Businesses often consider that accessibility is vital for social responsibility, and undoubtedly it is. Now organizations, start-ups, and enterprises have started realizing implementing digital accessibility standard that undoubtedly is an unseen opportunity to expand their business and stands ahead of the curve.
Digital accessibility indicates building digital technologies like products, services, or devices accessible by all. It removes the impediments to accessing digital assets and provides solutions to specially-abled people. Therefore, Digital Accessibility Companies are important at this stage.
What does digital accessibility entail?
According to Georgetown law, Digital Accessibility is a practice that refers to inclusiveness to remove the barriers that prevent access to websites, technologies, digital tools, etc., especially for disabled people.
It does not only confine to the workplace but also every individual who has disabilities regarding access to technology. Any development of technology or digital tools that have the intention of accessibility to all. Failure to adhere to at the workplace invoking various ramification that includes American Disability Act( ADA)
Why is digital accessibility important in business?
The right thing to do
Although it is not directly associated with the business metric, its importance lies in every sphere of activities. So, it is the decent thing and right thing to implement. In today’s world, various services are available online, and accessibility design should be there. With the highly globalized, digitized world with interconnectivity, anyone who is not a part of it is like evicting themselves from the physical space.
It benefits not only minority but an array of people
Incorporating accessibility in your digital assets benefits you more than you might imagine. It is not confined to a minority of people.
There are 15% of disabled people across the length and breadth of the world. No doubt that digital accessibility is greatly akin to the last straw of the disabled, but it also helps immensely the abled person.
For example, mobile apps and devices with accessibility feature help in bright sunlight while in a tram or a cacophonous area in a coffee shop. Everyone at some point in time indeed has a situational disability, and maintaining accessibility guidelines, in this case, is effective to users and not just limited to a minority.
Disabled people are loyal customers
According to the research, that loyalty is the key takeaway in households where you may find a least one specially-abled person. It also recommends that brand loyalty expands to family members and is not limited to disabled individuals.
Research also points out that disabled persons shop more, and there are unlikely to be carried away by the gimmicks of the competing brands by offering coupons or deals. By allowing them access to digital technologies, you are in a position to meet their need, and they become loyal to your brand. It is highly improbable that they will experiment with a new product of the competitors. Therefore, Online Accessibility Service is justified fully here.
It provides trillion dollars market opportunity
The market size of products and services catering to people with disability continues to grow unabated because of an increasingly aging population and better understanding and awareness of the disability. Following are data points indicating that businesses can serve those market segments well.
- The market size in the US for disabled people is estimated at more than a billion dollars. It goes up a whopping trillion dollars if it includes friends, family members, and associates.
- Another survey states that in the UK, disabled people spending power and their households are projected to be £274 billion worth. On the other hand, businesses lose revenue amounting to £2 billion per month, not paying attention to the needs of the disabled person.
- A study reveals that business that champions catering disabled gain a substantial amount near about 28% higher revenue.
Cost effective while increasing digital platforms effectiveness
It is proven through the study that digital accessibility leads to affordability when it integrates into existing development cycles. Updating the navigating design of the digital platform’s user interface can reduce considerable maintenance costs. Additionally, incorporating accessibility feature into it bolster user satisfaction greatly.
Digital accessibility benefits for everyone
Suppose you would like to watch your favorite series on TV that you are religiously following; what if you are on the bus or in a crowded cafeteria or patiently waiting for your turn in the doctor’s office? If the streaming platform ably adheres to digital accessibility guidelines, you will still enjoy watching your TV series., albeit sans audio but with subtitles. It amply demonstrates that enhancing accessibility also increases usability for an able person.
For example, auto-complete and voice control were there for disabled earlier. In today’s context, these features are used extensively.
Take less time to implement
Incorporating digital accessibility standards is not that tough, provided it does right from the outset. It does not cause overload in your development team apart from universal design and accessibility. Moreover, incorporating digital accessibility is not expensive, as you might consider. Admittedly, adding new features to it requires cost.
However, in terms of its benefits, as experienced by many top-notch organizations across the globe, the cost incurred is worth the investment.
It does matter bland and monotony (a prevalent misconception)
The pre-conceive idea prevalent among designers and product managers is that interface buttresses with accessibility standard robes of its aesthetic appeal; It is true for monochrome that restricts fonts and Interactiveness that constitutes dullness. But, in today’s context, this is not true, example Apple products are they bland and ugly?
Summing Up
The misconception surrounding digital accessibility is that it only for the disabled is not true. it is for all. Therefore, to take advantage of this feature, you should take the assistance of an Online Accessibility Service.
