Let’s break it down: Web accessibility is about making sure that your website is usable for everyone, including people with disabilities. Think of it like making your store wheelchair accessible—you’re just doing it for your website. Web accessibility means designing your site so that people with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive disabilities can easily interact with it. But why does this matter for your business? Let’s dive in.
What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility ensures that all people, regardless of their abilities, can navigate and use your website. If your site isn’t accessible, you’re unintentionally turning away millions of potential customers who rely on assistive technologies (like screen readers or voice navigation) to interact with the web.
Examples of accessible design include:
- Text descriptions for images (alt text) so that screen readers can describe what’s on the screen for visually impaired users.
- Keyboard navigation, allowing users to navigate without a mouse.
- Subtitles for videos, which help people with hearing impairments understand your content.
Why Should You Care About Web Accessibility?
1. More People Can Use Your Site = More Business
Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Making your website accessible means you’re opening up your business to a much larger audience. If you don’t, you’re basically turning away customers at the door.
Example
Take Nike. They make sure their site works for everyone by using descriptive text for images and making the navigation smooth for all users. That means more customers and better sales.
2. You Might Get Sued if You Don’t
In many countries, including the U.S., the law requires businesses to have accessible websites. If your website isn’t accessible, you might get hit with a lawsuit.
Just ask Domino’s Pizza, which faced a legal challenge because a blind customer couldn’t order food online. The customer won the case.
3. Boosts Your SEO
Here’s a bonus: making your site accessible can also improve your rankings on search engines like Google. Features like alt text, good headings, and clean code help search engines understand your site better and rank it higher.
4. Shows You Care
Making your site accessible shows customers that you value all people. It builds trust and loyalty, and helps you stand out as a brand that’s inclusive and socially responsible.
Example
Microsoft leads the way by building accessibility into all of their products. They’re known for being inclusive, and it’s one reason why customers love them.
Microsoft Design Team created an “Inclusive 101 Guide”.
How to Make Your Website Accessible (The Easy Stuff)
1. Use Alt Text for Images
Add short descriptions to your images so people using screen readers know what’s there. For example, instead of just uploading a picture of a product, add a description like “red running shoes.”
2. Keep It Simple
Simple navigation, clear buttons, and easy-to-read fonts aren’t just good for accessibility—they make your site easier for everyone to use. Don’t overcomplicate things.
3. Check Your Colors
Some people have trouble seeing colors, so make sure your text stands out from the background (this is called contrast). You want your website to be easy to read.
4. Test It
Conclusion: Web Accessibility is a Win-Win
Making your website accessible isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s smart business. You reach more people, avoid legal trouble, and boost your SEO, all while showing the world that your brand values inclusion. Start small, but start now. The future of the web is accessible!
