{"id":9859,"date":"2021-05-28T09:40:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T13:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ladybugz.com\/?p=9859"},"modified":"2025-01-24T14:24:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T19:24:06","slug":"what-is-accessible-design-and-why-we-need-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ladybugz.com\/what-is-accessible-design-and-why-we-need-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Accessible Design and Why We Need It"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is accessible design for the web? How does it improve our business and fuel growth?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Nobody ever said, \u201cLet\u2019s build a website that <\/span>over a billion<\/span><\/a> of our potential customers can\u2019t use.\u201d However, that\u2019s exactly what happens if your website isn\u2019t designed for accessibility. Without internet-accessible design, you miss the opportunity to do business with the <\/span>53.2 million Americans<\/span><\/a> aged 45 or older who have some form of visual impairment<\/span>, and the <\/span>nearly\u00a0<\/span>10 million<\/b>\u00a0people<\/span><\/a> who are hard of hearing. You also bypass the millions of people with <\/span>a diverse range of neuro-motor, physical, and cognitive abilities. So exactly what is accessible design and how can it help?<\/span><\/p>\n

Accessibility can also improve overall user experience and satisfaction for people without disabilities. Examples would include those in rural areas with low bandwidth or slow connections, older people with changing abilities, those with temporary disabilities, or those in an environment that reduces usability\u2014such as areas that are dim or noisy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s assistive technologies\u2014such as screen reading and voice recognition software\u2014allow people with disabilities of all types to shop, socialize, educate themselves, and entertain themselves online. Now\u2019s the moment to seize the opportunity to communicate, engage, and sell to people of all abilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The business case of improving website accessibility is strong.<\/span><\/h2>\n

The benefits of accessible design are multi-faceted, including:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Extending Market Reach:<\/b><\/h3>\n

The <\/span>global market of people with disabilities<\/span><\/a> has spending power of more than $6 trillion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Strengthening SEO:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Google\u2019s ranking algorithm<\/a> is increasingly putting greater emphasis on accessibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.ladybugz.com\/your-must-have-monster-seo-checklist-for-2021\/<\/p>\n

Positive Branding:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Greater web accessibility improves and reinforces your commitment to diversity efforts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reduced Legal Risk:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Many countries legally require digital accessibility, and this movement is growing.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to break down the barriers to communication by designing websites with an intentional focus on increasing accessibility and enabling users to make the most of their assistive technologies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is accessible design and what does it mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n

So far we\u2019ve been speaking in general terms about helping the differently-abled enjoy our digital assets. But, more specifically, what does that mean? Outside of the US, nearly two dozen countries have enacted laws or policies related to website accessibility. In the US, however, the <\/span>ADA<\/span><\/a> (American with Disabilities Act) has no specific mandate or regulations about website accessibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether or not a particular country has website accessibility regulations, though, companies are investing in diversity and inclusion efforts. Most realize that their websites must better reflect this commitment. The global standard-bearer for website accessibility is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and its <\/span>Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)<\/span><\/a>. These are by far the most universal and popular guidelines.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WCAG <\/b>design principles include:<\/b><\/h3>\n

Perceivable<\/b>:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Users must be able to perceive all relevant information in the website\u2019s content.<\/span><\/p>\n

Operable<\/b>:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Users must be able to operate the interface successfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understandable<\/b>:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Users must be able to understand the information and operation of the interface.<\/span><\/p>\n

Robust<\/b>:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Content must be accessible to all users and can be interpreted by a wider variety of user agents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve Your Website with Iterative Design<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n