Your website’s inaccessibility could cost you more than you think

In today’s digital age, we can all agree that having a website absolutely is an essential part of any business strategy. That said, not all websites are created equal! I’m not talking about the complexity of the many features they offer, or the amount of human and monetary resources that are poured into their creation and maintenance annually. No, I’m talking about how usable and downright accessible those websites turn out to be for the end users out there, the customers, and the potential prospects who have disabilities, and who might experience the organizations’ digital assets in ways that are probably very different than the way most of us use them.

We already know – in fact, we’ve known for years – that the vast majority of websites out there are NOT designed or built to be accessible to people who have disabilities. It’s just a fact. It’s also common knowledge, especially in the disability community, that most websites out there present significant barriers that get in the way of visitors who struggle with using them for a variety of reasons.

So much so that year after year, research from WebAIM, a non-profit organization that has been providing resources and training on web accessibility since 1999, shows that over 97% of the top one million websites out there are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. For the math wizzes among you, that means that only about 3 websites out of every 100 are reasonably usable by people with disabilities… and the others systematically fail these people in many ways.

Colour me unimpressed.

Not without its consequences

As you can imagine, this lack of accessibility and inclusion is not without its consequences, especially from a legal standpoint. Among other things, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States requires that all public accommodations (yes, this includes websites operated by businesses) be accessible to people with disabilities. This means that if your website is not, and someone with a disability is unable to use it, you could face a lawsuit! Yup. No kidding.

The legal risks of an inaccessible website are just one of the many reasons why it is so important for organizations to make their websites accessible. There are also significant ethical and social responsibility incentives and considerations at play.

By making your website accessible, as an example, your organization demonstrates its commitment to inclusion and diversity, and shows that it values the needs and experiences of all users – values that align with the values of most organizations. Research has also shown, time and time again, that accessible websites also tend to have better user experiences overall, as they tend to be easier to use and navigate for everyone. This leads to increased engagement and conversions, as well as improved search engine optimization (SEO). Those are all great perks.

But what about your website? Is yours shutting its doors in the face of up to 40% of your potential users?

Is your website siding with the vast majority that create barriers and undue frustrations for audience members with disabilities, or is it one of the very few that are truly welcoming and supportive of end users whose needs and expectations are different than the majority? Because the risk is very real.

The prevalence of disability among the population is significant, with around 26% of people in the United States and 22% of people in Canada self-identifying as having a disability, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) and Statistics Canada, respectively. These disabilities include physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health impairments or challenges. Given the importance of the internet as a vital resource for communication, education, and commerce nowadays, it’s more than crucial to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities and anyone else who might be marginalized by our use of technology, so that all people can access information and services online.

Customers with disabilities have the power to file legal complaints against organizations due to the inaccessibility of their websites. And believe me when I say, a lot of them have been doing exactly that for years when they come across websites and applications that make it difficult or impossible for them to navigate, access information, make purchases, or complete other tasks as anybody else would.

Maybe yours has already been targeted. Maybe yours is just one of the next few lawsuits waiting to happen. Is your organization even aware of the risks it might be facing as you’re reading these lines?

Examples of common accessibility barriers

The ways in which websites can fail end uses are many. Some common reasons for complaints include (but are not limited to) the following. It might be that your website:

• Is not compatible with assistive technology, such as screen reader or screen magnification software, making it difficult or impossible for customers with visual or motor impairments to use,
• Lacks alternative text for images, making it difficult or impossible for customers who are blind or have low vision to understand the content,
• Is not designed to be easily navigable by keyboard, making it difficult or impossible for customers with motor impairments to use,
• Lacks captions or transcripts for videos, making it difficult or impossible for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing to access the content,
• Is not designed to be compatible with different devices or screen sizes, making it difficult or impossible for customers with visual or motor impairments to access the content,
• Lacks clear and consistent labeling for form elements, making it difficult or impossible for customers with cognitive or learning disabilities to understand and use the website.

These are just a few examples out of the many ways in which websites can be inaccessible to customers with disabilities. Chances are, if you can’t say without a doubt that your website does not fail any of the above, then it’s very likely that these are just some of the ways in which your website already sides with the 97% of websites out there that are just not accessible to a large portion of the population.

By failing to ensure website accessibility, businesses risk losing these customers and facing legal action, which, as you can probably guess, can be costly and damaging to their reputation.

This leads to one of my favourite and scariest questions, one that I’d like to leave you with for today: “What if the biggest loss of potential revenue for your business came, not from those who don’t like your brand, but from the 40% of your audience with various limitations your brand knows nothing about?”

As a parting thought, I want to recognize that this topic can be quite overwhelming to tackle, as there are two many different aspects of website design to consider at once. But by taking a step-by-step approach and improving your digital properties one thing at a time, you can get there. No doubt, starting with some of the examples I provided above is a good place to start. A gradual and sustainable improvement plan can only lead to long-term success.

If you care about doing better by your clients, your customer base, you prospects and your visitors, then you owe it to them (and to yourself, your shareholders, etc.), to look into web accessibility guidelines and get started fixing some of the barriers that probably get in the way of some of your end users. What you’ll invest in website improvement will more than make up for the legal fees you’ll avoid by not getting sued over how inaccessible your website is.