Improving Website Accessibility for Small Businesses

Did you know that about 16% of people worldwide have a permanent disability¹? This fact shows how crucial it is for small businesses to make their websites accessible to everyone. In fact, 70% of shoppers want brands to take action on social issues, including making websites easy for people with disabilities¹.

More than 90% of people don’t complain about website issues, but 69% with disabilities will leave a hard-to-use site¹. This affects your customer service and can also hurt your sales, as people with disabilities spend $1.2 trillion a year¹.

The laws are changing fast, with a 75% jump in digital accessibility cases from 2018 to 2022¹. Companies like Winn-Dixie, Target, and Domino’s Pizza have faced legal trouble or paid big damages for their websites not being accessible¹.

Key Takeaways

Website accessibility is key for small businesses, with 16% of the world having a disability¹².
Customers want brands to be active on social issues, including making websites easy to use¹.
Hard-to-use websites can hurt your sales, as 69% of people with disabilities won’t stick around¹.
The laws are changing, with a 75% rise in digital accessibility cases from 2018 to 2022¹.
Ignoring website accessibility can lead to legal trouble and big fines, like for Winn-Dixie, Target, and Domino’s Pizza¹.

Understanding the Principles of Web Accessibility

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has set the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the global standard for making websites accessible³. WCAG is key in website accessibility cases and is seen as the top way to make websites accessible³. WCAG 2.1 is the best framework for achieving web accessibility³.

Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust Content

WCAG has four main principles: Content must be easy to see, use, understand, and strong³. Testing should think about how it affects people with different disabilities³. Knowing these principles helps improve your website and see why it’s important.

For instance, adding text to images is key for those who can’t see and use screen readers⁴. Understanding why accessibility standards are important opens up more ways to make your site more welcoming.

Benefits of Understanding Accessibility Reasoning

Web accessibility covers things like website content and tools used by users⁴. Text alternatives are vital for making images accessible⁴. People with disabilities need different ways to access multimedia content⁴. Content should be easy to change by users⁴, and easy to see and hear⁴. Using a keyboard to navigate is important⁴, and giving users enough time to read and use your site is crucial⁴. Avoiding content that could cause seizures or physical issues is a must⁴. Making content easy to find helps with navigation⁴. Using different ways to interact with your site improves the experience⁴, and making your design predictable helps users understand your site better⁴.

Getting why these accessibility principles matter helps you make a site that welcomes everyone. Your audience will find it more user-friendly.

“Accessibility is not just about people with disabilities, it’s about good design and a great user experience for everyone.”

Accessibility Principle	Key Considerations
Perceivable	Ensuring content is available in different formats, providing text alternatives, and ensuring content is distinguishable.
Operable	Ensuring interface components are keyboard accessible, providing enough time for users to read and use content, and avoiding content that can cause seizures.
Understandable	Ensuring content is readable and understandable, providing clear navigation, and ensuring predictable functionality.
Robust	Ensuring content is compatible with a wide range of assistive technologies, and that it can be interpreted reliably by different user agents.

⁴³

Website Accessibility: Practical Steps for Implementation

It’s vital to make your website accessible to everyone, no matter their abilities. Working with accessibility experts is best, but you can also use free or low-cost tools to fix many issues⁵.

Analyze Your Website with Free or Low-Cost Tools

Automated tools can check your website’s accessibility and point out WCAG compliance problems⁵. But, it’s key to understand why these issues exist and not just trust automated tests alone. These tools might overlook some complex accessibility problems that need a closer look⁵.

Prioritize Accessibility Fixes Based on Severity

When fixing accessibility issues, use WCAG guidelines and focus on the most severe problems first⁵. Start with Level A success criteria to make the biggest impact for users with disabilities⁵. By focusing on accessibility early, you’ll make your website better for everyone in the long run⁵.