How to follow ADA compliance and make your company’s marketing more accessible for all.

Posted by Justin Romack << back to blog

Last Updated on July 29, 2022

Every company and marketing department knows the feeling of elation and satisfaction (and yes, nervousness) of launching a website, app, or technology.

We’ve spent so much time, energy, and passion breathing life into a project. Now it’s out there, and we’re hoping it will make other people’s lives better.

But what happens when 20% of people can’t even use what we’ve created due to a disability? Even worse, what does it feel like for those people, knowing they can not experience it too?

Personally, it stinks. I speak from both perspectives. It grieves me knowing that someone can’t benefit from something I’ve created.

I also know what it’s like to be denied the experiences and resources others take for granted. I am totally blind. I was born with glaucoma and went through more than 90 surgeries during my childhood to keep some usable eyesight. Growing up I could read standard print, watch TV, and use a computer without assistive technology, but by age 22 I lost all of my eyesight. I have been completely blind ever since.

Nobody likes being left out, but that’s what it feels like everytime I visit a website, launch an app, or load a document that isn’t accessible.

Accessibility is not something a lot of people think about, thankfully because they don’t have to. Many people may not even know that ADA-compliance applies to websites and technology, not just buildings.

My mission as a Technical Accessibility Analyst for Levo is to help open people’s eyes, so that all of us can create greater, more equitable access for all like we did for this global industrial service provider.

If you want the services you provide, the products you make, and even the marketing you utilize to benefit as many people as possible, you need to understand accessibility.

What does accessibility mean?

Accessibility is a 13-letter word that means many different things to many different people. Here’s my definition: Accessibility is the ability of disabled users to fully enjoy, engage with and contribute to experiences, information and opportunities with the same or similar effort as any other individual.

Accessibility isn’t just for a “small group” either. Disabled people are one of the largest minority groups in the world. We’re also one of only a few marginalized identities which can be acquired at any point in one’s life.

Even so, disability isn’t something most people encounter in their daily lives, so it may be hard for them to imagine disabled people using the web, apps, or cutting-edge technology. But trust me, we do. At least, when we can.

People with disabilities want (and deserve) the same enjoyment from websites, apps, and technology as anyone else, but that only happens when a purposeful approach to accessibility has been baked into the development process.

Why should I build accessibility into what we do?

Wherever you call home, chances are there’s legislation, policies or best practices which reinforce accessibility for disabled people. In the U.S., equal public access is supported by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which not only supports disabled people, but guarantees accessibility as a civil right.

I’m not a lawyer, nor do I think we should lean on the law to do what is right. No, I believe accessibility is the necessary thing to do because everyone should have the opportunity to communicate, collaborate, and consume what this world has to offer.

Accessibility also offers other benefits:

Accessibility boosts performance. When we incorporate accessible code, our apps and websites function much snappier.
Accessible content performs better in the SERPs. Yes, accessibility can support search engine optimization because, like Google, most accessibility features rely on software to parse and present content to a visitor accessiblely.
Accessibility supports usability and conversion. Accessible sites and content tend to offer a better experience because they’re designed more thoughtfully and their purpose is clearer.

Yes, accessibility takes time and resources, but it’s also profitable and practical (it also keeps you out of court). Especially when you’re proactive and include accessibility from the start, rather than retrofitting it after design or development (or even launch).

What are the guidelines for accessibility?

Most accessibility experts (like yours truly) will point back to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the WCAG, established by the World Wide Web Consortium. Try saying that five times fast.

WCAG is a set of criteria to determine whether or not your web content meets accessibility standards, with three levels of conformance, ranging from level A to AAA.

WCAG supports four core principles of accessibility, using the acronym POUR. Your content should be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust for all users regardless of abilities and modality.

You can use automated tools to evaluate if your site and products meet WCAG’s success criteria, but most must be manually assessed by a technical accessibility expert (again, like moi). We know the technology disabled people use to engage with and can unravel code to determine if it’s fully accessible.

So, how do you get started with accessibility?

If you’re not super technical, accessibility can feel confusing and overwhelming. Don’t fret, there are plenty of practical ways to evaluate your current state of accessibility. More importantly, they can also help you become an advocate for accessibility, so you can launch conversations and be the change.

Do a “smell test” to determine your current state of accessibility

While not exhaustive, I encourage people to do a “smell test.” Take a quick, 5-minute scan of your website or app to note obvious accessibility barriers.

Things you should be looking for include:

Poor color contrast: Are you squinting? Does text feel readable and contrast well with the background? If it’s tough for you, it’s worse for people with vision problems.
Videos are captioned: Without captioning, deaf visitors will have no access to your media. Visitors who speak English as a second language or who use their device at a low volume won’t have full access either.
Keyboard-navigable using the Tab key: Launch your website and hit the “Tab” key. This is how people with physical disabilities who can’t scroll navigate the page. Do you notice a “ring” around items as you skip around the page? If not, a disabled user may miss it.
Zooming without losing functionality: Magnify your page up to 200%. Is any content missing or obscured? Visitors should be able to zoom the page without losing any access to content or features.

There’s so much more to testing a website than just these checks alone. But chances are, how your site performs with these checks indicates how much work is needed for a full evaluation.

Champion accessibility with your team and organization

The squeaky wheel is always what gets the grease—so make accessibility squeaky.

Accessibility matters. The data tells us disabled people are engaging with what we do. And remember, nobody is immune to the effects of aging, so all of us will likely be impacted by disabling conditions as we get older.

Bring accessibility into your development meetings and planning sessions. Talk about it in boardrooms and during every point of a product’s life cycle. Constantly remind others that disabled people access and experience the world differently. We must consider this when crafting and creating the things we put into the market.

Keep a pulse on the accessibility conversation

The #a11y hashtag is rife with accessibility information you can use or learn from.

So is anything published by Lainey Feingold, an attorney and disability rights advocate who shares insight on how the marketplace is evolving for disabled people. Lainey posts on accessibility suits, policy developments and other legal updates that impact all industries.

And as you learn more about accessibility, share it with others. It will make a huge difference.

Accessibility isn’t just a disability thing

We learn, grow, and become the best version of ourselves when we travel the road together. But remember, some people don’t travel the road with the same abilities as you. About 20% of the population, in fact.

If we exclude disabled people from what we build and push into the world, we’re not just hindering them—we’re missing out on the unique and diverse perspectives that make our world a better place.

Yes, accessibility is about removing barriers for disabled people, but it’s more than that. When disabled people are part of the conversation, we get the richness, fullness, and scope of knowledge we need to be our best.

Put simply, accessibility makes us all better.

Want to make your site accessible like this global industrial service provider? Get in touch and level up with Levo!

Justin Romack

Justin Romack is the Technical Accessibility Analyst for Levo, a full–service marketing agency, focused on helping companies from all industries who are concerned website compliance.

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