Do you own a smart phone or a tablet? Do you spend lots of time browsing the internet using a mobile device? Do you purchase things like takeaway food or gig tickets using mobile devices?
If you’re the average person in the UK then the answer to all those questions is probably yes. But if you’re one of the estimated 12 million disabled people in the UK it may be more of a struggle.
Since 2014 people are spending more time accessing the internet via mobile devices than desktop computers, but mobile sites often present big barriers for disabled users because they haven’t been properly optimised for them.
According to AbilityNet this means that many e-retailers and e-commerce businesses are missing out on the £120 billion spending power of disabled people in the UK due to a lack of accessible design.
And Ofcom’s recently published Communications Market Report 2016 offers some telling up-to-date insights into how people in the UK use the internet. According to the report:
- 71% of all adults now own a smartphone, up from 66% in 2015.
- 60% of people use their mobile phone to access the internet.
- Over two hours a day on average is spent using smartphones.
- An adult will spend 12 minutes a day on average shopping online.
- Almost two thirds (63%) credit it [the internet] with inspiring them to try new things such as travel destinations, restaurants, recipes or entertainment.
And as far back as 2014 there’s also been data to suggest that mobile users are spending more time using digital media in mobile apps than in any other way. But if an app isn’t set up properly for disabled users then accessibility is a major barrier.
That’s because not all apps and mobile websites, including those built using Responsive Web Design, are optimised for disabled people from the start of the design process. This is where Recite Me can help.
Recite Me’s custom accessibility toolbar can offer e-retailers and e-commerce businesses a quick and easy way to make their mobile sites and apps accessible to people with a disability or visual impairment.
Recite Me’s toolbar has a variety of features that let users customise your mobile site the way they need it to work for them. Amongst other features, it allows them to change font sizes and colours, read text aloud (including PDFs), and customise the background colour.
And unlike similar products that are popular in the market that often don’t work fully for mobile devices (e.g. only offering a text reader function) it offers a total accessible design solution.
Recite Me also provides translation tools that can translate your website content into 103 languages.
To gain a competitive advantage over your e-retail and e-commerce rivals book your appointment today for a product demonstration and free 30-day trial.
