Accessibility is inherently a big part of how users interact with digital experiences. According to WHO, one in six people will experience some form of disability over their lifetime. In the United States, web accessibility is primarily governed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed in 1990 to help address digital inclusion.
Research by ADA site compliance shows the economic impact of web inaccessibility is a whopping $16.8 billion. It can have legal repercussions as well, experiencing a significant increase of 5.44% in ADA digital accessibility lawsuits, with a total of 4,605 reported cases in 2023 alone.
In a well-documented and high-profile case, Domino’s Pizza faced legal action for failing to make its website and mobile app accessible to visually impaired users. This resulted in not only legal costs but also negative publicity for the business.
Federal agencies and the private sector are under increasing pressure from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize web accessibility. Retailers, in particular, have faced legal challenges for not providing accessible online shops, making B2C brands more cognisant of these requirements due to consumer rights and legal actions. In contrast, B2B companies have not faced the same level of scrutiny. However, with the DOJ's heightened emphasis, it is now crucial for all organizations, regardless of their sector, to enhance web accessibility to avoid legal issues and demonstrate social responsibility.
Likewise, in Europe, governments have created a set of regulations and guidelines to ensure the digital space provides equal opportunities for everyone. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), for example, has promoted the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in Europe, outlining the bare minimum accessibility requirements that businesses must deliver. In July 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will be introduced and is even more stringent in requiring equal access to digital products and services throughout Europe. Those who fail to do so could face financial penalties.
Benefits of digital accessibility
Accessibility helps to eliminate barriers that prevent people from accessing digital content or using digital tools effectively. Yet, for businesses, accessibility is usually an afterthought in the design process and not baked in at inception. Designing for everyone shouldn’t be seen as a chore but a necessity for success.
Designing for everyone shouldn’t be seen as a chore but a necessity for success.
Considering that digital experiences play such a vital role in the B2B buyer's journey, ensuring accessibility is essential for reaching and engaging all potential customers. Moreover, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity leads to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and better brand reputation. A study by Forrester found that accessible websites have a 1.5x higher likelihood of increased user retention, compared to non-accessible websites. Furthermore, a study by Adobe found that companies with a strong focus on customer experience outperform their competitors by 80%.
For businesses that ensure their digital experiences are accessible, the benefits are paramount: expanding their customer reach and accessing new, previously untapped markets, increased revenue, enhanced brand image, and increased awareness and reach through improved SEO performance. Accessibility features, like alt text, semantic HTML, and improved site structure, help search engines like Google better index your web pages and find your content.
Where to start?
Accessibility is crucial for those with disabilities, but it can also improve experiences for those without, which means the benefit is felt by anyone that engages with your business on a digital channel.
Considering that digital experiences play such a vital role in the B2B buyer's journey, ensuring accessibility is essential for reaching and engaging all potential customers.
Small actions can have big impact. Even something as simple as closed captions on a video can have great impact. Here are some changes you can make today:
1. Write in a clear and concise way
Language is one of the most important aspects of accessibility. If people can’t understand you, they won’t work with you. Use easy-to-understand language that can bring others on the journey with you and avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to all users.
Aim for a Flesch Reading Ease score that ensures content is accessible to a broad audience, ideally targeting a score of 60-70, which is considered easily understandable by 13- to 15-year-olds. This approach is particularly important for users with dyslexia, as clear and straightforward language significantly enhances their reading experience and overall comprehension.
2. Adopt a considered design philosophy
Designing to WCAG 2.2 AA level standards sets a strong foundation for accessibility. This includes essential elements like high-contrast colour schemes for users with low vision or colour blindness, and larger font sizes for those with difficulty seeing. Beyond these standards, offering additional options like high-contrast modes allows for customisation, ensuring that all users, including those with specific needs, can effectively engage with your website.
3. Add alternative text
Alternative text, commonly known as alt text, is a description of an image for people using screen readers, crucial for visually impaired users. Providing alt text not only enhances accessibility but also benefits SEO by helping search engine crawlers index your site. Approximately over 253 million people worldwide use screen readers, highlighting the importance of this feature. Tools like the Wordpress Alt Text Tools extension can help check and optimise alt text for accessibility and screen reader compatibility.
4. Build interfaces for keyboard navigation
Those who cannot use a mouse or a trackpad to navigate your website shouldn’t have to miss out on the experience! Ensure that all functionality is accessible by keyboard. An interesting set of specifications that addresses this issue is the Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) in HTML, which provides roles, states, and properties to make web content and applications more accessible to people with disabilities who use assistive technology.
Designing to WCAG 2.2 AA level standards sets a strong foundation for accessibility.
5. Make PDFs accessible
Creating accessible PDFs is crucial for ensuring all users can access your content. According to a WebAIM survey, 75% of respondents find PDF documents highly likely to present significant accessibility challenges, severely impacting their experience. To make PDFs accessible, ensure text is selectable and searchable, use headings and styles for structure, add alternative text for images, and ensure links are descriptive. Using accessibility features in programs like Adobe Acrobat can help ensure your PDFs are accessible to all users.
6. Provide captions and transcripts for videos
Adding captions allows deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to follow along with the dialogue, while descriptive audio provides context for visually impaired viewers. Providing transcripts of video content can also benefit those who prefer reading or who may not be able to access the audio. Additionally, offering options to adjust the playback speed can assist individuals who may require more time to process the content.
Key takeaways
Undertaking some or all of the above approaches are easy wins for businesses that are at the start of their accessibility journey. Make sure to follow through with regular audits to ensure a consistently accessible user experience.
Making these early investments in accessibility will allow your organization to remain adaptable to future technological advancements without encountering significant overhauls or costly retrofits down the line.
To see if you comply with accessibility standards, ask yourself: In terms of brand and visual design, do our digital experiences have a modern brand system that has AA contrast compliancy? Do our digital interfaces provide clear and concise information, making it easy for all users to understand and navigate? Are we designing and building our experiences in an inclusive way, or are we digitally biased? Are we creating experiences and moments for our customers and employees that will be great for everyone, not just an online audience?
The first step towards digital compliance is evaluating the current accessibility of your website. There are a number of tools, such as Siteimprove , accessiBe, Userway, that can help you identify areas where you can improve your website accessibility.
As a business, ensuring you cater to all users shows you care, but it can also improve your reputation and your revenue.
