Integrating Digital Accessibility Into Your Business
In an era where digital interactions are integral to business success, ensuring accessibility for all users is not just a legal and ethical obligation but also a strategic advantage. Integrating digital accessibility into the small business governance model has benefits with enhancing the business brand.
The first step in building a small business is to create an Action Plan with clearly defined goals and measurable milestones. Consumers have access to a global market and will favour those businesses that express values similar to their own and respect the dignity of a diverse population. So, the Action Plan must include activities and events that demonstrate your values of respect and integration of minority groups.
The second step is to Engage and Communicate with diverse network groups. Creating an inclusive culture starts with the business leadership, and should influence the attitude of employees and partners when promoting the business. Change will not take place if leadership does not exemplify the desired attitude. The website is your business store front window to the world, and therefore must comply with digital accessibility communication standards to reach a diverse population.
The third step is to create a sustainable business strategy. You can easily find yourself slipping into bad habits if your values don’t become core to your business mentality. The aim is to foster a culture of continual innovation and quality improvement. So, core business values based on digital accessibility communication standards and human right policies will ensure flexibility and reputation. Accessibility has become a mainstream requirement that can transform the business, and every part of the organization should be involved in creating a holistic strategy for embedding accessibility across the entire enterprise. Accessibility should be viewed as an investment, and not a cost burden. Investing in a well-defined accessibility strategy will only improve development effectiveness, testing efficiencies, and user satisfaction. Fundamentally, accessibility is about expanding market opportunities to achieve sustainable growth in revenue, return on investment, and profitability; And not just about meeting legal compliance.
Accessibility Benefits
Digital accessibility involves creating digital content and technologies that are usable by individuals with disabilities, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and interact with online content and applications. Some benefits are:
- Drive Innovation: Accessibility features in products and services often solve unanticipated problems.
- Enhance Your Brand: Diversity and inclusion efforts with a clearly defined integrated accessibility commitment has proven to be an important success factor.
- Extend Market Reach: The global market of people with disabilities is over 2 billion people with a spending power of more than $6 trillion. Accessibility often improves the online experience for all users.
- Minimize Legal Risk: Many countries have laws requiring digital accessibility, and the issue is of increased legal concern.
Accessibility Training
Want to learn more about digital accessibility and social inclusion for a successful business strategy? Check out some workshops and then schedule an information training session for your team.
- Screen Reader Demonstration
In this workshop learning session you will learn about screen readers and how they are used. - The Business Of Accessibility
An introduction to the accessibility business case for entrepreneurs. Competing in a global market requires strategic planning with effective digital communications and understanding customer expectations. Workshop: Key considerations when building accessibility into communications, products, and services (Legal, design, technical development guidelines). Hosted by WEtech Alliance, November 29, 2023. - Business Communication Basics
Introduction of the business investment into inclusive digital marketing. Virtual marketing is now a reality, and building a successful business depends upon understanding inclusive marketing. In this session you will learn about the fundamentals of accessible digital communications. - AODA Compliance
Introduction to the considerations and compliance on accessibility for startups (An umbrella workshop that captures at a high level what the legal standards are, and why it is important to build better). - WCAG Compliance
Key considerations when building accessibility into communications, products, and services (Legal, design, technical development guidelines) - Accessible And Usable ARIA Design
This session will help front-end website developers understand what makes a website user friendly. This knowledge will give more control over the web page structure, interactive components used, and a look and feel brand that delights customers. - Creating A Digital Presence
Effective digital communication is critical for market growth and for business success. Customer Experience is a recognized key differentiator for competing organizations. In this workshop learning module we will consider the digital design components for effective communication. - Inclusive Digital Design
Design is not necessarily Inclusive (good will and best intentions will not achieve expectations). Design requires a roadmap or a strategic approach to achieve a unique expectation. It defines the specifications, plans, parameters, costs, activities, and processes to achieve that expectation. In this workshop session you will learn about the design principles, the design models to consider, The accessibility design components, and The User Interface and User Experience roles in the design process. - Entrepreneurs Breaking Barriers
Unlocking Business Potential Through Accessibility! Hosted by WEtech Alliance, May 18, 2023. - Sensory Harmony: Imagining Universal Integration
Innovation is the intersection of collaboration and creativity. Hosted by Hackforge, May 31, 2024 - Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024
Innovation and collaboration is the intersection of creativity. The third Thursday of each May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Hosted by Hackforge, May 16, 2024. - International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023
Bridging The Economic Prosperity Gap. Global Disability Awareness Day Webinar. Hosted by WEtech Alliance, December 6, 2023.
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