Why You Need A Website and Technology Accessibility Statement

Creating a website as a platform for your audience involves making sure that it is accessible to everyone. With technology these days, it’s not that hard to make sure that your website serves people with all kinds of needs.

An accessibility statement is a great way to communicate what your website does in order to make it more accessible to people with disabilities that may impede them from interacting with your website.

Keep reading to learn about accessibility statements and how to create one for your site.

What is an Accessibility Statement?

Simply put, an accessibility statement is a public display of the steps you have taken to make your website and technology accessible. Publishing a statement can be a good way to show that you are mindful of inclusivity and care about equal access.

You may also use your accessibility statement to publish any specific instructions necessary to enable the accessibility features of your website.

Why Does My Website Need an Accessibility Statement?

If all websites were accessible, then you would not have to worry about publishing an accessibility statement. People wouldn’t have the need to look for one, either.

By publishing an accessibility statement, you can:

• • Show commitment to equal access.

• • Outline how your website is following legal requirements to be accessible.

• • Provide instructions on how to use the website’s accessibility features.

• • Demonstrate that you care about social responsibility.

In addition to all of these benefits, publishing an accessibility statement can prevent any legal issues due to a lack of accommodations. There is a recent precedent of website class-action lawsuits because of a lack of accessibility.

How To Make Your Website More Accessible?

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) publishes a set of website accessibility guidelines, called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a set of standardized recommendations that website owners can follow to make their site accessible.

How to Write an Accessibility Statement:

When writing an accessibility statement, it is important to keep the target audience in mind. You should not be writing to a particular authority or lawyers, but rather to the users who will be needing your website’s accessibility features.

Start By Reiterating Your Commitment:

Start your accessibility statement by reiterating how important it is to you and your organization that your site be accessible to all. This will show that, even if your accessibility features are not perfect, you are being proactive in good faith and are open to accommodating visitors with disabilities.

Include WCAG Guidelines:

If you followed the WCAG guidelines to make your website more accessible, mention exactly which guidelines you incorporated. Remember that you are writing this statement for your visitors, so don’t just write out the codes of the WCAG guidelines. Instead, describe what each guideline is and how you incorporated it.

Add Point of Contact In Case of Issues:

Make sure you include an avenue for people to request help should they encounter any issues accessing your site. You may include a specific email or phone number for accessibility requests, or you may point them to the correct customer service contact point so that they can escalate their issues.

Conclusion

Writing an accessibility statement for your site is a task that will not take a lot of time and resources and can be very beneficial for a part of your audience. When writing an accessibility statement, keep your target audience in mind, and don’t forget to be warm and helpful.

If you need more help making your website accessible, contact Auxilium Technology to see how our web development team can help. Call us at 301-519-9622 and one of our representatives would be happy to discuss your needs with you.