Why Website Accessibility Matters: Benefits and Legal Obligations for Businesses
Website accessibility has become a crucial consideration for businesses of all sizes. It’s not just about meeting legal requirements—it’s about fostering inclusion and expanding your reach to a broader audience. As more of our daily interactions move online, ensuring that your website is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, is both a practical and ethical responsibility.
This blog explores the importance of website accessibility, the benefits it brings to businesses, and the role it plays in creating a more inclusive digital environment. We’ll also discuss practical steps to make your site accessible and compliant with current standards, helping you unlock the full potential of your online presence.
The Legal Imperative of Website Accessibility
Understanding ADA and WCAG 2.1 Compliance
Website accessibility isn’t just a recommended practice; it’s a legal requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These standards were created to ensure that people with disabilities can access web content without barriers, just as they would with physical spaces. Whether it's a visually impaired individual using a screen reader or someone with motor disabilities navigating through keyboard shortcuts, web accessibility ensures equitable access to digital services.
The Growing Risk of Non-Compliance
The risks of non-compliance are more significant than ever. In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in the number of web accessibility-related lawsuits in the U.S. In fact, thousands of businesses have faced legal challenges for failing to meet accessibility standards. These lawsuits are not limited to large corporations—small and medium-sized businesses are equally vulnerable. Given that the average ADA website lawsuit settlement typically ranges between $20,000 and $50,000, the financial burden of non-compliance can be devastating, especially for smaller organizations.
Beyond legal fees, non-compliance can result in reputational damage, as consumers are becoming increasingly aware of accessibility issues and are likely to associate non-compliant businesses with poor social responsibility. Additionally, ongoing litigation can disrupt business operations, leading to further financial losses.
Proactive Risk Mitigation
To avoid these costly risks, businesses must adopt a proactive approach to website accessibility. This means not only meeting the minimum requirements set forth by ADA and WCAG 2.1 but also regularly auditing and updating their websites to accommodate new technologies and user needs. AccessiBe’s AccessWidget simplifies this process by providing ongoing automated compliance checks and immediate remediation of accessibility issues, ensuring that businesses stay protected from legal and financial repercussions.
In an era of growing digital reliance, website accessibility is no longer optional—it’s a fundamental aspect of doing business in an inclusive and legally compliant manner.
Legal Takeaways:
ADA and WCAG Compliance: Failure to meet these standards can lead to legal action, financial penalties, and reputation damage.
Growing Litigation Risk: With an increasing number of lawsuits targeting non-compliant websites, businesses face higher risks of litigation.
Automated Compliance Through AccessWidget: By integrating accessiBe’s AccessWidget, Solomon Advising can help you automate compliance, reducing the need for manual adjustments and ongoing monitoring.
The SEO and Performance Benefits of Accessibility
A well-optimized, accessible website can lead to significantly improved performance in search engine results. Search engines like Google prioritize websites that offer a seamless user experience, focusing on aspects such as site structure, load times, and ease of navigation. Accessible websites naturally align with these priorities because they are designed to be usable by everyone, regardless of ability. As a result, accessibility improvements often enhance a website’s overall search engine optimization (SEO).
By adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards, businesses can also meet the core metrics Google uses to assess user experience, such as mobile-friendliness, interactivity, and content clarity. These are all crucial factors in Google’s Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics that influence page rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). Consequently, accessible websites not only cater to users with disabilities but also perform better across all user segments, enhancing visibility in search engines and driving organic traffic.
A recent study by Semrush analyzed 847 domains and found that accessible websites enjoyed a 12% average increase in traffic. Of those, 73.4% saw growth in organic traffic, and 66.1% experienced traffic growth of up to 50%. These findings demonstrate that investing in accessibility improvements directly correlates with higher engagement and better SEO outcomes. By making your website more accessible, you can improve its overall usability, attract more visitors, and lower bounce rates, all of which contribute to better search engine rankings.
Additionally, accessibility features like alt text for images, clear headings, and proper labeling for navigation links allow search engine crawlers to index content more effectively. These elements not only help visually impaired users but also enhance how search engines interpret and rank a site’s content, further improving SEO performance. As Google continues to emphasize user experience in its ranking algorithm, businesses that prioritize accessibility are more likely to achieve higher visibility and sustained growth in organic traffic.
SEO Takeaways:
Increased Traffic: Accessible websites typically receive more organic traffic, reducing bounce rates and improving SEO rankings.
Better Conversion Rates: Usability improvements lead to better engagement, reducing bounce rates, and enhancing the customer experience.
Why Accessibility Matters for Your Business
1. Expanding Your Potential User Base
One of the most significant benefits of making your website accessible is the expansion of your potential user base. According to the World Health Organization, 16% of the global population—roughly 1 billion people—live with some form of disability. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments, all of whom encounter daily challenges when accessing websites that are not designed with their needs in mind. By making your website accessible, you open the door to this underrepresented market, which has an estimated spending power of $8 trillion globally.
