Since web accessibility is arcane, you may be wondering if it’s even worth exploring, let alone complying with the accessibility guidelines. However, making your website accessible is more than just keeping your company out of the next news headline, it’s about doing right by all your potential clients and improving your bottom line.
1) It affects more people than you think
A quarter of adults in the United States are thought to have some kind of disability. That’s nearly 61 million people with visual, cognition, mobility, or hearing impairments. Globally, it’s estimated that over 1 billion people use one or more assistive technologies in order to retain or enhance their well-being.
If you knew that one out of every four visitors struggled to navigate your website and do business with you, wouldn’t helping them succeed be at the top of your to-do list?
2) It’s the law
It’s clear most all business is conducted online these days. Websites are the new storefronts. And, just as any brick and mortar business would have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, business owners must also make their digital storefronts accessible to any and every customer. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are similar to the ADA in that they have been used as grounds for lawsuits, brought to even the largest companies. More and more businesses are being sued over inaccessible, inhumane websites.
3) It’s good for business
Though providing accessible web services is simply the right thing to do, it’s also good for business. The more potential customers that are able to navigate, understand, and act on the information displayed on your website, the more trust they will have in you. As a result, the more likely they are to become a customer.
Can you afford to miss out on potentially a quarter of incoming traffic to your website? Applying alt text to all of your images is one of the simplest ways to increase the accessibility of your website. Per the guidelines, text alternatives are required for any perceivable information displayed on your site to help people that use assistive technologies. Think about how many images you use to illustrate the purpose of each page and ground the user in the problem that your company solves. Applying alt text to these images can unlock well-crafted experiences for customers, regardless of who they are.
Investing time and resources in accessibility won’t just help you avoid a lawsuit, it will grow your business. You know you’ve got a great service to provide to customers. Let’s make sure that you can reach anyone and everyone so you can improve their lives. It’s a win-win.
Brought to you with love and magic,
Rowena and the Alt Text Magic Team
