Businesses are slowly becoming aware of the huge market that consumers with disabilities in the US represent, and are starting to take steps to ensure that their online content is accessible.
At present, 70% of websites in the USA have critical accessibility issues and businesses with inaccessible websites are missing out on total a disposable income for US working-age persons with disabilities of $490 billion.
Making businesses accessible online and in-person increases profits and brand attraction. Assistive toolbar technology is the ramp online that allows people to use websites in a way that works best for them.
Web accessibility in the United States is covered by various federal laws including The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA requires businesses to make accommodations for people with disabilities, including making websites accessible. Businesses that fall under ADA Title 1 or ADA Title 3 must have a website that gives ‘reasonable accessibility’ to people with disabilities. Under Title III, businesses that are classed as ‘public accommodation’, like hotels, banks, and public transport providers, are also required to make both physical and digital accommodations.
To make your website and other digital content accessible it’s essential to understand the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
The guidelines are produced by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web, and define how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. To take full advantage of a WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliant website companies need to provide assistive technology to make those websites usable in the way that it was intended for all.
Recite Me is a cloud-based web accessibility assistive toolbar solution that allows website visitors to customize a site in a way that works best for them.
Recite Me’s innovative assistive technology makes websites accessible and inclusive through a unique range of features. This easy-to-use, award-winning software includes text-to-speech functionality, fully customizable styling features, reading aids, and a translation tool with over 100 languages, including 65 text-to-speech voices, and many other features.
Being able to translate a website live, on-demand, at a click of a button opens up organizations to a wider multicultural audience. In 2019 Recite Me supported over 9 million website translations in over 100 languages.
This innovative software benefits millions of people who currently miss out on online and mobile content; Recite works across all devices, giving everyone the opportunity to use the internet in the way it is intended.
In a further testament to Recite Me’s impact, Recite Me continues to rapidly grow throughout the US. Located in Washington DC puts Recite Me in the heart of the DC Metro area close to many tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon. Matt Cox, US Country Manager is leading the team to expand the company’s portfolio, supporting companies with their accessibility concerns and needs.
Recite works closely with The United States Disability Chamber of Commerce, National Disability Rights Network, and many other Governmental organizations to support people online. Advising companies on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Thanks to WCAG, increasingly strict laws, and assistive technology, the internet is slowly starting to become a more accessible place for people with disabilities, but all businesses need to be aware of the right thing to do, the smart thing to do and the must thing to do, to support people and increase business growth.
If you’d like to test your own website for accessibility, then start with the Recite Me accessibility checker and tester.
