Understanding accessibility as an opportunity

Interest in the topic of accessibility is growing rapidly. Not only the increased demand for our online seminars and workshops on "accessibility on the web" is noteworthy, but also the increased requests for accessibility tests of websites or applications. It is clear that the accessibility of websites and apps is already mandatory for public bodies and will be mandatory for the private sector by 2025 at the latest. – So action is needed.

Although the new legal requirements are the initial trigger for many, most website owners quickly recognize the huge opportunity for their business. Better accessibility to products and services will significantly increase the number of potential users. And it is not only the expansion of the target audience that has a positive effect on desired actions; search engines also like accessible websites and immediately act in the company’s interest.

Understanding accessibility

For people with sensory, cognitive, or motor impairments, website content is often difficult to use or inaccessible. This target group must under no circumstances be neglected. Disabilities can affect everyone. While some live with an impairment permanently, others are affected only situationally.

This is how people can …

• be blind from birth.
• be dazzled by bright sunshine.
• lose their sight in old age.
• be deaf.
• find it difficult to understand a podcast at a children’s playground.
• live with motor impairments.
• temporarily be unable to use their favorite arm after an accident.

Most interactions with technology depend heavily on what we can see, hear, say, or touch. As the examples show, in certain situations or stages of life not all abilities are fully available to us. If we take this fact into account when designing a website, the chance increases of reaching a much larger group of interested people for most offers and services.

A few facts:In Germany alone there are 7.9 million severely disabled people. That corresponds to a severe disability rate of 9.5 percent of the population (Destatis, 2020). The numbers could be even higher, because disabilities are not subject to mandatory reporting in Germany. 96 percent of disabilities are acquired during life. We can imagine what this means for an aging society.

Designing digital areas of life so they are usable for everyone

As a full-service digital agency, the e-pixler team takes a holistic view of all projects. This also includes accessibility: from consulting and conception, design, and technical implementation to content creation and quality assurance. Of course, we have experts for each individual specialty; nevertheless, it is important to us that everyone on the team builds up a basic knowledge of accessibility.

It is more efficient to keep accessibility in mind right from the design stage of a website, but improvements can still be made afterward. However, this requires greater effort. Accessible content can be written and added later. A website that has not been properly implemented in programming and lacks valid and semantic HTML will, however, result in costly revisions.

Accessibility for companies – more than just a timely necessity

• Expand your target audience.Just think of the so-called silver surfers. At the end of 2019, about 28 percent of all Germans were over 60 years old. (Federal Statistical Office). Older people can also browse and interact with accessible websites without difficulty.
• Positive branding:Companies that pay attention to accessibility take on a pioneering role for an inclusive society. This self-image testifies to the values behind a brand. Surveys show that already one third of Germans make their purchasing or usage behavior dependent on the social and political stance of an organization or brand.
• Search engines love accessible web design.Well-structured texts with an appropriate heading hierarchy can be better understood not only by screen readers but also by web crawlers. Alternative texts and meaningful file names for images allow search engines to recognize and index the content. – Semantically correct markup ensures search engine optimization of the content and thus increases the visibility of your offers.
• Mobile first.Most visits to online retailers already take place on mobile devices. Better readability on mobile devices can therefore make products and services more attractive. Good contrast, for example, makes mobile internet use more pleasant, especially when lighting conditions are not optimal.

The topic Accessibility has been on the minds of us at e-pixler for years. We are therefore all the more pleased that our customers’ interest keeps growing steadily. Many have realized that accessibility is not an annoying obligation, but an opportunity for their company and a real step into the future. After all, it is not always only the others who are getting older.