Unlocking the Power of the Web with Accessibility

There are over 5 billion online internet users in the world, representing nearly 65% of our global population. The web has become a destination for everything: shopping, social media, communication, ordering and purchasing, logistics, online banking, insurance claims, healthcare – you name it.

But, did you know?

1. Over 60 % of adults with impairments or disabilities own a computer, and just shy of 75% of adults with disabilities own a smartphone.
2. According to research of one million websites, the number of detectable accessibility errors was 50.8 on average per home page.

Research from Forbes tells us that businesses can expect to recoup about $16.8 billion by integrating web accessibility solutions.

Creating inclusive and accessible online experiences for people with disabilities, impairments, or with any diverse drives an engaging, frictionless, and enhanced user experience. Sales potential grows, and using an AI-powered web accessibility solution increases your opportunities to target people with disabilities with $1.9 trillion in disposable income.

A report from Accenture indicates that owning up to accessibility and inclusion leadership can increase revenue by 28%, double net income, and raise economic profit margins by 30%.

When every user experiences a seamless, exciting, and easy to navigate online experience, a world of opportunities opens up to both you and them. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are a critical part of business operations for organizations globally, as organizations take a stand of leadership and address their social, ethical, and business responsibilities to ensure an equal and fair digital experience for everyone.

Be a leader in your field and create an accessible online environment for everyone.

Why Web Accessibility Matters: Compliance & Inclusivity

From 2017 to 2022, research indicates a total of 16,000 digital accessibility lawsuits that have been filed in U.S. federal and state courts, with this number not even accounting for the demand letters that could amount to a whopping 50,000 accessible claims overall. The US Department of Justice has been emphasizing the importance of the ADA compliance guidelines for nearly 20 years. Fighting an accessibility lawsuit is usually an uphill battle with most businesses settling with painful expenses, legal repercussions, and brand reputational damages.

eCommerce is at the highest risk, with 77% of 2022 ADA lawsuits coming from the industry alone, and 97% of organizations overall are at risk of accessibility lawsuits.

The bottom line: a compliant website that conforms to ADA guidelines and regulations is absolutely paramount to maintain your business continuity, along with ethical and social responsibility to ensure user experiences are inclusive to all people with disabilities or impairments.

There are over 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide, and 60 million in the U.S. with a $490 million disposable income. But Forbes tells us that nearly 45% of people with disabilities surveyed in a study indicated that they abandoned online shopping due to a design-related accessibility issue. If your website is not accessible, your earning potential is at risk, over and above legal standing.

Some best practices to adopt that will help ensure all online user can access your website or digital assets include:

1. Performing regular automated and manual audits of your website to identify the violations and remediations required.
2. Remediate any violations or fixes required – from text size, font, contrast, alt text, and html tags.
3. Try testing your website for its accessibility levels with actual individuals with disabilities, from speech readers, to keyboard navigation, and testing accessibility widget capabilities.
4. Adopt an accessibility widget that simplifies the implementation of audits, adjustments and remediations required to ensure your site is inclusive and offers a compliant and engaging user experience to everyone.

For more insight on how to ensure your website is accessible and ADA compliant, reach out to us.

Enhance Performance & Expand Reach with Web Accessibility

Digital agencies are at the forefront of innovative leadership today, with the opportunity to shine and excel in creating accessible online experiences. Creating engaging, interactive, and inclusive online experiences for clients and users translates into digital success that leads to improved performance, sales, and increases reach to target audiences.

Research from The Nielsen Norman Group found that websites with good accessibility practices have a 35% increase in conversion rates. A study from Accenture also states that organizations prioritizing digital accessibility can reach millions of new users and customers with an average 10% increase in customer base.

In a recent case study, an industry-leading digital performance marketing agency adopted an AI-powered web accessibility widget and achieved next-level performance, with metrics to support their digital success. The widget ensured automated remediation of violations and user inclusion. Within a short time, the agency was able to benchmark industry standards of digital innovation, while increasing sales, engagement, and overall site performance with KPIs such as:

1. 3.5% increase of earnings per site visit
2. 2.4 increase in earnings per click
3. 0.5% decrease in bounce rate
4. 1% increase in click-through rate

Accessibility not only provides a competitive edge and advantage to digital agencies, but offers an outstanding opportunity for any organization with customers selling online to increase revenue and improve user experience by expanding target audience reach quickly.

Discover how digital accessibility can increase your opportunity to earn and stand out in a crowd of competitors today.

The following description is directly from the ADA website.

Title III prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by businesses open to the public (also referred to as “public accommodations” under the ADA). The ADA requires that businesses open to the public provide full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations to people with disabilities. Businesses open to the public must take steps to provide appropriate communication aids and services (often called “auxiliary aids and services”) where necessary to make sure they effectively communicate with individuals with disabilities. For example, communication aids and services can include interpreters, notetakers, captions, or assistive listening devices. Examples of businesses open to the public:

• Retail stores and other sales or retail establishments;
• Banks;
• Hotels, inns, and motels;
• Hospitals and medical offices;
• Food and drink establishments; and
• Auditoriums, theaters, and sports arenas.

A website with inaccessible features can limit the ability of people with disabilities to access a public accommodation’s goods, services, and privileges available through that website—for example, a veterans’ service organization event registration form.

For these reasons, the Department has consistently taken the position that the ADA’s requirements apply to all the goods, services, privileges, or activities offered by public accommodations, including those offered on the web.

Read full ADA page.