Coding for All: Accessibility in Web Development

Web accessibility is the practice of making websites usable for all visitors, including those with disabilities, impairments, and limitations. Web accessibility involves following certain design principles which ensure that people who experience difficulties or limitations have the same or a similar experience as those who do not. This ensures your content is accessible for every user.  

Who manages web accessibility on the internet?

So, who's in charge of the web accessibility initiative and works to enforce it across the internet? The answer is the members of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WIP) of The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These organizations are responsible for publishing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (which we'll review below) and related content.  

Why is web accessibility important?  

As mentioned, web accessibility makes your website — and its content — more user-friendly and easy to understand for all visitors. This includes those with disabilities and limitations, such as:  

• Blindness
• Low vision
• Learning disabilities
• Cognitive disabilities
• Deafness
• Hearing loss
• Speech disabilities
• Physical disabilities  

Is Web Accessibility optional?

Web accessibility isn't optional; it's a must-have, which is why web accessibility is significant. By prioritizing your site's level of accessibility, you will enhance the user experience for all of your visitors — including those with disabilities or limitations who land on your site.  You'll also demonstrate your company's commitment to inclusivity. By doing this, you show your visitors, leads, and customers that you value and care about them as individuals — and in return, this investment will boost your brand loyalty and advocacy.  Meeting web accessibility standards may sound like the right thing to do at this point (and it is) — but is it required of you by law?  

How is web accessibility enforced?

Long story short, there aren’t any enforceable laws related to website accessibility unless you run a government website. In that case, you must abide by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act guidelines. However, just because web accessibility isn’t a formal law doesn’t mean your business will automatically avoid a lawsuit. There are multiple cases in which major companies have been sued for lacking an accessible website.  In fact, between the years of 2017 and 2018, there was an increase of 181% in the number of filed federal court lawsuits.