The nonprofit sector is well known for supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society. So it makes sense that many charities and nonprofit organizations are taking the lead in tackling web accessibility as a way of championing their causes as efficiently as possible.
Recite Me is already helping to make a positive change by providing our website assistive technology to a number of nonprofit support groups, including:
NonProfit and Web Accessibility: A Natural Link
By their very nature, nonprofits actively work towards equality and inclusion, so right from the very start, we have a clear shared goal. At Recite Me, our focus is always on the benefits to the end-user, and how web accessibility technology can bring people together.
Important website functions include communicating the organization’s mission and attracting supporters, volunteers, ambassadors, and benefactors. This is almost impossible if websites are not accessible.
In recent times especially, many Americans are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19, so attracting a wider audience by making websites accessible to everyone is a great way for organizations in the charity and nonprofit sector to be more visible, help more people, recruit more sponsors, and attract donors.
So much of our everyday lives take place online now, that people become excluded if they don’t have equal access to online information. This creates a two-tiered society, something which nonprofits usually work hard to avoid. So again, the shared values between business goals and the benefits of web accessibility are very clear.
Tap into a Whole New Market
Most organizations are shocked at how much more exposure they can gain by becoming more digitally inclusive. Did you know that:
Around 14 million Americans have a visual impairment
Up to 23% of US citizens have a learning difficulty
One in four people in the US have a disability
An estimated 15% of the population is neurodiverse
Over 67 million people in the US speak a language other than English at home
All of these individuals need additional help to read and understand information on a website. Whether it’s changing the way the website looks, what language it’s in, or using a different method of navigation, Recite Me can help make your website accessible to everyone.
How It Works
With the Recite Me assistive toolbar installed on your site, those with sight loss, cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, attention disorders, literacy issues, and varying linguistic needs can access your website in a way best suited to their individual requirements. Users can:
Personalize font size, type, and color options to make each web page easier to read.
Download content as an audio file as an alternative to reading.
Access text to speak functions in 65 different languages.
Have text read aloud at varying speeds.
Convert text into over 100 different on-screen languages.
Utilize a screen mask and ruler for better focus.
Make use of the toolbar’s built-in dictionary and thesaurus.
Switch to “text-only” mode to strip away graphics and page clutter.
Our assistive toolbar is quick and easy to implement on your website, and can usually be installed in under an hour. After that, the results speak for themselves, but we’re still on hand to help. Recite Me contracts come with automated monthly reporting and quarterly reviews as standard, and your dedicated account manager is there to assist with anything from how to drive more insights through our Google Analytics plug-in, to how to market yourself as an accessible and inclusive organization.
How Accessible Websites Help Non Profits
Over the last calendar year, Recite Me made over 400,000 charity and nonprofit website pages accessible. Our 2021 data shows that:
On average, Recite Me users view about 4 pages of an accessible website per visit, almost double the average internet journey depth of just 2.8 pages per visit.
The Recite Me assistive toolbar was launched on average 15,000+ times every month on the websites of national charities and nonprofits.
Over 389,195 individual styling changes were made by users accessing charity and nonprofit sites.
Our translation options were the most popular features on nonprofit sites, with some websites reporting as many as 2,275,398 unique translations.
A Focus on Translation
It’s no surprise that our translation functions are some of the most commonly used, given the diverse audience within America. Data USA statistics show that 13.7% of all United States residents were born in another country. To put that into perspective, that’s 44.8 million people! The most common foreign languages spoken in the United States are:
Spanish – over 41 million speakers
Chinese (including Mandarin & Cantonese) – over 3 million speakers
Tagalog (including Filipino) – over 1.5 million speakers
Add to this the fact that 47% of internet users globally are non-English speaking, and the case for making your website more accessible to non-native English speakers becomes even more clear. So whatever way you look at it, website translation is something you need.
“When your site is available in multiple languages, you attract the attention of an international market. You also become identified as a global brand which elevates your status and improves your reputation.”
Nick McGuire, E-commerce specialist and blogger
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Installing assistive technology on your website is a much more budget-friendly option than duplicating all of your website pages into other languages. The more languages you add, the more expensive it becomes. On average, for a small website of around 10,000 words, the cost of translation would be approximately $1,200 per language – and this doesn’t even cover the additional costs of integration and website management.
Plus, some languages require complicated coding (like Arabic and Hebrew, for example). Then comes the problem of which languages to prioritize. Recite Me removes the need for many of these decisions and a big chunk of the cost in one simple install.
What Have You Got to Lose?
A whole lot! Let’s count the ways that your organization is limited without an accessible website:
The ability to reach a wider audience – 71% of users leave a site that they find hard to use, and 83% of people with access needs limit their internet time to sites that they know are accessible.
Increased traffic and sales conversions – 86% of users with access needs would spend more if there were fewer barriers, and the total disposable income of the US working-age population with disabilities is $490 billion.
An enhanced brand image and reputation – stand out from your competition by demonstrating social responsibility through being inclusive.
Fewer legal implications – it is expected by law that businesses and service providers do not treat disabled people less favorably.
Learn More
You can find out more about the charities and nonprofits that use Recite Me software on our sector pages. If you would like to speak to one of the team about booking a demonstration of our assistive toolbar or would like any further information, please contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you. Don’t forget, you can also check out our free website accessibility checker today.
