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Digital accessibility has often been treated as a compliance checkbox rather than a strategic imperative. However, overlooking accessibility means neglecting a substantial portion of your potential audience – roughly one in four US adults live with a disability. Beyond the legal and ethical considerations, embracing accessibility unlocks significant business opportunities, enhancing brand reputation, expanding market reach, and ultimately driving revenue growth.
Most companies obsess over SEO, performance, and conversion rates—but overlook 25% of their audience entirely. Why do so many businesses miss the opportunity to serve users with disabilities, and what are they leaving on the table?
Today I’m joined by Michael Paciello, Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye. Michael is a pioneer in digital accessibility and a longtime advocate for creating inclusive online experiences.
Compliance by design is a concept that focuses on incorporating compliance measures into the design and development of systems and processes from the
very beginning. In the context of healthcare organizations, compliance by
design refers to building privacy and data protection into the core of
their operations, rather than treating it as an afterthought or a checkbox
exercise.
With optimized online experiences being paramount to a great customer experience, the importance of accessibility cannot be overstated. Thus, the impact of digital accessibility on brand reputation is profound and multifaceted. With a growing emphasis on inclusivity, brands that fail to prioritize accessibility risk alienating a significant portion of their audience, ultimately jeopardizing their reputation and bottom line.
As brands are increasingly reliant on technology to engage with their customers, accessibility has emerged as a critical component of the overall customer experience. Accessibility, particularly in the digital realm, refers to the design and development of websites, applications, and digital content that can be easily accessed and understood by all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The importance of accessibility extends beyond compliance with regulations; it plays a vital role in enhancing the digital customer experience, fostering inclusivity, and driving brand loyalty.
One key aspect of agile accessibility is prioritizing user journeys. This means focusing on the paths that users take when interacting with a digital experience and prioritizing the accessibility work that will have the most impact on the business.
Agile accessibility prioritizes user flows by shifting focus to key processes and actions that users take within a digital experience.
Agile accessibility is game-changing. In today’s digital age, accessibility is no longer just a nice-to-have feature, but a necessity. It is not only a matter of legal compliance but also a way for brands to demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Agile accessibility refers to the application of agile principles and approaches to ensure digital accessibility. Corb O’Connor explains that accessibility is often associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
