The Importance of Digital Accessibility is Much More Than Mere Legal Compliance

Digital accessibility is a contentious issue when viewed from the perspective of legal compliance. The problems seem too complicated that leave people confused due to the lack of clarity in the United States’ Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA. Leaving aside the legal aspects there are enough reasons why organizations across the globe are scrambling to meet the compliance standards of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) that form the backbone of ADA.

To cope with the problem of accessibility issues resulting from the absence of a set of regulations that one should comply with, an easier way to ensure that your website meets the compliance requirements is to adhere to the guidelines and recommendations of WCAG 2.0 level AA guidelines. Since the laws about accessibility largely rest upon the WCAG framework, meeting the WCAG requirements automatically brings you closer to ADA compliance. 

The task in hand

Inclusive design –

To move towards compliance, website owners must first ensure that the web design is inclusive so that it automatically makes it possible for all kinds of people including those with disabilities to access the website with ease. The move should help sites to reach out to 20% of the population living with a disability which is much more important than just being happy to be legally compliant.

Better user experience –

With the target of providing a better user experience, you should pay utmost attention to accessibility best practices by focusing on easy navigation, clarity with text, and ease of use that all add up to better accessibility. These actions are part of the best practices to ensure access to your website for all kinds of people which is the essence of ADA compliance.  

WCAG compliance –

Forgetting the confusion about whether you should pursue ADA compliance you should focus on complying with WCAG 2.1because legislations across the world are making it a necessity. While ADA compliance is confined within the borders of the United States only, you paint a larger picture of global compliance for accessibility when you meet the WCAG standards.  

Arrange for resources

You must arrange for resources that help in your efforts of meeting the requirements. For doing it, you can seek guidance from companies like Siteimprove that provide the resources that you need for creating an inclusive digital presence. The company offers a digital solution amply equipped for accessibility.  The software scans the website and reports issues of digital accessibility in relation to the WCAG 2.0 guidelines. By knowing the accessibility issues, you know what to work for that helps to create an inclusive digital presence.  

By using a free site accessibility checker, a Google Chrome extension created by the company, it is possible to check any non-public page, dynamic content and multi-step form for accessibility issues. The tool highlights the errors on the page and even provides recommendations about how to set that right.  

Although accessibility issues revolve around the disabled population, internet users in general benefit from it too as they enjoy a better experience, which is a more compelling reason for improving accessibility.