Web accessibility
The need for inclusive digital solutions
Most businesses understand the importance of accessibility but overlook the benefits of a proper strategy. This piece explains why every business should strive for an accessible digital solution to comply with the law, enhance customer experience, gain a reputation as an inclusive brand, and expand market reach.
If your digital solution isn’t accessible, you’re excluding millions of potential customers. And by June 2025, you could also potentially be breaking the law.
Offering an accessible digital solution is something that every business should strive for to enhance customer experiences, boost their reputation as an inclusive brand, and expand their market reach – and, of course, to comply with the upcoming European Accessibility Act.
Yet, studies show that more than 96% of websites have accessibility failures, leaving many potential customers to fend for themselves. So, the question is:
Is your digital solution accommodating the one billion people worldwide who live with a disability?
The demand for accessibility is growing, especially with the forthcoming European Accessibility Act. It's much more than just a buzzword – it offers real solutions that help people perform normal day-to-day activities. Fortunately, addressing issues tailored to benefit people with permanent disabilities will inherently benefit many others,
BETTER USER EXPERIENCES FOR ALL
Accessibility and better usability go hand in hand, benefiting both people with permanent disabilities and those with situational or temporary limitations.
Imagine you’re sitting in a park on a sunny day and remember that you need to buy that hard-to-find vegan sunscreen you became so fond of last summer. However, you’re having a tough time seeing what’s going on on your mobile screen. Your problem here is the lack of good colour contrasts – a problem that afflicts many people every single day.
By ensuring good contrasts in your solution, you’re not only doing the right thing to assist people with vision disabilities and colour blindness. As an added benefit, you’re also helping the woman sitting outside on a bright sunny day having a tough time reading the content on her screen.
Here are the three categories of disability that businesses who follow inclusive design principles will better cater to:
Accessibility
= good business
By June 2025, the European Accessibility Act will become law and the demand for accessible solutions is increasing day by day. In terms of compliance, this even goes beyond what is being decided in the EU. In the US, companies are already facing lawsuits if they don’t provide their users with an accessible digital solution, and accessibility legislations are being rolled out in most countries worldwide.
But it’s not just a matter of compliance – accessible design can also boost your organic traffic (after all, search engines do favour accessible content), and in turn, your conversions. In fact, a study revealed that better website accessibility can potentially increase traffic by 12%. Moreover, we see numerous indications that your customers will also favour a more inclusive website. In fact, 75% of 18–34-year-olds believe that digital accessibility is a civil right, not a privilege. However, according to the Omnichannel Survey, only 21% reach an accessibility score of 90/100 on FP, PLP and PDP from mobile.
GET STARTED TODAY
It might seem overwhelming at first, but taking these five simple steps will get you started:
You need to obtain a clear view of your solution, its development path and organisational structure. What are your internal resources? Which digital solutions do you own? And how does your development roadmap look for the coming years?
Once you have an overview, you need to designate an individual or team to be accountable for the accessibility of your solution. Ensure the accessibility lead(s) stay educated on legal requirements and best practices on a continuous basis.
Your accessibility owner(s) will assist in educating your organisation, including developers, content editors, designers and UX professionals. Be aware that accessibility training for staff is an ongoing commitment, so get started as soon as possible.
Regularly review and enhance your existing solution to meet the required standards. Utilise various testing methods to identify accessibility issues and document them for future reference in a backlog.
If you’re looking into a new digital project, make sure that you integrate accessibility into the planning from the outset. Confirm that all team members and partners are trained in the required standards. Create and maintain an accessibility checklist, managed by the accessibility lead, for consistent compliance.
The general focus on more user–friendly and accessible solutions is increasing day by day, and the forthcoming legislation only fuels this need even further. Your users have high expectations for the solution you provide, and if you’re not accommodating their needs, they will simply look elsewhere for a solution that meets their criteria.
By making digital inclusivity part of your business strategy and considering it holistically, you can set your business up for long-term success, expand your customer base and build loyalty towards your inclusive brand.
Watch our recent on-demand webinar on accessible digital solutions to get:
- A comprehensive understanding of the business case for investing in an accessible digital solution.
- Practical steps to assess and enhance the accessibility of your digital solutions.
- Inspiration through concrete examples of successful accessibility implementations – and pitfalls to avoid.
Is your digital solution accessible to all users?
Get in touch with Yasmin on yan@impactcommerce.com – she’ll help you get started on your accessibility roadmap.
