Website Accessibility: What It Is & Why It Matters

Website Accessibility: What It Is and Why It Matters

In today's digital landscape, your website is often the first impression a customer has of your business. But what if your website isn't accessible to everyone? Website accessibility means that people with disabilities can easily perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your website. It's about making sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access the information and services they need online.

Why Website Accessibility Matters

Simply put, website accessibility is about inclusivity and providing equal opportunities regardless of specific ability. By updating your website design to make your website accessible, you're not only doing the right thing, but you're also opening up your business to a wider audience.

Consider this:

• Over a billion people across the globe live with some form of disability. That's a significant portion of the population that may be excluded from accessing your website if it's not designed with accessibility in mind.
• In Canada alone, over 6.2 million people have a disability that can affect their online experience. This number is significant and only expected to grow as the population ages.
• People with disabilities represent a significant market. The global disposable income of people with disabilities and their families is a staggering $8 trillion. Ignoring this market means missing out on a huge opportunity.
• Accessible websites are often better for everyone. For example, captions on videos not only benefit people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they can also be helpful for people who are watching videos in noisy environments or who are learning a new language.
• A huge number of baby boomers are online that require accessibility or will require accessibility in the coming years. As this generation ages, the need for accessible websites will only become more critical.

The Legal Side of Website Accessibility

Beyond the moral and business reasons for website accessibility, there's also a legal side to consider. In many countries, there are laws and regulations that encourage websites to be accessible to people with disabilities.

For example, in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, including websites. In Canada, the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040, including digital accessibility.

More specifically, Canadian businesses are generally required to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA. These guidelines provide a set of technical standards for making websites accessible to people with disabilities. While the legal landscape is still evolving, it's becoming increasingly clear that website accessibility is not just a good idea but a legal expectation for businesses.

How to Make Your Website More Accessible

Making your website accessible doesn't have to be complicated. Here are a few key things you can do:

• Provide alternative text for images: This allows people who are blind or have low vision to understand the content of images.
• Use proper heading structure: This helps people with screen readers to navigate your website more easily.
• Ensure keyboard accessibility: This allows people who cannot use a mouse to navigate your website.
• Use sufficient colour contrast: This makes it easier for people with low vision to read your website.
• Use clear and simple language: This makes your website easier for everyone to understand, including people with cognitive disabilities.

How Accessible is Your Website?

Website accessibility is not just about complying with laws or regulations. It's about creating a more inclusive and equitable online experience for everyone. By making your website accessible, you're not only opening up your business to a wider audience, but you're also demonstrating your commitment to social responsibility.

Check out the next post in this series, where we'll delve into the key principles and best practices of website accessibility. In the meantime, you can check your website’s accessibility score using our free online tool.