Web Accessibility Matters to Everyone

Prioritizing digital accessibility—equal access—benefits everyone, and has never been more important. The cost of not making the effort is growing. Why is it often overlooked?

So, what is Web Accessibility?

Wikipedia has a good definition, but in short, it means making your site accessible to everyone, regardless of their individual circumstances, abilities or bandwidth restrictions. Web accessibility enables sites to be used and understood by as many people as possible.

The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.

Tim Berners-Lee, 
W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web

There are two aspects to web accessibility, what you see and how it works. The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative is actively developing and establishing guidelines and standards (WCAG)  for building accessible websites. Visual design is one part but, how the site is built has the lion’s share of the impact. In order to create a feature-rich experience without sacrificing accessibility, it is important to work with a partner who understands and implements the WCAG standards correctly.

How will it help my organization?

By definition, accessible websites are easy to use by everyone in every  circumstance. This translates to a better user experience for every visitor—which means more time spent on your site, lower bounce rates, and higher engagement. And, havinga n accessible site builds your digital credibility. It’s not a coincidence that many SEO-optimization techniques, and AI evaluation rubrics, are also accessibility best practices.

Where do I start?

Some organizations tackle accessibility problems incrementally, one at a time. Others address them as part of a larger redesign—a ground-up reimagining of your website is an excellent opportunity to ensure it’s accessible to everyone. Whatever your approach, the first step is to find the right partner (or partners) to support you in the rebuild or upgrades. These upgrades can take time, so focus on what has the greatest impact for your site visitors first.

And, be sure to craft a strategy for ongoing monitoring, because every new image, video, and article has the potential to knock you off track. There are great tools (AI-powered and more traditional) but manual testing remains essential. Add an Accessibility page to your website outlining your efforts, how you are measuring and a way to give feedback. Don’t forget your PDFs too.

What if I don’t do it?

Even in our “politically dynamic” US environment, accessibility laws are on the books and likely to be enforced. Litigation is commonplace, even if the federal government becomes slower to enforce. Europe has enacted laws that will be enforceable with fines starting in June 2025. The penalty for inaction is growing.

Ideas On Purpose can help

Contemplating a website upgrade? Consider engaging an expert. Insight-backed digital communication is integral to the what we do. Ideas On Purpose has years of experience designing and developing sites that meet W3C standards, creating accessible PDFs (yes that’s a thing) and partnering with companies to create accessible communications. Check out some of the accessible, stakeholder-pleasing websites, sustainability reports and branded impact communications IOP has created—and email us to get in touch if you need help with yours.  

Photo by Alp Duran on Unsplash
Published 2022, updated March 2025