2. Reaching an Underserved Market
For businesses looking to grow, this represents a vast, untapped market. While accessibility is often framed as a legal or ethical responsibility, it is also a strategic business decision. People with disabilities are loyal customers who are eager to engage with brands that prioritize inclusivity. By ensuring your website is accessible, you not only meet a moral and legal obligation but also cater to a substantial group of potential customers that many businesses overlook.
Accessible websites also foster trust and loyalty, as customers with disabilities will recognize that your business values their experience. This can translate into repeat visits, long-term customer relationships, and positive word-of-mouth. In a competitive market, the ability to differentiate your brand as inclusive and forward-thinking can provide a significant edge.
3. Enhancing the User Experience for All
Beyond reaching people with disabilities, an accessible website benefits all users. Accessibility features, such as clear navigation, text alternatives for images, and easily readable fonts, contribute to a better overall user experience. For instance, users with slower internet connections, those in noisy environments who need subtitles, or even older adults with declining vision will find your website easier to use if it follows accessibility standards.
Moreover, accessible websites tend to have cleaner design and functionality, reducing friction points that cause visitors to leave a site prematurely. This leads to lower bounce rates, longer time spent on pages, and higher engagement rates. By improving the usability of your website for people with disabilities, you simultaneously create a more intuitive and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits.
4. Tax Credits for ADA Compliance
Making your website accessible isn’t just beneficial for reaching new customers and improving SEO—it also offers financial incentives. The U.S. government provides tax credits of up to $5,000 through the Disabled Access Credit (under Section 44 of the IRS Code) to businesses that make their websites accessible in compliance with the ADA. This tax credit is designed to encourage businesses to adopt inclusive practices and can help offset the cost of implementing accessibility solutions, including software tools like accessiBe’s AccessWidget.
The Disabled Access Credit is available to small businesses that have gross receipts of $1 million or less or employ 30 or fewer full-time employees. Eligible businesses can use the credit to cover expenses related to making their website accessible, such as purchasing accessibility software, modifying existing code, or investing in ongoing maintenance to ensure long-term compliance. This financial relief makes it easier for small businesses to prioritize accessibility without stretching their budgets too thin.
5. Boosting Brand Reputation
In today's socially conscious marketplace, brand reputation plays a significant role in customer loyalty and engagement. Consumers are increasingly drawn to businesses that reflect their values, and accessibility has become a key indicator of a company's commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility. Businesses that prioritize accessibility not only comply with legal standards but also demonstrate that they care about creating an equitable online environment for everyone, regardless of ability. This dedication to inclusivity can significantly enhance brand reputation and strengthen customer loyalty.
By making your website inclusive to all users, you send a powerful message about your brand’s values and commitment to equality. In an era where consumers are looking for brands to champion causes that matter, accessibility is a clear demonstration of your business's dedication to serving a diverse and inclusive audience. Accessibility goes beyond legal compliance—it reflects empathy, inclusiveness, and a proactive approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Companies that invest in accessibility are often viewed as forward-thinking and ethical, which can help them stand out in competitive markets.
Solomon Advising’s Commitment to Website Accessibility
Our Approach to Accessibility
At Solomon Advising, we believe that website accessibility is not just a requirement—it's an opportunity to create a more inclusive digital space that reflects your business's values and enhances the overall user experience. Our commitment to accessibility goes beyond just meeting legal standards; it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access your website with ease. By partnering with accessiBe, we are able to offer a robust and seamless solution that automates the accessibility process, saving you time and ensuring continuous compliance with ADA and WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
With the AccessWidget, we provide an easy-to-implement tool that allows businesses to integrate accessibility features without the need for extensive coding or technical expertise. This automation ensures your site remains accessible as content evolves, offering peace of mind that your website will stay compliant. Additionally, our team at Solomon Advising is dedicated to ongoing support, from the initial setup of accessibility tools to regular audits and updates, ensuring that your site remains inclusive and optimized for all users over time. Whether you're a small business or a large organization, we are here to guide you through the entire accessibility journey, empowering you to reach more users and build a stronger, more inclusive brand.
Our approach to accessibility includes:
Full Integration of AccessiBe’s AccessWidget: We integrate the AccessWidget into our clients’ websites, ensuring they meet ADA and WCAG 2.1 standards.
Ongoing Monitoring and Audits: We routinely monitor accessibility audits, ensuring that any necessary updates or changes are implemented promptly. This includes providing an annual accessibility audit to our clients, helping them maintain compliance year-round.
Automated Compliance: The AccessWidget automatically scans and adjusts your website for compliance, reducing the manual workload typically associated with accessibility maintenance.
Risk Mitigation: Our services help mitigate the risk of potential lawsuits by keeping websites up-to-date with the latest accessibility standards.
By making accessibility a priority, Solomon Advising ensures that our clients not only comply with legal standards but also enhance their website’s user experience, performance, and reach.
To learn more about how Solomon Advising can help make your website accessible and compliant, contact us today. Our partnership with accessiBe allows us to offer cutting-edge accessibility solutions tailored to your business needs.
Solomon Advising is a marketing & branding agency focused on helping professional services firms retain their relevance and ensure sustainability by consistently promoting a credible brand. Contact us today to see how we can help improve your brand’s health.