In 2020, Hammersmith Support will be working to get all of our maintenance clients accessibility certified using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standards. Why is it so important for your website to be accessible to everyone? The main reasons are because it’s good practice and makes good business sense. Ensuring your site is always up, running, and ready for any potential client is a must! There are several other reasons (and one perk!) for having your website accessibility certified. Read on to find out more.

Good Business Practice

Differently-abled people account for nearly 15% of all those using the Internet. So if you had 1,000 visitors to your website, 150 of those would be differently-abled individuals. Accommodating those with a disability isn’t complicated and is the right thing to do. Ensuring that your text is able to be converted to a larger or audible version, having images with accurate alt text, and enabling your site to be navigated using the Tab key are all things that can make your site easy for anyone to use.

Diminish the Risk of Discrimination

There is a growing number of disability discrimination lawsuits being filed against even small businesses. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals with disabilities and has created many of the standards with which companies are required to comply. If a company ignores those standards and or refuses to comply, it can spell big legal trouble. Read about some of the recent website accessibility lawsuits here.

Boost Your SEO

Many of the functions that are required for a website to be accessibility certified actually double as a good SEO booster. Background information on images like alt text, captions and title are all beneficial for a visually impaired individual, but it’s also great information for web crawlers to use in evaluating and ranking your site.

Is Your Site Accessibility Certified Yet?

Are you ready to get your website accessibility certified? Click here to contact us about our monthly maintenance packages that include accessibility certification.

Website form and function are designed around a customer profile which takes into account what customers are looking for in a product, how they buy, why they buy…the list goes on and on. But one characteristic that many customer profiles don’t always account for is an online customer who is disabled. The term disabled person includes those who are movement, hearing and or sight impaired. Consumers who are disabled account for 15% of all internet users but that percentage could be higher if your product does or could serve those with disabilities.

So does it make sense for you and your business to have a website that accessible to consumers who are disabled? Read on to find out.

How Do I know If My Site Is Accessible?

There are many companies that offer evaluations and certifications for website accessibility (Hammersmith Support included!). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines certification is the standard that is approved by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The WCAG ensures that a website meets all the criteria for consumers with varying abilities.

Good news if you’re a Hammersmith Support client – your site is already being evaluated and certified as part of your maintenance package! Not a client yet? Click here.

What Is Included in WCAG Certification?

Having your site accessible to everyone includes the following:

  • Text that is able to be converted to audio, large print, or braille
  • Alt text, captions, and descriptions on all images
  • Avoid images and structure that could cause seizures
  • Tab navigation / all functionality available from keyboard
  • Captions on videos and other content

Why Should My Site Be WCAG Certified?

There are a few reasons that making your website accessible to everyone is so important. Not only is it good business to be able to market to all consumers, but having your site WCAG certified is good for SEO as well. When the functionality of the website includes the above list of WCAG criteria, there is more information for web crawlers to evaluate and use to rank your site. Which is a bonus in addition to being able to market to differently-abled consumers!

Want to read more about WCAG? Click over to the site to read the requirements.

How Hammersmith Support Can Help

Let’s talk! Click to schedule a free 30-minute meeting to discuss all your questions.