The Importance of Web Accessibility in 2024

What is “Web Accessibility”?

Web accessibility refers to making websites usable for people with disabilities. It involves designing and developing websites in a way that people with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the website and its content.

Web accessibility ensures that everyone has equal access to information and services on the web, regardless of their abilities. This includes individuals who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to access the web.

While the legal requirement is a key driver for making websites accessible, many other benefits come with becoming accessible:

Tax Credits

The U.S. government has chosen to promote and support businesses that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). By making a website accessible, your business can be eligible for up to $5,000 in tax credits. 

Improved Performance

It is essential to understand that accessible websites enjoy increased traffic and improved SEO rankings– this benefit has the potential to be a significant boon to your business.  Accessible websites enjoy increased traffic, reduced bounce rates, improved SEO rankings, and better conversion rates. An accessible website means that you’re making it easier for people to find your website.

A new study by Semrush analyzed 847 web domains and found that:

– There was a 12% average increase in overall traffic for all domains 
– 73.4% of domains saw growth in organic traffic
– 66.1% of all domains saw growth in organic traffic of up to 50%

With Google constantly calculating search engine result page (SERP) rankings by evaluating sites based partly on web page usability and user experience, it logically follows that websites with more accessibility features would be prioritized over sites without those accommodations.

Widen your user base

By opening up your websites to 15% of the global population that lives with a disability, you tap into a market with a spending power of $8 trillion (based on the Valuable 500 research).

Not only do you widen your user base when you become accessible, but you also provide a better experience for all users, regardless of their ability.

Brand Reputation

Brand reputation and social responsibility are crucial for businesses, and web accessibility is an essential part of this. To be in line with legislation and maintain a brand reputation, your business needs a web accessibility solution. Once you implement an accessibility solution, you will have an accessibility statement– and that says a lot about your brand.

The Legal Requirement – ADA, WCAG, and web accessibility lawsuit trends:

ADA 

The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, an American civil rights law passed in 1990. It’s America’s most important law regarding accessibility and civil rights for people with disabilities. In 2018, the DOJ clarified that the ADA covers web accessibility.

WCAG 

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a massive guidebook that explains how accessible websites should look and operate for people with disabilities. While it is not stated in the ADA, the WCAG has been widely accepted as the industry standard for being ADA-compliant.

The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, an American civil rights law passed in 1990. The law prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places open to the general public. Since 2018, the ADA also covers websites, as they’re considered public places of accommodation. That is why making your website accessible is crucial for meeting ADA legal requirements. 

It’s important to note that the ADA does not specify the criteria for a compliant website, yet today’s industry standard is to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG). 

The WCAG is a technical guidebook explaining how websites should look and operate for people with disabilities. So, by following the WCAG guidelines, you are making your website ADA-compliant.

Web accessibility lawsuit numbers and trends

In recent years, there has been a surge in state court lawsuits regarding web accessibility. 2023 saw a record-breaking number of lawsuits and demand letters under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with 4,605 lawsuits filed. It is estimated that only 3% of demand letters go to trial, as the majority, approximately 97%, are settled beforehand. This indicates that over 100,000 business owners received demand letters in 2023 for failing to make their websites accessible. Moreover, organizations and businesses can be fined up to $150,000 for ADA violations, while the average ADA website lawsuit settlement typically ranges “from $20,000 to $50,000.

For your reference, see the demand letters trend below: 

SiteBuilder Design has partnered with leading web accessibility solution providers to help your business achieve WCAG and ADA compliance without breaking the bank — contact us today to make your site web-accessible for 2024!