And what if we also told you that it’s relatively simple to implement some things in your marketing to not just capture more market share, but also to promote inclusivity?
Good news – both things are true! Today, we’re going to dive into accessibility and how it impacts your inclusivity as a business, your marketing success, and ultimately – your bottom line.
Understanding Why Accessibility Matters
Impairments and disabilities come in all shapes and sizes. Heck, many of you reading this blog are likely wearing contact lenses or glasses so you can see the text without having to squint or lean back a bit.
This is the reality for many Americans living with visual and/or hearing impairment.
From browsing the web to watching videos on YouTube, there are plenty of small, simple things you can do to improve accessibility for your audience.
According to the CDC and WHO, an estimated 1 in 4 people in the United States has a disability, that’s all the more reason to ensure your website, social media, and other marketing efforts don’t alienate a large portion of your potential audience.
Disability Statistics to Consider
With the WHO and CDC estimating that 26% of the U.S. population has a disability, that means that there are over 85,000,000 people in this country alone who might have difficulty navigating your website or accessing your content without some kind of accessibility measures having been implemented.
Want to understand what that number means in terms of spending power?According to the American Institutes for Research, the amount of after-tax disposable income for working-age people with disabilities in the U.S. is almost $500,000,000,000. Yep, that’s 500 BILLION dollars.
Visually Impaired
Data from the Health Policy Institute shows that 8% of the U.S. population has visual impairments. That’s about 20 million people!
Hearing Impaired
The Hearing Loss Association of America says that about 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. There’s a very good chance that you have a close friend or family member who has some degree of hearing loss.
Color Blindness
According to enchroma, 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color blindness, with a variation of red-green color blindness being the most common. While Christmas colors might be festive, it’s another thing to consider when choosing your next Holiday marketing newsletter.
ADA Compliance for Websites
While it doesn’t necessarily apply to all businesses, ADA compliance for websites is still worth noting. It’s also a good way to know if your accessibility measures are inclusive enough to cover all your bases.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was legislation aimed at ending discrimination-based practices against individuals with differing abilities. In 2010, the ADA published their Standards for Accessible Design, which covers ADA standards for all electronic and information technology. The internet is technically considered a public accommodation, so while there are no regulations that specifically address ADA web accessibility standards, federal courts have ruled that websites fall under the ADA.
At a minimum, following ADA web accessibility standards are going to help ensure that your website design makes it easy for anyone to interact with regardless of disability.
Business Benefits of Accessibility
Doing good is good business, and a focus on accessibility certainly has more than enough upside to make it worthwhile.
1 — Brand Favorability
If your website and social media is accessible, individuals with disabilities are going to have a more favorable view of your brand. It just makes sense! Better brand favorability leads to a higher likelihood of both purchasing and recommending your brand to other people. In today’s competitive landscape, this alone makes a focus on accessibility a no-brainer.
2 — Website Traffic
Semrush found that three months after implementing accessibility solutions, websites increased an average of 12% overall traffic. Nearly three quarters of domains researched saw growth in organic traffic. This proved a long-standing hypothesis that accessibility features on a website can help SEO.
3 — Broader Reach
As mentioned earlier in the blog, a focus on accessibility can help you tap into a market that you might currently be missing out on. According to Forbes, e-commerce retailers lost approximately $828 million during the 2021 holiday season because of poor accessibility on their websites. That’s revenue you shouldn’t be leaving on the table.
Accessibility is Beneficial For All
Having an ADA-compliant website with an inclusive design promotes a positive user experience not just for individuals with disabilities, but those without, too! Accessibility best practices will help with increased engagement and user satisfaction which, ultimately, lead to success for your business.