• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

WeCo Digital Accessibility

  • Home
  • Our Story
    • Our Mission
    • For the Press and Media
      • Press Releases
  • Services
    • Free Accessibility Review
    • Accessibility Support Consulting
    • Legal Accessibility Support
    • Disability-Focused Usability Testing
    • Manual Accessibility Audits and Remediation
    • Accessibility Policy Statement
    • Accessibility, Usability, and Disability Awareness Training
    • Accessible Document Services
    • Accessibility, Inclusion SME Speaker Services
  • Who We Are
    • Our Work & Clients
    • Our Testers
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs and Internships
    • Working as a Tester
    • Application and Interview Tips
  • Resources
    • Access Blog
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • Recorded Free Accessibility Webinars
    • Free Access Library
      • Make a Case for Access
    • Disability Employment Resources
      • Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • Site Access
    • Site Map

January 25, 2016 by Sue Ann Rodriquez Leave a Comment

Making A Business Case for Web Accessibility

A group of office workers, including a woman seated in a wheel chair, seated around a desk and smiling.The Web is used not only for receiving information, but also for providing information and interacting with society. Therefore, it is essential that the Web be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to the largest minority group in the world, people living with disabilities. Accessible websites offer Businesses other benefits such as:

  • Increase traffic to the website
  • Expand potential market share
  • Increase search ranking potential
  • Improve the site and increase usability for all visitors
  • Generate positive PR and brand awareness
  • Comply with legislation to reduce legal liabilities
  • Standardize Web design, build and maintenance

Legal Benefit

Your business or organization may be subject to legal requirements regarding web accessibility by explicit federal or state government regulations, laws or policies. When businesses have accessible websites, they are in compliance with regulations, laws and/or policies. As a result, businesses eliminate the potential for legal ramifications for not having an inaccessible website. Read Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization: Overview and Section 508 and the ADA: a Primer for Website Accessible Communication for more information.

Search Engine Ranking Benefit

Search Engines are a lot like people with sight related impairments who use screen readers, for example, because they can’t see the content of your images. When businesses incorporate accessibility features into their website, such as including alt text tags for images, your search engine optimization(SEO) also improves as there are many overlaps between accessibility guidelines and best practices for Search Engine Optimization. Read WebAIM: Web Accessibility and SEOfor more information.

Usability Benefit

Web accessibility and usability are closely related as their goals, approaches, and guidelines overlap significantly. Usable accessibility combines usability and accessibility to develop positive user experiences for all people whatever their abilities, age, economic situation, education, geographic location, language, etc. It is most effective to address usability and accessibility together when developing websites. In the process of implementing web accessibility best practices, you’re likely to discover and correct usability problems that were affecting all of your visitors.

Audience Reach Benefit

Not only does an accessible web design improve the usability for all users, it also increases the overall number of people that can visit your website, ultimately bringing in more sales and visibility to the virtual world. About 15% or one billion people worldwide have a disability, including: blind, color blind, deaf, autistic, dyslexic, learning disabled, elderly, and people with physical disabilities (2016, World Health Organization). If you do not incorporate accessibility when incorporating usability, you are missing out on reaching the largest minority group in the world.

Social Benefit

The Web is an important medium for receiving information as well as for providing information and interacting with society. Therefore, it is essential that the Web is accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. This basic human right is recognized in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which specifically mentions the Internet and other accessible information and communications technologies (ICT). The importance of various social aspects of Web accessibility is different for specific businesses and situations. For example, one business’s goal might be to become a leader in corporate social responsibility, while a different business might be particularly interested in attracting capital from socially responsible investing sources. Organizations efforts in web accessibility are an opportunity to positively increase its public image, which can increase website use, business partnerships/collaborations, and revenue.

Web accessibility is not only a benefit for people with disabilities, it provides other benefits, such as good search engine optimization (SEO), reduced legal risk, demonstration of corporate social responsibility, as well as increased customer reach.

In order to be willing to make the initial investment, businesses need to understand the social, technical, and financial benefits of Web accessibility, and the expected returns. Read the resources within this post as well as others found in WeCo’s IT Accessibility Information Blog .

Filed Under: Access Awareness, Free Accessibility Library, General, Making a Case for Accessibility, Reasonable accommodation

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Use WeCo’s Library. Quick search hundreds of articles, documents and resources.

Footer

Contact WeCo

WeCo Accessibility Services
Reach us at: 855-849-5050 [email protected]

Minneapolis Office:

2730 West Lake Street
Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN  55416

 

CONTACT US

The information provided by WeCo (The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC) is not intended or designed to be used as, or take the place of, legal advice. If you have questions regarding how this information may affect you or your organization legally, please seek the advice of professional legal counsel.

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.

IAAP Organizational Member logo

QUICK LINKS

Site Map

Resources

Privacy Policy

Accessibility Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK

LINKEDIN

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

Disability-Owned Business circular certification badge with text shown in circular orientation and with Disability:IN icon logo in center.

National Organization on Disability

NOD Leading Disability Employer 2022 written in a variety of teal sections, making a square.

Subscribe to our Blog & QuickTips







    Check each one you'd like to receive.

      
      
      

    Copyright © 2023 · Log in

    Skip to navigation