In this superfast, tech-driven world of ours, digital transformation has become a necessity. Businesses across all industries are embracing digital tools and strategies to stay competitive.
But as we rush to adopt the latest technologies, there’s one critical aspect that often gets overlooked: ACCESSIBILITY!
Accessibility in digital transformation means ensuring that your digital tools, platforms, and services are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. It’s about creating an inclusive digital environment where no one is left behind.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why accessibility should be made the heart of every digital transformation strategy. We’ll look at the business case for accessibility, the legal and ethical considerations, and practical steps you can take to ensure your digital transformation is inclusive.
What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new or modify existing business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This can involve anything from moving your operations to the cloud to implementing artificial intelligence in your customer service.
Number Game of Accessibility
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. That is roughly 16% of the global population. In Canada alone, nearly 1 in 5 adults identifies as having a disability. These individuals represent a massive market segment with significant purchasing power. Ignoring accessibility means shutting out a substantial portion of your potential customer base.
But it’s not just about numbers. Accessibility also drives innovation. When you design digital solutions with accessibility in mind, you’re forced to think creatively and consider diverse user needs. This often leads to better, more user-friendly products and services that benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Moreover, accessibility can enhance your brand reputation. In an era where consumers increasingly value inclusivity and social responsibility, demonstrating a commitment to accessibility can set you apart from competitors. It shows that your business cares about all its customers and is willing to go the extra mile to meet their needs.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
There are also legal and ethical reasons to prioritize accessibility.
In Canada, the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and provincial laws like the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) mandate all organizations to ensure that their digital platforms are accessible to people with disabilities. Non-compliance can often result in hefty fines, legal action which in return can damage your brand’s reputation.
Now, let’s talk about the ethical dimension. Digital accessibility should be every human’s right. The Internet has become an essential part of daily life, enabling people to access information, communicate, shop, work, and much more.
When digital platforms are inaccessible, they exclude people with disabilities from participating fully in society. As business leaders, we should understand that it's our responsibility to ensure that our digital transformations don’t result in inequality.
Why Accessibility Matters
- It's the Right Thing to Do! Making your digital transformation accessible is simply the best thing to do. In a world where technology is continuously woven into the fabric of our daily lives, excluding people with disabilities from accessing digital services is a form of discrimination. By prioritizing accessibility, you're creating a more inclusive digital environment that benefits everyone.
- It Expands Market Reach: By making your digital transformation accessible, you're opening your products and services to a wider audience.
- It Improves the User Experience for Everyone: Have you ever wondered that accessibility features improve the user experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities? For example, closed captions on videos don't just benefit people who are deaf or hard of hearing, they're also useful for people watching in noisy environments or for non-native speakers trying to improve their language skills.
- It Enhances Brand Reputation: Companies that prioritize accessibility are always preferred by consumers. It demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility and inclusivity, which can significantly boost your brand's reputation and customer loyalty.
Real-World Examples of Accessible Digital Transformation
- Microsoft: Microsoft has made accessibility a core part of its mission, embedding it into products like Windows, Office, and Xbox. Features like the Accessibility Checker in Word and the Xbox Adaptive Controller demonstrate how accessibility can drive innovation and inclusivity.
- RBC (Royal Bank of Canada): RBC has been a leader in digital accessibility, offering accessible online banking services and mobile apps. The bank also provides resources and support for customers with disabilities, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity.
- Shopify: Shopify’s e-commerce platform is designed with accessibility in mind, enabling merchants to create online stores that are usable by everyone. The company also provides accessibility guidelines and resources for its users.
Steps to Make Your Digital Transformation Accessible
Now that we know why accessibility is so important with the help of real-world examples, let’s talk about how to achieve it.
1. Start with a Commitment
Accessibility must be a priority from the top down. Leadership should clearly communicate the importance of accessibility and allocate the necessary resources to achieve it. This includes budgeting for accessibility testing, training, and ongoing maintenance.
2. Follow Accessibility Standards
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the gold standard for digital accessibility. These guidelines provide a framework for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.
3. Involve People with Disabilities
One of the best ways to ensure your digital solutions are accessible is to involve people with disabilities in the design and testing process. Their firsthand insights can help you identify and address barriers that might otherwise go unnoticed.
4. Train Your Team
Accessibility should be everybody's responsibility across your organization. Providing training for your developers, designers, content creators, and other team members will ensure that they understand accessibility principles and best practices.
5. Use Accessible Design Practices
Incorporate accessibility into your design process from the very start of your development. This can include use of high-contrast colours, provide text alternatives for images, ensure keyboard navigability, and design forms that are easy to use with screen readers.
6. Test Early and Often
Accessibility testing should be an ongoing process of your web design and development process. You can use tools to catch common issues. But manual testing and user testing with people with disabilities is the best practice for identifying more complex barriers.
7. Create Accessible Content
Accessibility isn’t just about design and development; it’s also about content. Always use clear, simple language, provide captions and transcripts for videos, and ensure your documents are accessible to screen readers.
8. Monitor and Improve
Digital accessibility development is an ongoing commitment. Regular monitoring of accessibility issues is a must. You should always be ready to make updates as needed.
The Future of Accessible Digital Transformation
As technology continues to advance, the importance of accessibility will also grow. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) have the potential to revolutionize how we live and work. And a true digital transformation can only happen if they’re designed with accessibility in mind.
For example, AI-powered tools like voice assistants and image recognition software can greatly enhance accessibility for people with disabilities. However, these tools must be trained on diverse datasets to ensure they work effectively for everyone. Similarly, VR and AR experiences must be designed to accommodate users with disabilities, such as by providing audio descriptions or alternative input methods.
Final Take
Digital transformation is not just about adopting new technologies, it is about reshaping and reimagining your business operations and how you deliver value to your customer. And if your transformation isn’t accessible, it’s not truly transformative.
Accessibility is a win-win. It’s good for your customers, good for your employees, and good for your brand. It’s also legal and ethical. By making accessibility a core part of your digital transformation strategy, you can create a more inclusive, innovative, and successful business.
At REM Web Solutions, we believe that accessibility is the foundation of every successful digital transformation. Our commitment to create inclusive digital experiences ensures that your platforms not only comply with global standards but also designed to empower all users. Whether it’s through accessible design or user-friendly interfaces, we’re here to help you build a digital future that leaves no one behind.
So, as you embark on your digital transformation journey, ask yourself: Is your transformation accessible to everyone? If not, it’s time to make accessibility a priority.
After all, in a world that’s increasingly digital, no one should be left behind—and at REM Web Solutions, we’re here to make sure of it. Contact us to learn more!
