Accessibility and inclusivity have become foundational to good design. As we celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 16, let’s take a look at why digital accessibility is so crucial in an increasingly digital world.

The Importance of Digital Accessibility

Digital accessibility ensures that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, can access and use digital products and services. Making digital content accessible fosters inclusivity, empowers individuals with disabilities, and creates a more equitable society.

For businesses, digital accessibility is vital for several reasons:

1. Enhanced User Experience: Digital accessibility improves design and user experience. Accessible products are designed with simplicity, clarity, and ease of use in mind, making them easier to navigate and more usable for everyone, not just those with disabilities. Here are some examples:
   • High-contrast mode helps with color blindness or low vision, but also improves readability for everyone, especially in bright sunlight or low-light conditions.
   • Captions on videos are essential for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also beneficial for anyone watching videos in a noisy environment, those who choose not to turn on the sound, or those who prefer watching content with captions. (Netflix reports that 80% of its users regularly use subtitles or closed captions!)
   • Keyboard navigation makes products usable for people with motor impairments who cannot use a mouse, and helps users who prefer keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation.
   • Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa help individuals with mobility or visual impairments perform tasks hands-free, and are also convenient for anyone engaged in multitasking, like sending a text while driving, setting reminders during a meeting, or setting a timer while cooking.
   • Text-to-speech helps individuals with dyslexia or visual impairments by reading content aloud, but can also be used to listen to articles, blogs, or news while working out.

Since features like these enhance the overall experience for everyone, accessible products can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Accessibility can be a key differentiator for your brand in a competitive landscape.

2. Improved SEO and Digital Marketing: Accessibility features on a website, such as proper use of HTML tags, readable and well-structured content, responsive design, and descriptive alternative texts for images not only support but can enhance search engine optimization (SEO). For example:
   • Alt Text: Search engines use alt text to understand the context of images, improving image search rankings. Alt text is also crucial for screen readers that describe images for visually impaired users.
   • Transcripts and Captions: These aid people who are deaf or hard of hearing and add supplementary text to a webpage, making it more searchable and improving keyword density.
   • Responsive Design: Ensures content is accessible on various devices and screen sizes. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search rankings.

All these features can reduce bounce rates, increase website visibility, and attract a broader audience, including people with disabilities. You can find research and educational content on this topic at credible sources like the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Google’s SEO Starter Guide, and the Search Engine Journal.

3. Market Expansion: According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people live with some form of disability. By creating accessible products, businesses can tap into this underserved market, driving revenue growth and fostering brand loyalty.
4. Compliance with Legal Requirements: The number of laws and regulations protecting the rights of people with disabilities is on the rise globally. Recent examples include the Accessible Canada Act and the European Accessibility Act, both of which have become central for many global organizations. Non-compliance can result in legal repercussions and damage to a company’s reputation, as seen in numerous high-profile litigations in the US involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and regulations like Sections 508 and 504. For global organizations, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a great place to start as they ensure that digital products and services are accessible to everyone.

Final Thoughts

Embracing accessibility has many tangible and intangible benefits for any organization. Accessible products enhance user experience, support digital marketing efforts by improving SEO, and increase business potential by reaching more people, including those with varying abilities. They also improve brand value and customer loyalty.

As we celebrate GAAD, we encourage other organizations to join TransPerfect in prioritizing digital accessibility. Together, we can create a more inclusive digital world where everyone has equal access to information, opportunities, and services. Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day!

For more information on how TransPerfect supports accessibility initiatives, please contact us at accessibility@transperfect.com.