Why Tech and Media Companies with Growth Mindsets Should Prioritize Web Accessibility

April 23, 2024

Credit: UX Indonesia

One of my areas of focus within my current role as Growth Director is unofficially managing internal web accessibility training sessions and documentation. I’ve been so privileged to be part of an organization that prioritizes and values accessibility — and lets me train others on my passion to make the internet more accessible.

Over the past four years, I’ve learned from super-smart experts and colleagues at law firms, other media companies, Deque University, the WCAG, UsableNet, and more about the importance of designing accessible content — not creating content first, then trying to “make it accessible” later. I’ve become extremely passionate about creating a more accessible Internet, and turned this passion into action, presenting to and training over seventy-five employees on the whys and the hows of web accessibility.

I’ve learned that the best way to create a more accessible internet is to continue sharing that passion with others in a way that will stir them to action. This usually means convincing them that accessibility is not only the right thing to do, but also benefits companies from a performance standpoint — which it does. So in the spirit of convincing others to create a more accessible internet, here are a few reasons why I believe that’s true.

1. Creating inaccessible content decreases your TAM by at least 20%. 💰

According to the WHO, 20% of the world’s population lives with hearing loss, and 25% of the world’s population lives with vision impairments. Netflix’s CFO recently claimed a TAM of at least 700MM. If Netflix’s content is not accessible to users with visual or auditory impairments — i.e. doesn’t have audio narration, captions, etc., their TAM could potentially drop to as low as 525MM.

2. Accessibility does not come at the expense of “cool” or “beautiful” design. 🎨

The pushback to accessibility I often hear is grounded in concern that the digital experience will be degraded by using the proper headlines or using live type instead of images of text. But there are smart changes you can make to your design system to allow for the desired design while meeting WCAG conformance. For example, creating a flexible design system that allows for specifying the headline from a hierarchy perspective, but customizing the look of that headline, is a great way to maintain a “style guide” while keeping the content accessible to users with screen readers. WordPress does a great job of building this capability, and other accessibility features, into its CMS product.

3. Accessible content is good, performant content. 📊

Content with headings, alt text, and descriptive text is not only accessible for users with visual and auditory impairments; it’s also great for SEO, and for users with plain text email preferences, old computers, or low mobile bandwidth. Want your story to rank on Google? Create accessible content, and ditch the images of text for live type experiences. Think live type isn’t beautiful? Just look at Apple’s website or their developer emails.

4. Everyone thinks they’re too small to be sued — until they are. ⚖️

I used to attend an annual webinar that tracks the state of accessibility law and lawsuits. According to UsableNet’s 2021 Digital Accessibility Lawsuit Report, web and app ADA suits rose 15%+ YoY from 2020-2021. As more and more people gain access to the internet and become glued to our connected devices, I don’t expect this number to decrease anytime soon. Creating accessible content defends companies against expensive suits and remediation processes.