Discover how prioritizing accessibility in digital design can expand your audience, improve user experience, and drive business growth through inclusivity.
The Internet offers unprecedented access to information, services, and opportunities. Yet, for the over 1 billion individuals with disabilities worldwide, accessing such content can present challenges or even become impossible because of design barriers to websites and applications. Around 15% of the global population is covered in this statistic, which encompasses a broad spectrum of disabilities, including physical and sensory impairments, as well as cognitive and mental health conditions.
However, digital accessibility—the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent people with disabilities from interfacing with or accessing websites and apps—has shown incredible power. An accessible digital experience can distinguish between possibility and impossibility for people with disabilities.
Beyond the moral imperative, prioritising accessibility offers significant benefits from marketing and business standpoints. Forward-thinking companies recognise that pursuing accessibility aligns with their goals to provide excellent service to all customers.
In this article, we’ll explore how “User Experience Redefined: Designing for Accessibility” stands poised to revolutionise digital marketing across websites, newsletters, and beyond.
Building accessibility into digital platforms drastically expands companies' target markets. Over 1 billion people globally live with disabilities—15 per cent of the total population. This segment controls more than $21 trillion in disposable income.
Designing experiences accessible to people with disabilities grants businesses access to an enormous, lucrative market. In addition, accessibility features like captions, transcripts, and alt text improve comprehension for all users, capturing even larger markets.
Accessibility also plays into trends like personalisation and localisation, allowing for more tailored experiences. The rise of voice technology makes verbal interfaces more usable for specific disabilities. AI and automated accessibility tools provide scalable ways to embed accessibility.
Forward-looking brands recognise they can expand their reach while building loyalty amongst underserved audiences through digital accessibility.
Pursuing accessibility provides tangible value beyond expanding target markets. Data shows implementing accessibility best practices:
• Increases conversion rates by 7-15%
• Extends time on page by over 65%
• Reduces legal risks and liability costs
• Boosts organic search traffic ranking
Accessibility demonstrates a brand’s commitment to quality experiences and inclusive values. 72% of customers feel more positive about companies that incorporate accessibility.
In product development cycles, implementing inclusive design requires considering diverse users’ needs upfront. This user-centric process improves overall usability.
Accessibility lifts financial results by capturing more customers, keeping them engaged longer, and earning their trust and loyalty.
While the web offers the possibility, just 12% of websites meet basic accessibility standards. Inaccessible sites shut out vast swaths of potential visitors.
Creating accessible websites centres on web development teams building accessibility from the start. Some best practices include:
Logical Information Hierarchy
• Structure pages using semantic HTML elements like headers, paragraphs and lists
• Use hierarchical heading tags (H1 to H6) to organize sections
• Ensure logical reading order and flow
Descriptive Link Text
• Link text should describe destination pages
• Avoid vague phrases like “click here.”
Alt Text for Images
• Concise text descriptions explain non-text elements
• Allows screen readers to convey context, meaning
Keyboard Compatibility
• All site functions work via keyboard without a mouse
• Tab through pages in a logical order
Sufficient Colour Contrast
• Text/background colours have a 4.5:1 contrast ratio
• Benefits low-vision users
Accessible Forms
• Associate text labels with form inputs
• Provide text instructions and error messages
Testing with Assistive Technologies
No single guideline guarantees accessibility. Developers should continuously test sites with assistive tools like screen readers to identify barriers. Users with disabilities should also be involved in direct feedback.
Email marketing drives substantial value - but inaccessible design hampers outcomes. Nearly 25% of email newsletter recipients have a disability. Building accessibility into messages allows fuller engagement.
Fundamentals of accessible email design include:
Logical Semantic Structure
• Use HTML to structure content
• Formats information programmatically
Appropriate Link Text
• It helps screen readers understand destinations
• It avoids generic phrases like “read more.”
Sufficient Colour Contrast
• Links must have at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio
• Benefits low-vision users
Descriptive Image Alt Text
• Provides context for images
• Important for screen reader users
Readable Typography
• Font size no smaller than 12px
• Left-aligned avoids justification issues
Plain Text Version
• Alternative with no design or images
• Back-up for non-HTML clients
Testing with Assistive Tech
Similar to websites, continuously test newsletters with assistive technology like screen readers. Users with disabilities also provide valuable feedback.
Artificial intelligence, automated testing tools, voice interfaces and more shape the future of accessible design.
AI shows promise for radical expansion of alt text by automatically generating image descriptions. Other innovations like digital accessibility overlays from EqualWeb provide real-time modifications to sites.
As technology progresses, pursuing accessibility only becomes more accessible and powerful. Brands that build inclusive experiences before such advancements become standard will gain a competitive edge.
Accessibility flips typical framings of “design for the majority” and “accommodate the minority” after the fact. Instead, it recognises the diversity of users from the start.
Building inclusiveness requires acknowledging biases that narrow our ideas of “average” users. With more empathetic, holistic design processes, experiences improve universally.
Accessibility pioneers like Microsoft, Adobe and Apple underscore this point. Capabilities like closed captioning and voice control emerged for accessibility but proved ubiquitously popular by enhancing products for all.
Steve Jobs once wrote, “When everyone designs for people facing life’s most challenging circumstances, we often find that the innovations created make life better for most people.”
In this sense, accessibility provides guideposts - information architecture, straightforward navigation, quality alt text for images - for constructing excellent digital experiences overall.
Prioritising inclusion redefines user experience as a craft of diversity, empathy, and innovation, benefiting businesses and customers alike. The path forward is clear for digital teams seeking to welcome more visitors, amplify messaging, and demonstrate their values online.
