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The ever-evolving digital world has brought about a revolution in the way we communicate, share information, and complete daily tasks. These changes have become an essential part of our lives, both personally and professionally.
There is certainly a business case to be made to ensure that your website and digital applications are accessible and meet the needs of users with disabilities. This includes the legal imperative, commercial opportunities and moral requirements. But ensuring your digital products are accessible to everyone is easier said than done. So, this is where accessibility testing comes in.
In an increasingly digital world, it’s crucial to ensure that information shared online is accessible to everyone. This includes emails, articles on websites, and especially PDF files. PDF files have become popular for sharing information because they can be accessed anywhere, making it quick and easy to provide documents to people.
Over the years, web accessibility compliance has become a key priority for businesses and website owners as they face penalties for non-compliance. And this applies to not just websites, but mobile applications as well. In short, the need for greater digital accessibility for users with disabilities is ramping up. This is where web accessibility certification comes into play. Think of it like a formal acknowledgement that your website is compliant with AODA requirements.
Think about all the new technology that’s been introduced within the last few years like 5G internet, voice assistants, contactless payments, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Today, websites serve as windows to businesses, services, and information as our world continues to shift online. Because of this shift, ensuring equal access for everyone is more important than ever.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and have been around since 1999. The W3C launched multiple versions of WCAG over time to ensure the guidelines evolved with the accessibility needs of society.. At the moment, the latest version is WCAG 2.1 with version 2.2 pending approval.
Here’s something you probably didn’t know.
Of all the content written on a webpage, roughly only 20% of that content is read by the user. Nowadays, users consume mostly images and videos, so when they consume text, they scan it and pick out the most important words.
However, not all users have the ability to scan through text seamlessly.
Roughly five to ten percent of Canadians live with Dyslexia, a disability that can be difficult to diagnose. Due to the different severity levels of Dyslexia, it’s essential to update your digital content so all users can easily consume that information.
Planning is part of creating, maintaining, and growing a business. You plan for the initial start-up. You plan for its ongoing progress. And you plan on how to increase your business’s success. However, within that plan should be a strategy to address accessibility barriers affecting your staff and clients. Although new legislation mandates companies and organizations to create a more accessible environment, there are still barriers that affect the everyday life of people with disabilities.
Nowadays, it’s not just about having a website. It’s about making sure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can access and use it.
