Accessibility

New technology moves fast, and it is easy to get caught up in adoption before fully thinking through the risks. While new tools can improve efficiency and performance, they can also create compliance challenges that may not become apparent right away. That is why compliance teams play a critical role in slowing things down to ask the right questions. Taking this step early helps organizations move forward with more confidence.

In today’s digital-first world, a website is often the first point of contact between a business and its audience. However, not all users experience the web in the same way. For people with disabilities—including visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments—websites that are not designed with accessibility in mind can create significant barriers. This is where web accessibility becomes crucial—and why it has become an essential component of modern content strategy.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all matters. This means businesses must adequately upgrade their facilities and communications technology while prioritizing accessibility and assistive technologies. If your company employs 15 or more people, it must comply with the ADA requirements.

Complying with the ADA is a good start to improving accessibility in your workplace. However, other considerations can take things a step further and make your enterprise one that welcomes people of all abilities and backgrounds with open arms. Here are some features you should consider.

Creating accessible and inclusive workplaces is essential for modern businesses aiming to thrive in a competitive industry. Prioritizing this aspect ensures employees of all abilities can fully participate, contributing their unique skills and perspectives. This commitment fosters innovation by encouraging diverse approaches to problem-solving.

Inclusive workplaces boost team satisfaction by creating environments where everyone feels valued and supported. Embracing usability can position organizations as forward-thinking, ethical and ready to meet the needs of a dynamic workforce.

Zengenti, the creator of Contensis, headless content management system (CMS), has announced the launch of its new accessible site improvement platform, Insytful, in an effort to ensure web content is universally accessible for all.

Launching officially ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD, 16 May) Insytful aims to tackle online inclusivity by combining a selection of industry-leading tools and its own scanning technologies to monitor a website’s accessibility rating, performance and content quality, to improve user experience and SEO rankings.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that online retailers are losing out on billions of dollars in revenue because their websites don’t meet the needs of disabled shoppers. Unsurprisingly, more than two-thirds of disabled online customers click away from sites they find difficult to use, despite the total spending power of this market in the UK hitting £17.1bn [$23.3 billion USD].

This isn’t something that will just automatically improve as technology advances. In fact, the problem has become worse in recent years, as businesses shift to digital it exacerbates the difficulties that many people have.

TERMINALFOUR, a digital marketing and web content management platform has a long history of serving the higher education community. This week they announced the results of its 2017 Global Higher Education Survey. The results highlight significant concerns among higher education institutions about student recruitment targets due to proposed visa/travel restrictions.  In a survey of 391 higher education professionals from 333 unique higher education institutions, 56% stated that travel restrictions will directly impact their institution’s ability to meet recruitment targets.