Web accessibility, at it’s core, is the act of making websites available to everyone, including those with disabilities. Similar to installing a wheel chair ramp to your front door, making your site accessible is simply the right thing to do.
We’ve put together 3 reasons your website should be accessible to those with disabilities:
1) Web Accessibility Increases Your Audience Base
The more people interested in your brand, the better, right? If your website isn’t accessible, you could be missing out on connecting with some of your biggest fans. The more people that can access a website, the greater chance the website will be successful. It can be hard enough to get your target audience into your site, so don’t block a portion of them at the front door!
2) Being Accessible is a Competitive Advantage
If your direct competitor’s website meets WCAG 2.0 AA guidelines and is completely accessible, there’s no doubt they have an advantage over you. Web accessibility could lead to increased revenue, sales, and customers. This applies directly to e-commerce websites. The convenience of online shopping benefits everyone. If your site’s not accessible, people with disabilities won’t hesitate to switch to one that is.
3) It’s The Law
In Ontario, it’s the law to have a website that meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards for private or non-profit organizations with 50+ employees, or public sector organizations. If you don’t fall into those two categories and you’re looking to launch a new website, it would be best to start thinking about accessibility now. It’s only a matter of time until ALL businesses, non-profits, and other organizations will need to be meet accessibility guidelines.
Conclusion
Meeting AODA and WCAG 2.0 AA (web accessibility) standards is an industry best practice, not to mention it’s simply the right thing to do. If you would like to learn more about web accessibility or start a consultation, please contact us.
