You’ve likely heard about the push to make websites and mobile applications accessible for those with hearing, vision and other impairments. But how concerned should you be about taking the steps to improve your website – especially if you haven’t budgeted to upgrade your web presence in the next few years?
The bottom line is – accessibility is not yet legally required for most groups – but more and more lawsuits are being filed each year.* Some litigation is brought by people with visual, hearing or other impairments who legitimately seek to remove barriers for themselves and others. There are also plaintiffs who are more focused on winning a financial settlement. In the bigger picture, investing in accessibility is the right thing to do, and it makes good business sense.
Getting down to specifics, if your association serves individuals your website really needs to be accessible. In particular, if you offer testing, accreditation, licensing, training, insurance or other services directly to individuals, your site should be ADA compliant. If you participate in government contracts, you are probably legally required to make your site accessible. If you serve companies or other entities, it’s still recommended, but your legal risk is likely lower.
Accessibility is good for business
Currently, about sixty-one million people or nearly 20% of the U.S. population has a disability, either temporary or permanent. This means it is likely that a similar proportion of your members and potential members have disabilities. This is a significant audience that none of us should overlook.
What does accessibility really mean?
There is no set legal standard for accessibility. There are many factors that have to be considered, so there is no quick, simple way to achieve or evaluate accessibility for a website or digital application. There is, however a widely accepted standard called The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), that was created by the World Wide Web Consortium and other groups. The most common level of accessibility that organizations try to achieve is WCAG 2.1 Level AA .
To understand it better, consider that people with motor impairments may use assistive devices to help them navigate websites. People with visual impairment may enlarge web pages so they can see them better or use a device that reads a website aloud. Those with a hearing disability need to read everything – they can’t listen to a video or audio file. This translates to design and formatting factors such as:
- Adequate contrast between type and background colors.
- Ability to fully navigate the site with a keyboard – not a mouse.
- Videos must have captions.
- PDF documents must be set up so reading tools can access them.
Benefits of Having an Accessible Website for Associations
By making your website accessible you will also improve its structure, functionality, design, page content and documents. A website that meets WCAG 2.1 standards is
- easier for all people to navigate.
- is better at providing information to your members.
- is more search engine friendly.
- helps you stand apart from competing websites that aren’t accessible.
Contact us for more information about website accessibility audits as well as website design and development.
*NOTE: We are marketers, not attorneys. Please seek legal counsel for guidance on your accessibility responsibilities.
