Making Digital Items More Accessible
Digital accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. When creating material, people must ensure that it complies with the new Section 508 Standards of the Rehabilitation Act. This is especially true for individuals who write for the government. The material on government websites is meant to be available to everyone. Unaccessible content inhibits stakeholders, and perhaps those who most need the information, from gaining access to it. Here are some non-exhaustive lists of the benefits of making things more accessible and the possible drawbacks of not adhering.
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Using Digital Access to Overcome Access Barriers
In an increasingly digital age, the ability to get information is becoming increasingly vital. It is crucial to make websites and other digital resources accessible to everyone, regardless of ability or handicap, so that everyone has equal access to the same information.
There are several ways to ensure that visitors can access your website or another digital resource. Some of the most important things to note are that your site should be useable with only a keyboard, that alternate text for photos should be provided, and that a screen reader may access your site.
By making your website or other digital resources public, you contribute to leveling the playing field and ensuring that everyone has the same chance to use the available information.
Customer Base Expansion and Overall Customer Satisfaction
One out of every four individuals in the United States has a handicap, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Making your material more accessible makes it easy for users to use your services and goods, as well as gather general information. This will enhance the number of times and methods your information is used, as well as make it easier for your consumers to use your goods.
All Users’ Usability Has Improved
Many of the adjustments made to address handicapped users’ demands actually make the site simpler to use for all users, not just those with impairments. You might be surprised to learn that something you use every day helps to improve digital accessibility.
For persons who use screen readers, it is vital that hyperlinks adequately represent the information to which they lead. It is, nevertheless, vital to notify all users about what they may view if they all click on the same link. A data table or alternative text is added to a chart to assist all users in better comprehending the data, making it easier to use and share the precise data and aid explain data when charts are intricate or just difficult to read.
Digital Accessibility Regulations
As far as we know, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has not formally incorporated digital accessibility into the ADA requirements. Instead, it maintains its long-held view that this matter is covered by the ADA.
The issue of digital access, on the other hand, may be utilized to strengthen other legislation. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 specifies that government departments and agencies must make good-faith attempts to offer information in equally user-friendly forms to individuals with disabilities. If they are unable to do so, they must offer another method for individuals with disabilities to access the data and information made available by these information systems. Access to facilities must be equitable for those with and without impairments.
In 2010, the Communications Act of 1934 was updated by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CCVA), which added additional standards to guarantee that current technology is accessible to individuals with impairments. The bill’s Title II lays out a variety of rules for making TVs, television services, television shows, and streaming media accessible. Title I of the law outlines the standards for making “advanced” telecommunications devices and services available.
The European Union’s own accessibility regulations were created in 2016 by Directive (EU) 2016/2102. This ensured that all EU member states followed the same set of laws. A directive is a piece of EU legislation that specifies the ultimate aim but leaves it up to the individual member states to select how to get there.
What Happens If You Break the Law?
Suppose content providers do not follow accessibility guidelines. In that case, it can hurt them in a variety of ways, including making it more difficult for individuals to access their material, making it less helpful, and negatively affecting the customer experience.
In the last ten years, there have been more lawsuits filed against those who have failed to satisfy their Section 508 requirements. Following the 508 examples can help agencies avoid litigation and the negative repercussions that might arise (fines, poor press, loss of public support and/or favor, and so on).
It is usually essential to fully construct non-accessible items and content in order to fulfill Section 508 criteria. This raises prices, additional effort, and waste. This additional effort wastes time and money, frustrates content producers and creators, lowers productivity, hinders program and project delivery, and undermines the organization’s reputation among stakeholders. If you wish to purchase something unique, you may need to collect more bids and make more purchases. This would be more costly and would take longer to accomplish.
If you do not regularly satisfy their demands, users with disabilities may have to seek alternative solutions, while users without disabilities may opt not to utilize your services.
Furthermore, if your accommodations are insufficient, your impaired staff may be unable to perform to their full potential. This would very certainly make retaining such a varied assortment of outstanding folks impossible. According to research, having a diverse workforce helps a company’s overall success, particularly when it comes to planning. In addition, if your hiring process involves inaccessible applicant interfaces, paperwork, forms, and so on, you may be unable to hire eligible handicapped persons at all.
As more companies acknowledge the value of recruiting individuals from varied backgrounds and offering a wide variety of consumers, a consistent, consensus-based strategy for growth is required. People with disabilities are not properly served if an organization has a track record of poorly acquiring or deploying accessible digital solutions. Businesses are also less willing to create accessible goods and services on a regular basis if an agency has a history of mistakenly acquiring or providing accessible digital solutions.
Summary
It is vital that your organization adheres to digital accessibility guidelines. However, it is a significant task. You might need to figure out where to start or how connected you are today. QualityLogic can evaluate your present systems and processes and offer you a free consultation. They can work together to develop a strategy that works for you. For additional information, go to www.qualitylogic.com.
