A case for Web Accessibility for Businesses

The web is an essential resource for many aspects of life: education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, social interaction, and more. The Web is used not only for receiving information but also for providing information and interacting with society. Therefore, the web must be accessible to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) recognizes Web accessibility as a basic human right.

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Why your business website should be disability-friendly?

Social Factors: There are social aspects to making the website accessible. Businesses can seem inclusive and pro-diversity and be able to attract the attention of specific social groups like visually impaired people or older people and of other organizations and government bodies. 

Web accessibility is essential for equal opportunities since the web is an important medium for relaying information and interacting with the target audience. An inaccessible website reduces audience reach by not connecting you to people with disabilities, language needs, etc. 

Technical Factors: Implementing web accessibility solutions often results in improved technical performance. An accessible website provides technical advantages such as reducing site development and maintenance time, reducing server load, enabling content on different configurations, and being prepared for advanced web technologies.

Financial Factors: A major benefit of Web accessibility is the potential for direct and indirect financial gains from increased website use. Web accessibility can make it easier for people to find a website, access it, and use it successfully, thus resulting in an increased audience (more users) and increased effectiveness (more use).

Following are the direct financial benefits:

  • Decreases personnel costs for maintaining the site when accessibility reduces site maintenance
  • Decreases the amount of server capacity needed and saves on additional server costs when accessibility reduces server load
  • Decreases the need for creating multiple versions of a site for different devices when accessibility enables content to work on different devices
  • Decreases the cost of upgrading for new technologies when accessibility helps take advantage of advanced web technologies and be prepared for future web technologies

Legal and Policy Factors: Web accessibility saves from potential legal charges. Some governments have laws that specifically require that certain types of websites are accessible. For example, some organizations that receive government funding are required to comply with government policies on accessibility. Other governments might not directly specify Web accessibility, yet the web is indirectly covered under broader anti-discrimination legislation, information and communications technology (ICT) policy, or other laws or policies.

Read more about UK laws on accessibility at https://www.vipworldservices.com/post/5-reasons-why-you-should-test-your-digital-products-with-disbaled-users 

Different motivations that organizations have for adopting accessibility and how those can be integrated into a customized business case are provided below:

A corporation might emphasize:

  • financial gains and cost savings from increased web use due to increased potential market share, search engine optimization (SEO), and increased usability
  • reducing the risk of legal action, high legal expenses, and negative image
  • public relations benefits of demonstrating corporate social responsibility (CSR)
  • benefits of an inclusive workplace that supports employees with disabilities
  • increased productivity from supporting and retaining older employees and their experience

A non-governmental (non-profit) organization (NGO) might emphasize:

  • social responsibility factors, such as the organization's commitment to human rights, including the right to information
  • organization's interest in ensuring that its materials are available to all of its potential audiences
  • supporting older people with age-related impairments who may be donors

A web design business might emphasize:

  • competitive advantage and financial benefits of being able to meet increasing requests for accessible web design and development
  • technical benefits and long term financial benefits to clients of providing sites according to web standards
  • public relations benefits of being able to support clients' interests in demonstrating social responsibility

A small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) relying on e-Commerce might emphasize:

  • positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO) from accessibility improvements
  • importance of an increasing market among people with disabilities and older people who may significantly benefit from accessible online shopping
  • increased general usability and trustworthiness of online shopping interfaces from improved accessibility
  • reduced risk of legal action and negative publicity from not complying with anti-discrimination legislation

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VIP World services is now offering user testing services with our existing wide and diverse VIP (Visually Impaired People) community, people with other disabilities and accessibility experts.

What do we offer?

  • Test and research on-demand by filtering profiles of People with Access Needs
  • Carry out moderated or unmoderated sessions
  • Try multiple Assistive tech configurations
  • Work on websites, Web Apps or Native Apps
  • Record sessions, easily share videos and transcripts
  • Add the services of Accessibility Experts to find solutions for issues identified

Get in touch with us today