Accessibility benefits web users … and you, too!
You’ve probably done a lot around your business or office to make sure it’s accessible. Maybe you added a ramp so people who use a wheelchair can navigate your front door more easily. Perhaps the signs around your office are written in both English and braille.
But have you given any thought to the accessibility of your website? Yes, website accessibility is a real thing — and it deserves your attention for a number of reasons.
What does website accessibility mean?
When you think about it, access to information is what the web is all about. The web is meant to be a forum for sharing information with everybody, regardless of their hardware, software, language, location or ability.
Accessibility can mean providing textual equivalents for images or meaningful descriptions for links to help visitors to your website who are blind or have limited vision.
When websites are properly designed and coded, people with disabilities can use them, but poor design or other issues can create barriers.
Why should you care about website accessibility?
For starters, it may be a requirement. For healthcare, education and government websites, accessibility may be required under:
On average, 13.2 million people in the United States have at least one of the physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities that Section 508 is meant to help, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
So, in addition to complying with federal regulations, having an accessible website just makes sense. Website accessibility helps you communicate with as many people as possible, and after all, that’s why you started a website in the first place.
Accessibility also improves search results and visibility, which attracts more attention to your brand. That can mean more sales if you’re in business or helping more people if you’re in the nonprofit sector.
How do you go about it?
Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. At IdeaBank Marketing, we’re experts in website accessibility. We can report and address any accessibility issues without compromising your site’s functionality.
Making the web accessible not only improves the overall user experience but also enhances your brand and extends your market reach. It’s the right thing to do — not only for those who visit your website but for you, too.
