Compliance and Beyond: 4 Ways Digital Accessibility Gives You A Competitive Advantage

Compliance and Beyond: 4 Ways Digital
Accessibility Gives You a Competitive

Advantage
Statistics show that many web properties are not compliant with accessibility laws
There are various guidelines that govern the standards of web content accessibility.

However, the majority of websites are still not compliant.
 90% of websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities who rely on assistive
technology (AbilityNet).
 98.1% of home pages had detectable WCAG 2 failures (WebAIM)
 Based on a study of 1M websites by AIM, low contrast is the most common reason
(86.3%) for WCAG2 failures (WebAIM)
 Accessibility lawsuits and litigation increased by as much as 181% in the US from

2017 to 2018 (3playmedia.com)
 In 2019, ADA statistics show that 2,256 lawsuits were filed in federal court by
persons with disabilities based on web accessibility barriers (adatitleiii.com)
 In 2020, digital accessibility lawsuits rose to over 3,500 cases, that's almost ten
lawsuits filed every business day in the United States (UsableNet)
 21% of lawsuits are against companies who received web accessibility lawsuits in the
past (UsableNet)
 Desktop websites had 3235 legal claims for accessibility; Mobile apps had 296
claims; Video Accessibility had 150 claims; Combined Web & App had 16 claims;
and Mobile Websites, 3 claims (UsableNet)
 Retailers were cited the most in digital accessibility lawsuits (77.55% ), with food
service companies in second place at 7.77% (UsableNet)
 According to research conducted by Tenon, on average, you can find 279 A level and
106 AA level accessibility errors on a page (tenon.io)
 92% of the most popular federal websites fail to meet basic standards for
accessibility, says a study from the Information Technology and Innovation
Foundation.
Takeaway
Since the majority of websites still don’t comply with web content accessibility guidelines, it
comes as no surprise that accessibility lawsuits have risen sharply in recent years. Many of
the lawsuits filed against digital properties - websites, apps, etc. - results from businesses
failing to meet the most basic accessibility standards.
You can easily avoid lawsuits, and even give your business a competitive advantage, by
implementing simple changes like adding alternative text to images and adjusting the color
contrast on your website. You don’t need to become 100% compliant overnight, but you do
need to show you’re making an effort.
Test your background color and contrast
Statistics show that basic accessibility widgets and automated testing are not enough to
achieve full compliance
Many companies turn to widgets, overlays, and automated testing in an attempt to meet web

accessibility standards. However, these widgets and automated testing tools are not enough.
 Over 250 companies sued had invested in accessibility widgets or overlays
(UsableNet)
 The best-automated testing tools can only catch about 25% of accessibility issues
(boia.org)
Takeaway
While basic widgets are the easiest place to get started with accessibility, they do not
provide the functionality needed to achieve full compliance.
For that reason, you should consider investing in a dedicated web accessibility platform that
allows you to easily monitor accessibility issues and manually address them to achieve
compliance with all major accessibility guidelines and legislation such as WCAG 2.1, Section
508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title III of ADA, AODA and more.
Statistics show that providing an accessible website can boost revenue
The benefits of web accessibility compliance extend far beyond lawsuit prevention. Because
so many businesses have been slow to invest in accessibility, there’s a big opportunity to
gain a competitive advantage, increase market share, and ultimately generate more sales
revenue.
 People with disabilities spend a half-trillion dollars annually (UsableNet)

 73% of the people in the U.K. living with disabilities are unable to complete basic
transactions on more than a quarter of the websites they visit (Click-Away Pound)
 Two-thirds of e-commerce transactions are abandoned by people who are blind
because of lack of accessibility (US Department of Commerce)
 82% say they would often return and spend more with a company that provides an
accessible online experience (Click-Away Pound)
 Companies without accessible sites are losing $6.9 billion a year to competitors
whose sites are accessible (US Department of Commerce)
Takeaway
Improving web accessibility provides a number of tangible business benefits:
1. Creates a competitive advantage

2. Opens your business up to a large segment of the population
3. Aligns with many SEO stats and best practices which help online rankings
4. Increases customer satisfaction
When your business accommodates the needs of people living with disabilities, it stands you
out from the crowd and provides a better overall user experience, which will help close more
sales.
What Do These Accessibility Statistics Mean for Your Website?
The internet has become so integral in our lives that there is hardly anything we can do
without it. Whether you want to shop, eat, travel, or entertain yourself, you can easily do so
by visiting a website or app and clicking a few buttons.
But as impressive as the internet and websites are, not everyone has the same experience
when using them.
The accessibility stats show that millions of people worldwide with disabilities find it difficult
and frustrating to access websites. Leaving your website inaccessible means you’ll be
missing out on a large portion of your target audience that could turn out to become repeat
customers.
Although laws and guidelines exist to make websites more accessible, only a few companies
understand that non-compliance to those laws means discrimination against people with
disabilities.
Now that you know better, you can make the necessary changes to your digital properties,
and in the process avoid lawsuits and create a competitive advantage.
Are Your Digital Properties Accessible?
At Monsido, we know one size doesn’t fit all, especially when it comes to web accessibility
compliance. Our platform will ensure your website complies with all major guidelines such as
WCAG, ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and AODA.

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Compliance and Beyond: 4 Ways Digital

Accessibility Gives You a Competitive

There are various guidelines that govern the standards of web content accessibility.

 Accessibility lawsuits and litigation increased by as much as 181% in the US from

Many companies turn to widgets, overlays, and automated testing in an attempt to meet web

 People with disabilities spend a half-trillion dollars annually (UsableNet)

1. Creates a competitive advantage

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