Websites across Canada are now required to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA to ensure they're accessible to everyone.
Your website is an extension of your store or business. Just as you would have ramps, special parking and automatic doors at your physical location, your website also needs a universal design that everyone can access.
Website accessibility is important to stay in line with the new legislation and also to serve your customers and clients better. Here are some important facts and figures about accessibility that you should know:
Over 6.2 million people in Canada have a disability that can affect their online experience.
The global disposable income of people with disabilities and their families is $8 trillion.
A huge number of baby boomers are online that require accessibility or will require accessibility in the coming years.
An upcoming algorithm update from Google may eventually accessible websites higher than those that are not accessible.
If you want to know how to make a website accessible, the following tips and principles have been outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), on which provincial requirements are based: