Everyone is responsible for digital accessibility. According to the revised Section 508 Standards of the Rehabilitation Act, when people create content, they must ensure that it meets those standards. This is particularly true for those who write for the federal government. The information on government websites is intended to be accessible to all. Unaccessible content prevents stakeholders, and possibly even those who need the information the most, from accessing it. Here are some non-exhaustive lists of the advantages of making things accessible as well as the potential disadvantages of not conforming.
Overcoming Access Barriers with Digital Access
It is becoming increasingly important to be able to obtain information in an increasingly digital world. It is critical to ensure that websites and other digital resources are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability or disability, so that everyone can access the same information.
There are numerous methods for ensuring that people can access your website or another digital resource. Some of the most important things to remember are that your site should be usable with only a keyboard, that you provide alternate text for images, and that screen readers can use your site.
By making your website or other digital resources accessible, you help level the playing field and give everyone the same opportunity to use the available information.
Increased customer base and overall customer satisfaction
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every four adults in the United States has a disability (CDC). Making your content accessible makes it easier for people to use your services and products, as well as obtain information in general. This will most likely increase the number of times and ways your information is used, as well as make using your products easier for your customers.
Improved Usability for All Users
Many of the changes made to accommodate the needs of disabled users actually make the site easier to use for all users, not just those with disabilities. You may be unaware that something you use every day contributes to digital accessibility.
It is critical that hyperlinks accurately describe the content to which they lead for people who use screen readers. However, it’s also critical to inform all users about what they might see if they all click on the same link. A second example is when a data table or alternative text is added to a chart to help all users better understand the data, make it easier to use and share the exact data (rather than having to try to pull the data points out of the chart), and help communicate data when charts are complicated or simply difficult to read.
Regulations on Digital Accessibility
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has not officially added digital accessibility to the ADA criteria, as far as we know. Instead, it maintains its long-held position that the ADA covers this issue.
However, the issue of digital access can be used to improve other laws. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that federal departments and agencies must make good-faith efforts to provide information to people with disabilities in equally user-friendly formats. If they are unable to do so, they must provide another means for people with disabilities to access the data and information provided by these information systems. People with and without disabilities must have equal access to facilities.
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CCVA) amended the Communications Act of 1934 in 2010, adding new rules to ensure that modern technology is accessible to people with disabilities. Title II of the bill specifies a number of requirements for making televisions, television services, television programs, and streaming video accessible. The requirements for making “advanced” telecommunications products and services accessible are listed in Title I of the bill.
The European Union’s own rules on accessibility were established by Directive (EU) 2016/2102, which was passed in 2016. This ensured that all EU countries followed the same rules. A directive is a piece of EU legislation that states the end goal but leaves it up to each member state to determine how to get there.
What Happens If You Don’t Obey the Law?
If content creators do not adhere to accessibility standards, it can harm them in a variety of ways, including making it more difficult for people to access their content, making it less useful, and negatively impacting the customer experience.
There have been more lawsuits in the last ten years about people failing to meet their Section 508 obligations. By following the 508 examples, agencies can avoid lawsuits and the negative consequences that can result (fines, bad press, loss of support and/or favor with the public, and so on).
To meet Section 508 standards, it is frequently necessary to completely rebuild non-accessible goods and content. This increases costs, extra work, and waste. This extra work costs time and money, irritates content producers and creators, reduces productivity, slows program and project delivery, and harms the organization’s reputation with stakeholders. If you want to buy something rare, you may have to solicit more bids and make more purchases. This would be more expensive and take longer to complete.
If you don’t meet their needs consistently, users with disabilities may have to find other ways to meet their needs, and users without disabilities may decide not to use your services.
Furthermore, if your accommodations are inadequate, your disabled employees may be unable to perform as well as they could. This would most likely make it difficult to retain such a diverse range of talented individuals. According to studies, having a diverse group of employees improves a company’s overall results, especially when it comes to planning. Furthermore, if your hiring process includes inaccessible candidate interfaces, papers, forms, and so on, you may be unable to hire qualified disabled people at all.
As more businesses recognize the importance of hiring people from diverse backgrounds and serving a diverse range of customers, they require a standard, consensus-based approach to growth. People with disabilities are not well served if an agency has a history of purchasing or implementing accessible digital solutions incorrectly. Businesses are also less likely to regularly make accessible goods and services if an agency has a history of purchasing or making accessible digital solutions incorrectly.
Summary
It is critical that your company meets digital accessibility standards. But it’s also a big job. You may not even know where to begin or how digitally connected you are now. QualityLogic’s team of experts can assess your current systems and processes and provide you with a free consultation. We can collaborate to create a plan that works for you. Visit our website at www.qualitylogic.com to learn more.
