Yes, Cost-Effective Web Accessibility is Achievable!

In today’s dynamic digital world, it is overwhelming to see accessibility becoming a core part of websites and web applications of many organizations. Organizations are gradually realizing that web accessibility is the need of the digital world. 

Can accessibility be achieved in one go in the product life cycle? No, it’s a journey! It needs to be incorporated from the initial stage to the end of the product life cycle. This also means that lots of costs will be involved in this journey. 

So, should organizations be reluctant in adopting web accessibility? Is web accessibility a financial burden for an organization? 

No, never! Because web accessibility is aimed not only for meeting legal requirements but also to make websites and web applications inclusive for all users and increase the target audience. It is a myth that Web accessibility is expensive and can be achieved only by large organizations having big budgets. 

Web accessibility can be achieved extensively with moderate investment of finance if proper planning and execution takes place. 

As an accessibility professional, I have come across some organizations who are willing to incorporate web accessibility in their products but have limited budgets. Cost-effective required budget varies from one product to another as it depends on the product’s nature, market rates, methodology, resources and so on. 

Let’s check out some strategies that can be adopted to ensure cost-effectiveness in the process of attaining web accessibility! 

Incorporating accessibility from the initial stage 

The website or web application should be designed and developed keeping accessibility in mind from the initial stage itself. Following approaches should be implemented from the initial stage: 

• Hire Accessibility professionals: Experienced UI designers, developers and testers with accessibility knowledge should be hired from the initial stage. 
• External Auditing: If an organization does not have experienced UI designers, developers and testers with accessibility knowledge then ensure that accessibility design review and auditing of different templates of website or web application has been performed by a vendor organization. Based on the results of the accessibility design review and auditing of different templates, all the web pages should be developed. 
• ADS: Accessible Design Systems should be created and kept up to date in order to ensure web accessibility is incorporated extensively from the initial stage itself. 
• Native HTML Elements: When web pages are developed with the proper HTML elements, accessibility is taken care to a great extent! 

Web accessibility is costlier if it is incorporated at a later stage or after developing all web pages as it leads to redesign and rework. 

Use reliable software and automated tools! 

Perform extensive research and use reliable open-source software and automated tools available online for accessibility auditing. This will help to save cost. Based on the budget, paid reliable software and automated tools can also be used after extensive research to ensure better output of accessibility auditing. 

A must read: 5 Free Must Have Web Accessibility Testing Tools

Effective cost management 

Generally, organizations are in a notion that attaining web accessibility is very costly but that’s not the case! If web accessibility cost is managed effectively, web accessibility can be incorporated throughout the product life cycle with moderate level of investment. 

In order to manage web accessibility cost-effectively: 

• Processes and Practices: Set up proper processes and practices to ensure that accessibility testing using automated tools, manual checks and user testing are performed in a shorter period efficiently.
• Monitoring: Analyze the accessibility laws & standards, market, competition, trends and user feedback regularly.
• Training: Ensure that the UI designers, developers and testers are trained and kept up to date on the updated accessibility standards, guidelines, requirements and approaches at regular intervals. 
• External Auditing: If the accessibility auditing for a set of web pages is outsourced to a vendor organization at regular intervals, then ensure that the accessibility defects are fixed not only on the audited web pages but also on the other existing and new web pages. This will gradually help in making the website or web application more accessibility compliant at a faster rate with a moderate level of cost incurred.  

Benefits of investing in Web Accessibility

Investing in web accessibility is beneficial for the growth and goodwill of an organization! 

Some of the benefits are as follows: 

• Increases the target audience and widens the market.
• Enhances the user experience. 
• Improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO) performance.
• Makes an organization more socially responsible.
• Shows commitment towards inclusion and boosts the brand image.
• Helps in meeting the Legal Compliance requirements. 

Conclusion

Incorporating web accessibility throughout the product life cycle is not at all a pain! Implement the strategies that suit the product’s nature and maintain cost-effectiveness in attaining web accessibility throughout the product life cycle! 

Cost-effective web accessibility will enhance the product’s sustainability and scalability along with user experience and satisfaction in the long run. 

BarrierBreak can support you with services in attaining a cost-effective accessible website or web application. If you have any questions reach out to us and if you want to get your website or application tested by our accessibility experts, get in touch with our team at sales@barrierbreak.com. 

This article by Namrata Salian is a part of our BB Geek series where BarrierBreak team members share their expertise on accessibility and inclusion, drawing from their extensive experience in the field.