Accessibility should be a fundamental part of planning a website and often adds only a small margin to overall cost when building from scratch. This can be offset with the potential savings in development and maintenance time, together with tapping into the increased profitability of a broader market reach. Not taking accessibility into account from the start can lead to an expensive and often painful retrofit for a site.
However, in spite of the cost of retrofitting, many of our clients see this as a more economic alternative to leaving the web site inaccessible, here's why.
Increased market share and audience reach
An accessible website helps expand markets to people with disabilities as well as people using older browsers, new technologies such as mobile devices and different platforms.
"Research tells us that just over 10 per cent of the population of the United Kingdom have some form of disability. That means at least one in four customers either has a disability, or is close to someone who has"
(source: Employers Forum on Disability).
People with disabilities have friends and relatives who have the potential to become a network for positive "word of mouth" advertising.
"In a matter of years the increasing elderly community has the potential to comprise 40 per cent of the overall population This audience with accessibility needs will constitute a major community with significant spending power and influence."
(Source: Employers Forum on Disability).
Websites that adopt accessibility as best practice may benefit from awards that are given to sites that meet a recognised standard. Sites may display logos as a badge of quality building public relations confidence in the organisation.
"It is important to Standard Life that the services we offer customers on-line are accessible and easy to use. As a channel to market, the internet provides some exciting opportunities. Designing services in a way that does not exclude people means that we have an open gateway to as many potential customers as possible."
(Kevin Russell, Group E-commerce Development Manager, Standard Life).
Search engine optimisation
Accessible websites have a distinct advantage in terms of being more clearly identifiable by search engines. This is partly because they are designed to be machine readable, so that access technology can "read"the published information. If a screen reader can access the information then a search engine can index it. It's also true that search engines are not equipped with a mouse or JavaScript support, so if important links can't be reached by keyboard action without JavaScript, the destination page may not be indexed.
Some search engine algorithms give a higher importance weighting to text that is within links, page titles or structured headings. The virtuous circle of using the same text for a page title, it's main (H1 heading and links that lead to that page, can only confirm its importance to search engines. Coincidentally, this technique is also extremely reassuring to site users, as it increases confidence when a page title confirms that the right link has been followed.
Improved usability
A good level of accessibility can significantly enhance the usability of a website by:
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Providing clear, consistent navigation (makes finding information easier).
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Providing understandable and clear content (encourages people to stay longer and make return visits).
The easier someone finds the experience of visiting a website, the more likely they are to become both a customer and an advocate. It will also improve the efficiency of the time people spend on a site and their ability to complete tasks such as purchasing products.
Reduces website maintenance costs
Incorporating best practice and accessible techniques can reduce the costs of maintenance of a website. Better organised, simpler, cleaner coding and content make pages easier for designers, developers and content authors to work with and maintain.
Managers can also expect improved server loading and network performance, as accessible pages tend to have reduced file sizes. This is due to efficient and effective use of technology such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and reduced dependence on bulky media and graphics.
The results are less strain on the web servers which host and send files over the web. This creates a better experience for the audience who benefit from improved responses and faster page loading.
Greater compatibility and future proofing
Following accessibility guidelines allows sites to "degrade gracefully" as they will remain readable and accessible as browsers and web standards change. Another major benefit is increased compatibility across different browsers, platforms and devices.
The benefits of being an accessible designer
With an increased market for website accessibility, designers and developers can sell the benefits and advantages outlined above to their clients.
Many clients rely on their designers and developers for advice and guidance on accessibility issues and compliance. This provides accessibility skilled designers with a distinct advantage over their competitors and increases the value they give to their clients.
Facts and figures
Below are some facts and figures regarding disabilities correct at the time of publishing:
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61.4 million - The approximate population of the United Kingdom (source: ONS).
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10 million - The number of people with long-term or permanent disability in the United Kingdom (source: Uk Government).
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2 million - The number of people with sight problems (source: RNIB).
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80 billion per annum- The combined estimated spending power of disabled people (source: Employers Forum on Disability).
What next?
If you have an important website and want to ensure that it is accessible to all users, check out our Services section, we have a wide range of products that can help you achieve your aim.