When it comes to website design, usability is only half the equation. To create an experience that reaches your whole audience, you need to factor in accessibility as well.
We blend established usability principles with accessibility best practices that meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to deliver sites that balance user needs and expectations. The result: You expand your reach, enhance your brand, and reduce your risk of litigation.
Advantages to Improving Website Accessibility
Reach a Wider Audience
Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population has a disability, and 54 percent of adults with a disability use the internet. All told, they hold nearly $250 billion in disposable income.
Improve SEO Performance
Did you know that search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) have disabilities? Search engines rely on their limited technology abilities to access website content, essentially search engines are deaf and blind. Websites that implement accessibility best practices are not only more organized and easier to navigate, they are more straightforward for search engine crawlers to scan. This means they are better-indexed and may appear higher in search rankings.
Enhance Your Brand with a Better Overall Experience
When you bring together the best in website usability and accessibility, you create an online experience that tells your viewers you are looking out for them. This ‘online courtesy’ can go a long way toward brand loyalty.
That’s a large group of potential customers who, if they are unable to use your website, will take their business elsewhere.
Website Accessibility Reports
Our Website Accessibility Reports show where key elements of your website stand in comparison to compliance standards set forth in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998 (29 U.S.C. 794d) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
With our Website Accessibility Reporting solutions, you can easily see where your website falls short on compliance — and how to fix it. Our easy-to-use format offers a guide for improving accessibility and usability.
Even better, our reports are scalable. From automatically generated reports to in-depth analyses, you can choose the level and frequency of reporting that fits your needs. The result? Your information is readily available, from desktop to mobile to screen reader.
Pricing is based on the number and size or your website(s). Contact us today for more information or to get started on an estimate. Email or call Patty Bigner, at (859) 240-9654.
What is Section 508?
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998 (29 U.S.C. 794d) states that websites are considered “places of public accommodation” and must therefore be accessible to people with disabilities.
To address accessibility requirements for websites, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) created the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. These guidelines have become the standard for website compliance.
Does My Website Need to Be 508 Compliant?
Agencies and institutions receiving federal funding are required to follow Section 508 regulations. This includes universities and colleges, school districts, K-12 schools, and nonprofits.
Failure to meet the recommendations of the WCAG 2.0 can result in legal fines or loss of federal funding. Many companies, even though they do not rely on federal funding, are upgrading their websites to be 508 compliant either voluntarily or as the result of litigation.
How Do I Make My Website 508 Compliant?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 accessibility requirements define three levels of compliance:
- Level A (must support) – this includes the most basic web accessibility features
- Level AA (should support) – this deals with the most common and problematic barriers for disabled users
- Level AAA (may support) – this is the highest and most difficult-to-attain level of web accessibility