Accessibility in design and ecommerce is not just a courtesy; it’s an essential aspect of inclusive and effective business practice. Beyond complying with legal standards, accessibility ensures that digital platforms, especially in ecommerce, are usable and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Failing to prioritize your customers’ needs can result in a negative brand image and put your business in a vulnerable position if ADA compliance standards are not met.

The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) provides equal opportunity to people with disabilities. Adhering to ADA standards is not only a legal requirement but also a moral imperative for businesses.

Understanding the importance of integrating accessibility into design and websites is of the utmost importance. Doing so opens doors to a broader audience, including millions of individuals with various disabilities, and guarantees that no one is left behind in our rapidly evolving digital landscape. Accessible design is beneficial to users with disabilities and typically leads to clean, intuitive interfaces that enhance the experience for all types of users. By embracing accessible design, businesses can boost their digital presence, broaden their market reach, and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and equality.

It’s important to recognize that search engines like Google prioritize the usability of webpages. When different factors are comparable, websites that offer more accessible content tend to achieve better performance in search results. This approach underscores the value of accessibility not just in ethical terms but also as a key factor in online visibility and engagement

Key Accessibility Principles
At the heart of creating an accessible digital space are four fundamental principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These principles, established by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), serve as the foundation for building websites and applications that are accessible to people with a range of disabilities. 

• Perceivable
  Think of perceivability this way: we all experience the web differently, and your goal should be to make that experience as inclusive as possible.
  
  Imagine you’re browsing a website and come across an image. If you have a visual impairment, you’re likely to have a diminished experience compared to someone who doesn’t. Here’s where alt-text becomes crucial. By providing descriptive text for images and videos, screen readers can narrate these images to visually impaired users.
  
  What about videos? Ever tried to watch a video in a noisy place without headphones? Video captions are vital for those with hearing impairments. Captions make it so everyone can follow along no matter their hearing ability.
  
  To make your content perceivable, you’ll need to make sure it can be presented in a variety of different ways. Offering the option to change text size or switch to a simpler layout can make a world of difference. Adaptability guarantees that no matter how someone interacts with your content, they won’t miss out on the information they seek.
  

• Operable
  Operability in web design is the practice of making your website a breeze to navigate and interact with. Let’s say you’re eager to explore a website, but using a mouse isn’t an option. Keyboard accessibility can transform the experience, allowing users to navigate between links gracefully, activate dropdown menus, and interact with various features all with just a few keystrokes. This turns potentially challenging navigation into a smooth journey and opens up your digital world to a wider audience.Consider timed elements on your site, such as forms or quizzes. It’s essential to provide an option to extend these time limits. This thoughtful gesture ensures that everyone, regardless of their reading or typing pace, has plenty of opportunities to engage with your content fully.When it comes to visual aspects, think about those rapidly blinking ads. They’re not just a distraction but can pose serious risks to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy. By keeping the flashy elements of your site in check – ensuring nothing flashes more than three times in a second – you’re improving aesthetics and safeguarding user health at the same time.

  Finally, navigating your website should be straightforward, not a puzzle. This is where intuitive navigation tools like breadcrumbs and well-structured menus play a vital role. Breadcrumbs provide a clear trail of where you’ve been, making it easy to backtrack or understand your current location on the site. Menus should serve as clear signposts, directing users efficiently to their desired information. Together, these tools create a user-friendly map, resulting in a smooth and confusion-free journey for all visitors.

• Understandable
  What’s the key to making your website understandable? Keep it simple. Inclusive design should include a writer. Ditch the fancy jargon and strive for plain, everyday language. Imagine explaining your site to a friend over coffee – that’s the simplicity we aim for. This way, everyone can understand what you’re saying, no matter their background.Now, think about how things work on your site. When users click a ‘submit’ button, they expect it to do just that – submit their info, not take them to a different page. This kind of predictability in your design helps users feel at ease and in control as they navigate your site. Mistakes happen, but when they happen on your site, be specific. Instead of throwing up a vague “error” message, tell users what went wrong and how to fix it.Consistency is key. Keeping a uniform look and feel across your website – from navigation to labels – is important and helps avoid confusion. Once users get the hang of navigating one part of your site, they’ll have an easier time everywhere else.

• Robust
  Think of robustness as the backbone of your website. It’s important that your website stands strong and accessible, no matter what technology your users have access to.
  
  So, how do we achieve this? Clean, standards-compliant HTML and CSS. Using clean code results in a website with a solid and reliable structure. But it doesn’t stop there. Think about the future – technology is always evolving. Your website should be ready to meet new tech head-on with flexible and forward-thinking code. This foresight isn’t solely for future compatibility, it’s crucial for optimizing current performance as well. Implementing flexible code can lead to enhanced website performance and faster page loads, which are key factors in improving organic search rankings and boosting user satisfaction.
  
  Consider practical applications, like adding videos. Are you including text transcripts or captions? This practice benefits users today and remains valuable in the future. As emerging technologies evolve to interact with your site, they can still interpret and accurately present your content.Another part of robustness is regularly testing your website with a variety of tools and technologies. This could mean checking your site with different screen readers, browsers, and devices to catch and fix any issues that might block or hinder access.In essence, robustness is about crafting a website that’s for the here and now as well as the future. Laying down a strong, adaptable foundation establishes your website as a lasting and welcoming place for everyone.

Embracing Accessibility for Growth
Integrating accessibility is a strategic step towards broadening your customer base and fostering business growth. By making your digital space accessible, you’re not only complying with standards, but tapping into a wider, often underserved audience. Viewing accessibility as an ongoing commitment can set your business apart, fostering a reputation for inclusivity and care. Adopting these practices will contribute to your own growth as well as a more equitable digital world for everyone.

Stay tuned for the second part of our series, where we will thoroughly explore accessibility hurdles in ecommerce. We’ll also offer practical solutions to effectively tackle these challenges.