Did you see our recent article about the mistaken belief that all websites and PDFs are accessible by default?

If not, you should check it out, but spoiler alert - they aren’t.

Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer, Jenny Lay-Flurrie says, “If you don’t know it’s accessible, it’s probably not.” 

Now, you might say “no one has ever complained, so what's the problem?”

But, just because nobody has actually told you that you’ve got an accessibility problem doesn’t mean that you haven’t got one… 

You just don't know that there's a problem, or you don't know the full extent of it... What you've been told might only be the tip of the iceberg.

In reality, people simply don’t complain or won’t make you aware of it - they just go elsewhere or give up in frustration and exasperation. 

The percentage of people who abandon a problematic website is as high as 69%, according to The Click Away Pound Report.

And 75% of users with access needs said they felt that accessibility is more important when making spending decisions than price.

The same report said that only 8% of users with access needs contacted the website owner about barriers they experienced.

Do you complain when you receive poor service or you can't do something online? Have you ever complained about a website or not being able to read a PDF? If you complained, was anything done about it? Would you feel comfortable speaking up about poor accessibility? 

Put yourself in your users' shoes. What if they were partially sighted or had other accessibility issues? How would they feel about you and your business or organisation?

Accessibility by default isn’t a given, and poor design choices can inadvertently exclude people with disabilities from accessing your electronic assets, just as the lack of a ramp and lift prevents disabled users from accessing your physical premises and spaces.

This matters. Because if people can’t access your website or read your PDFs then not only are you missing out on lucrative potential customers, clients and service users but you could also be fined and your reputation damaged along with it.

What can you do?

The first step in fixing a problem is knowing what the problem is. Then, once you know the extent of the problem and what the issues are you can do something about it.

Bnode provides Accessibility Audits and delivers Accessibility Training. In the first instance, we’ll audit and assess your existing website and make recommendations for improvement. Bnode are your ideal partner for accessible web design and development should a completely new and fully accessible website be required. We’re specialists in inclusive web design and build in West Yorkshire and the wider Yorkshire region. We’ll also work with you to make your PDF documentation more accessible, so get an Accessibility Audit and Review for your PDFs as well as your website. Professional PDF Accessibility by Bnode, includes Section 508 and ADA Compliance.

Don’t leave it to chance. Having a way to measure how accessible you are not only demonstrates that you care about Accessibility and the needs of your customers, clients and users, but also ensures a consistent approach across all of your digital assets and resources.

As well as auditing your digital assets and resources, the Bnode MD, Chris Naylor, will also train you and your employees, members of staff, stakeholders or volunteers in all aspects of Accessibility and Inclusivity, so they’re fully aware of the simple steps they can take to make your electronic assets more accessible.

Get in touch today about an accessibility audit, training and workshops.