Accessibility. Why inclusive design makes economic sense

Hey there! Today, we’re talking about a topic that’s near and dear to my product designer heart: web accessibility. What is web accessibility, you ask? Simply put, it’s the practice of making sure your digital products and services can be used by everyone, regardless of their ability, skill, or education level. And not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also a smart business move too. I’ll cover how web accessibility can benefit a company’s bottom line and why it’s a quick win in an economic climate like the one we’re currently in. So, buckle up, grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite pick-me-up beverage) and let’s dive in.

Accessibility as a quick win

In today’s economy, businesses are looking for ways to optimize their resources and spend their money wisely. But did you know that investing in web accessibility can actually boost your profits in the long run? That’s right, it’s a quick win for your bottom line. Web accessibility improves the user experience for everyone and is a smart move in a financial climate like our current one.

The business benefits of accessibility

So, what are the benefits of making your products accessible? The list is long and impressive! Firstly, when your products are accessible, your customers have a better experience, no matter their abilities. And when your customers are happy, they’re more likely to stick around and continue using your products. This means that you’re able to retain customers, potentially leading to increased customer loyalty and repeat business.

But that’s not all! Accessibility also opens up your reach to a larger market, including people with disabilities. This means that you’re able to tap into a wider audience and potentially increase your customer base.

Accessibility is about inclusivity and should never be looked at as us vs. them. We all have different abilities, and over time, we’ll all experience some form of diminishment or impairment of our abilities.

Recent statistics state that 1 in 12 (8%) of men worldwide suffer from Deuteranopia, the most common type of color blindness, also known as red/green color blindness. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 21% of Adult Americans have low literacy levels, and according to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults in the US have some type of disability. 

Designers aren’t exactly known for their math skills, but this is pretty simple. 12 % of males are colorblind. The global population is split 50/50 between males and females, making 4% of the population colorblind. Add another 1% for all other forms of visual impairment, from partially to completely blind, and we’re looking at 5% of the global population being visually impaired. Add on the 21% of adults who are partially literate, and we’re looking at 26% of the global population who are dealing with one or other form of disability or impairment.

These numbers alone should convince every business to make accessibility an initiative worth consideration.

Turning a blind eye to Web accessibility prevents a significant portion of our society from achieving their full potential. It also prevents businesses from reaching their full potential. Can your business afford to leave 25% of the market on the table?

Additionally, accessibility leads to improved search engine optimization (SEO), as search engines favor websites that meet accessibility criteria. This means that your website is more likely to appear at the top of search results, leading to more traffic and, by the universally understood laws of marketing funnels, a larger market share. Look, this doesn’t mean that non-compliance equals total worthlessness. It simply means that you’re leaving food on the table.

Another important benefit of accessibility is legal compliance*. There are laws and regulations in place that require companies to make their products and services accessible to everyone. By making your products accessible, you’re mitigating your exposure to a potentially costly fine and doing the right thing.

How to Implement Accessibility

So, how do you make your products accessible? It’s easier than you might think! There are numerous accessibility guidelines and tools available to help you along the way. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides detailed guidelines on how to make websites accessible, and there are also tools available that can help you identify accessibility issues and provide recommendations for fixing them.

Product designers have access to several tools readily available to help them ensure adequate color contrast and size of text, interactive components, and other key design elements. Some of the more popular options include tools like:

Stark

Stark is a Figma plugin to analyze whether the contrast of text on a background is sufficient to be seen by someone who is partially sighted. I personally rely on this tool on a daily basis to make the necessary adjustments to layouts before publishing my designs. It’s a safeguard against making mistakes that would impact the accessibility of my work.

Wave

Wave is an excellent website accessibility analyzer that evaluates the extent of the work required to bring a website up to accessibility standards. It evaluates font size, color contrast, code structure and taxonomy for screen readers, and more. We use wave to analyze the accessibility of existing web products and services, and understand where to focus on improving.

Color contract analyzer

Many websites feature text overlaid on images, and the contrast between the background image and foreground text is often inadequate. This browser plugin simulates how a partially sighted person sees this composition. There aren’t many tools out there that provide this feature, and I find this tool particularly useful for producing factual evidence that improvements (to a design) are needed.

In addition to accessibility guidelines and tools, it’s important to provide training and awareness for your team. This includes educating your team on why accessibility is important and providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to make your products accessible. With the right training and tools, making your digital products accessible is a manageable and achievable goal.

Accessibility Case Studies

There are numerous examples of companies that have successfully implemented accessibility and seen positive results. For instance, the financial services company Capital One saw a 20% increase in website traffic after implementing accessibility improvements. In a second instance, the retail giant Walmart saw a 25% increase in sales after making its digital marketing assets (apps and websites) accessible. These are just a few better-known examples of the positive impact that accessibility has on a business. 

The cost vs. benefit

As I mentioned before, in the current economic climate, focusing on profitability takes priority over growth for most companies. After all, you control your existing digital properties and their performance, so it makes sense to make them work as efficiently as possible. But how much will it cost to implement this, you ask? That depends on a few factors, but let’s put things into perspective. If implementing these changes meant accessing an additional 25% of the market, how much is it worth to you? In moderate cases, 160 hours should be sufficient to start seeing results. Naturally, the amount of hours required depends on the size and complexity of the digital property in question. And yes, we are talking about spending more cash when everyone else is telling you to tighten your belt, but we’re talking about a sure bet of long-term tangible returns without a significant investment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, web accessibility is a win-win for everyone. By making your products and services usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities, you’re improving the user experience, doing the right thing, and increasing your reach and market share.

Accessing digital products and services is an essential part of daily life for many people. Inaccessible and poorly designed digital content often limits access for individuals with disabilities. This can have serious social consequences, preventing individuals with disabilities from fully participating in society and achieving their full potential. As designers, engineers, and makers, it’s our duty to provide equal access to information for everyone.

Optimizing your digital properties takes priority over seeking growth in the current financial climate. So, what are you waiting for? Make accessibility a priority in your business today.

Designing an inclusive world where everyone can use and enjoy your products is a happier world for us all. Plus, it’s good for business.

A-CX has helped many organizations bring their digital products and services up to current web accessibility standards and can help your organization too.

Contact us if you want to improve your solution accessability.

* The legal enforcement of Accessibility

Let’s dive deeper into this. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that all public accommodations, including websites and web applications, be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Businesses and organizations operating websites or web applications must ensure they are accessible to users with disabilities. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that it is working to make the internet more accessible to people with disabilities and has indicated that it will prioritize web accessibility enforcement actions.

In addition to the ADA, several other laws and regulations in the US address web accessibility, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

Other countries also have similar laws and regulations that address web accessibility. The European Union’s Web Accessibility Directive requires all public sector websites and mobile apps in member countries to be fully accessible by September 23, 2020.

Overall, businesses and organizations are being made aware of their obligation to comply with Web accessibility laws, but in addition they also have a moral obligation to make their digital products and services available to everyone in society.