{"id":20226,"date":"2022-10-17T11:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reciteme.com\/au\/?p=20226"},"modified":"2024-01-25T16:06:25","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T16:06:25","slug":"why-online-accessibility-should-be-a-priority-for-charities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reciteme.com\/au\/news\/why-online-accessibility-should-be-a-priority-for-charities\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Online Accessibility Should be a Priority for Charities"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The vast majority of charities rely on the internet not just to communicate with their subscribers and recipients, but to communicate their values and attract supporters, ambassadors, and benefactors. This is something that becomes increasingly difficult when websites are not accessible.\u00a0<\/p>

The digitisation of services we\u2019ve witnessed so far in the 2020s is leaving many charities behind. While some organisations recognise that change is required, many struggle with how to make their websites accessible for people with physical disabilities like motor issues and dexterity problems, and those with hidden disabilities like learning difficulties, vision impairments, cognitive differences, and people who speak English as a second language.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Web Accessibility Matters on Your Charity Website<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Charities provide a wide array of services, including information, advice, training, education, and digital resources. As such, charity websites are often among some of the most complex for users to access, making web accessibility a top priority.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Shared Values<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By their very nature, charities actively work towards equality and inclusion for all. So much of our everyday life takes place online these days that people become excluded if we don\u2019t take web accessibility seriously.\u00a0<\/p>

When left untackled, digital exclusion leads to a two-tiered society, something the charity sector works incredibly hard to avoid. So the shared values between charity goals and the benefits of web accessibility are evident.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"illustration\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Championing Your Cause<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The charity sector is well known for supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society, and inclusivity is especially important because the target audience is so diverse and varied. The simple fact is that the more an organisation does to provide access to information, the more people it can reach. So it makes sense that charities should take the lead in tackling web accessibility and ensure their websites are fully inclusive of everyone, including those with disabilities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Online Giving Trends<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As of 2020, there were over 168,000 registered charities in the UK<\/a>, and at least another 20,000 not-for-profit organisations with charitable status. The overall goal of most charities is the same: to bring people who care about a cause together so that they can make a difference.<\/p>

Charities help in many different ways, but the main focus is usually on providing direct help, giving information, or raising awareness of an issue. So how do you make your charity stand out? One way is to mitigate all of the ways digital accessibility barriers<\/a> could stop people from finding out more about your organisation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Competing in the Online World\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s no surprise that the charitable donations landscape changed considerably during the global pandemic. People became more tech-savvy, and we saw a pronounced shift away from cash donations in favour of online giving. This trend shows no sign of abating, even though many charities are now back to operating as usual. In 2019, 51% of Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) study of household donor behaviour<\/a> respondents said they donated in cash, compared to 38% at the start of 2020. This figure slumped to 9% later in the year. By August 2021, the percentage of cash donations had risen to 18%, but it seems unlikely it will rise back to previous levels.\u00a0<\/p>

Given that the future of giving is online, many charity organisations fall short when it comes to digital strategies by failing to focus marketing and fundraising efforts on tapping into online donations:<\/p>