Web accessibility refers to creating content, tools and designs that can be used by everyone, regardless of ability. All people might have experienced certain problems while exploring the web. Facing annoying at a slow loading website, getting despaired when trying to navigate a mobile unfriendly page and squinting at the badly-designed font, all of these are unfortunately not uncommon issues. However, while these problems might be just a simple inconvenience to the most, for people with disabilities they can completely restrict their internet use. This is why companies like AccessiBe aim at making the internet accessible for all is important.
Web accessibility can be considered to be the need for websites to utilize tools and technologies that help in the understanding, navigation, interaction and perception of a person with disabilities on the site. At first, integrating accessibility can seem a bit too intimidating to people who are just getting acquainted with the system, but in actuality, it is a vital element of user experience. Accessibility has to be built into the process of web development and designed, and not be retrofitted as an afterthought.
As per a WHO 2011 world report on disabilities, about 15% of the world’s population possesses some type of disability. This may include physical disabilities, as well as neurological and cognitive disabilities. The rate of disability only set to increase due to the aging population, as well as growth in chronic health conditions. People with disabilities must be able to enjoy the same access to information as the ones without. Fortunately, there are technologies available today that aid in reducing or removing barriers to digital access.
People with disabilities should be able to enjoy the same access to information as those without. Luckily, there are technologies available to reduce or remove the barriers to their digital access. The provision of these benefits ensures that everyone, regardless of age, physical or mental capabilities, can use the internet and have a good web experience. Apart from making the internet a lot more inclusive place for each and every person, having proper accessibility also has a host of business advantages. Accessibility is a vital aspect of design and development, and it touches almost every element involved in website creation. It tends to overlap the aspect of mobile-friendly designs, usability, multi-modal interaction, search engine optimization (SEO) and so on. Accessible websites can have reduced maintenance expenses, improved search results, augmented audience reach and help in demonstrating corporate social responsibility (CSR). As a result, having a website that is accessible and well-designed not only makes it available to those with disabilities, but may also considerably improve the user experience for all website users.
There are many companies that offer resources for making websites more accessible. In fact, AccessiBe has recently launched accessFlow, which is an all-in-one web accessibility platform. It is meant for engineering teams, solo developers, web designers, product managers, and accessibility experts. This platform provides a dashboard for all the accessibility needs of a certain project.
