The ADA and Universal Design: How to Talk to Your Clients About Why Website Accessibility Matters
This is the penultimate article in a series I’m writing on accessible web experiences. In the first article, “Why Do We Develop Accessible Web Experiences?” I discussed the “why” of accessible digital design. In “Building a Better Blueprint,” I covered creating personas, user journeys, sitemaps, and wireframes consistent with universal design principles. In “ARIA: 5 Best Practices for Screen Readers and Other Assistive Devices,” I shared techniques for making web experiences accessible for screen readers and other assistive devices. In this article I’ll offer some advice on how to discuss the importance of accessible website design with your clients. When new or potential clients of my agency are the first to bring up website accessibility, it’s almost always for one reason: litigation. Either their company has received an ADA website accessibility complaint letter and needs rapid remediation to avoid a lawsuit, or they’ve heard about another company that received such a letter or was sued. It’s a reactionary need that we’re only discussing because the alternative is potentially costly legal action. Otherwise, clients almost never ask about website accessibility. In the recent RFPs I’ve received for websites, not a single one has mentioned ADA compliance or accessible design, even though…
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