Make Sure You Have Internal Support

More than merely changing a few errors on your website is required to improve digital accessibility. The entire company must be transformed. To guarantee that accessibility remains a high priority, form an interdepartmental team. The team may comprise professionals from the disciplines of content, design, sales, and development.

Techniques can be developed by a diverse team that:

Accessibility audits are performed on a regular basis, and any flaws are remedied as quickly as feasible.
The text is simple, accessible, and devoid of jargon.
The user is solely responsible for all design and decision-making.
Accessibility is a primary consideration while creating new activities.

Determine and Prioritize Your Most Important Challenges

Make a strategy for reaching your goals. First and foremost, recognize that accessibility is a continuous process. Your marketing and sales teams should support this process, and it should be appreciated at all organizational levels.

Legislation Regarding Digital Access

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains its long-held opinion that the ADA encompasses digital accessibility but has not officially extended ADA requirements to include it as of this writing.

Other constraints, however, may be evaluated in light of digital accessibility. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires government departments and agencies to make a reasonable effort to deliver information to individuals with disabilities in ways that are equally accessible to them. If persons with disabilities are unable to access the data and information offered by these information systems, alternative access methods must be given. Access must be equitable for everyone with and without impairments.

The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CCVA) revised the Communications Act of 1934 in 2010, adding new provisions to guarantee that contemporary technology is accessible to individuals with impairments. The bill’s Title II establishes accessibility criteria for TVs, television services, television programs, and streaming video, whereas Title I includes accessibility criteria for “advanced” telecommunications devices and services.

As a result of the introduction of Directive 2016/2102 in 2016, which standardized accessibility requirements across the EU, the European Union (EU) now has its own legislation. A directive is a piece of EU legislation that sets a goal but leaves the manner of attaining it up to the member states.

Summary

Adapting your processes and procedures to digital accessibility is a substantial task. It is essential to collaborate with a group of subject matter experts. QualityLogic can analyze your requirements and deliver you securely to your destination. To learn more, please visit their website at www.qualitylogic.com.