Accessibility at its core is concerned with making your website usable by as many people as possible. Beyond people with disabilities, web accessibility also improves the experience of users on mobile devices or slow networks. These impairments can be complex and time consuming to address, but it is critical and ethical to meet these needs for your users.
In addition, web accessibility development addresses meeting the legal federal and state requirements that may apply to your site.
At Kalen, we are proud to work with our clients to make their websites accessible to as wide an audience as we can.
Over a billion people, about 15% of the world's population, have some form of disability.
By making your site accessible we can enhance the user experience for people with visual impairments, such as blindness, low-level vision, and color blindness. Kalen uses tools and best-practice coding to address a range of visual impairments, such as swapping site colors dynamically or providing necessary information for devices like screen readers. To see an example of these devices, check out this video:
According to the World Health Organization, 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. Textual alternatives to audio content must be provided to users, such as by captioning of video content or providing transcripts of podcasts.
This broad range of impairments includes people who may have difficulty remembering how to complete tasks, understanding content, and may be confused by inconsistent website layouts or interactions. This includes people who suffer from learning disabilities, depression, seizures, and even dyslexia. We can use best practices to assist these users in utilizing your website such as:
People with disabilities concerning movement may have difficulty navigating your website. These issues can arise from a variety of reasons including accidents, neurological/genetic disorders, disease, or even old age. We as developers can help accommodate these users by making controls accessible through the keyboard and assistive device technology.
Your site’s accessibility status can have serious legal ramifications. In November 2018, the Department of Justice affirmed that Title III of the ADA applies to websites. From 2018 to 2019 the United States saw a 300 % increase in lawsuits and demand letters related to Web Accessibility. In 2020 there were an estimated 265,000 demand letters sent regarding this issue. Ninety-three percent of demand letters are settled outside of court for $20,000-$150,000 on average.
Working with Kalen on an Accessibility Compliance Audit could help alleviate or mitigate your risk on WCAG 2.1, ADA Title III, and Section 508 compliance.
