Digital accessibility: Why should you (and your brand) start taking it into account?

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Have you ever imagined trying to access important information online but having trouble finding it because of a disability? This is what frequently happens to more than one billion people around the world .

15% of the world's population suffers from some type of disability and although accessibility has been a priority for many companies in recent years, when it comes to digital accessibility, brands still have a long way to go.

A survey by the English company Click-Away Pound showed employment database that 69% of respondents have already abandoned websites due to lack of accessibility. In addition, 86% said that if online stores were affordable, they would spend more.

So if your platform is not accessible, you are not only preventing people from having free access to information and services on the Internet. You are also losing money!

Are you still wondering whether it's important to start thinking about digital accessibility right now? Here's why this is so relevant.

Keep reading!

What is digital accessibility?
Digital accessibility means breaking down barriers on the Internet for people with disabilities. It is about making websites, applications or any other online tool accessible to everyone.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the global standard reference for most laws related to website accessibility and have established four principles that should serve as a guide for the production of web content.

Perceptible
Elements and information must be perceived by the senses and nothing can be undetectable or invisible.

Operable
Interactive elements (buttons, controls, etc.) must be physically operated (click, swipe, scroll). Voice commands or other assistive devices must be available.

Understandable
Information must be presented clearly and consistently so that the end user fully understands the content.

Robust
Content must be compatible with multiple technologies, including assistive devices.

If a page or site does not follow these four principles, it will not be accessible to all users.

Why is it important to think about (and practice) digital accessibility?
The data we’ve seen shows that it’s not just the disabled audience that wins when brands invest in digital accessibility. It’s also a way to differentiate your brand from most of the competition, bringing your message, products and services to everyone.

In addition to reaching a wider range of leads, the company will be seen even more as a promoter of diversity, inclusion and accessibility, being recognized as a more humanized brand. And we know that fortunately this has been a highly valued topic by consumers.

Digital accessibility still has an impact on your site’s performance when it comes to SEO. You know that Google’s Core Web Vitals algorithms are all about user experience, right? It means you need to provide great navigation for everyone.

For non-disabled users, this means a better experience on your site. So removing barriers, combined with improved user experience and greater reach of your content, will undoubtedly help your pages rank better.

In the US, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets digital accessibility requirements for several industries. There are already lawsuits alleging violations of this law, with companies being ordered to pay large severance payments.

So, above all, following WCAG guidelines will help your company comply with ADA and avoid legal costs, in case you operate in the United States.

In Latin America, the situation is not very different: although there has not yet been much progress in this regard, there are already some laws that include digital accessibility in some sections .

In Mexico, for example, we find the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law . In its section on "Universal Digital Inclusion Policy", it gives companies the responsibility of helping the most vulnerable populations have access to the sea of ​​knowledge that is the Internet, including those people with disabilities.

And how to start?
WACG has a list of practices to apply to web content, but to start, there are some simple improvements that you should implement and make standard from now on:

include subtitles in all videos;
include alternative text on all images;
offer text and/or audio options for all non-text content;
use content that can be presented in different ways without losing context;
have all functionalities accessible by keyboard;
not include elements/forms known to cause controversy;
provide ways to help users navigate;
allow screen readers to review a website for a visually impaired user.
Investing in digital accessibility is not just a good SEO practice or an improvement in user experience, but it is a way to position your company as a brand that truly cares about, supports, encourages and puts diversity and inclusion into practice.