What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility is the concept of developing a website that is equally accessible to both disabled and non-disabled persons. This is accomplished by implementing common rules, standards, and guidelines on a website.
Everyone should have equal access to navigate, interact with, and contribute to the web. The truth is the Internet is more of a necessity than a comodity and as such it's everyone's right to be able to participate. Our duty is to make the web a better place for "everyone".
What are the standards to be followed?
The following are rules, standards, and best practices required to be compliant:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (opens new window)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (opens new window)
- Section 508 (opens new window)
- Unruh Civil Rights Act (opens new window)
- European Accessibility Act (EAA) (opens new window)
- Accessibility Canada Act (ACA) (opens new window)
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) (opens new window)
- Israel Standard (IS 5568) (opens new window)
While some of these are laws and some are guidelines, all should be followed to consider a website to be fully accessible. These best practices cover several topics such as the importance of semantic heading structures, color contrast requirements, alternative text for images, and more.
The 4 core principles to adhere to web accessibility guidelines:
- Perceivable: Individuals must be able to see content and hear it.
- Operatable: They must also be able to use it by typing or by voice.
- Understandable: The language must be clear and simple.
- Robust: Lastly it must be able to provide different assistive technologies the features required to tear down as many barriers as it can.
Disabilities
According to the WHO and CDC, between 20% and 25% of people have a disiblity that may hender their ability to accomplish tasks that non-disabled persons can easily accomplish.
Visual Disabilities
- color blindness
- vision hindrance
- blindness
Audible Disabilities
- hard of hearing
- deafness
Cognitive and Neurological Disabilities
- learning disabilities
- memory impairments
- multiple sclerosis
- ADHD
- seizure disorders
Physical and Motor Disabilities
- arthritis
- repetitive stress injury
- amputation
- muscular dystrophy
- reduced dexterity
Who benefits?
Everyone! Everyone benefits by making the web a more accessible place. Visitors that are able to use a website through assistive technology are granted equal access to the web. Likewise, business owners leveraging web accessiblity tooling are able to have robust conversations with a new set of prospective customers. It's really a win win.
Risk management
Accessibility compliance lawsuits are impacting businesses of all sizes. In 2018 The department of justice stated that "all" websites are considered public accommodations and therefore must comply with title three of the ADA (opens new window). If your website is not ADA compliant you are leaving yourself open to a discrimination lawsuit. This means legal fees, a possible settlement, and a potential public relations problem; not to mention the costs associated with bringing your website into compliance.
How do we help?
Our team of web experts can audit your exiting website for accessibility concerns, offer solutions to bring your website into compliance, and address them. We employ an AI powered accessiblity solution that is revolutionizing the process of bringing websites into full accessbility compliance. Our tooling is quick to implement, affordable, and most importantly it works.
To ensure your website maintains compliance over time you will receive regular monthly accessibility audits via email. These reports review the status of your websites accessiblity features in detail and confirm complaince. Our tooling also provides you with an accessibility statement that serves as a your committment to maintaining a website that is accessible to everyone.