508 Compliance Consulting Services: The Pathway to Achieve Digital Accessibility

The Internet has revolutionized the way we learn and communicate–letting you find out about anything and everything easily. However, a sizable chunk of the population can’t access this digital information because of physical disabilities. Using digital documents, websites, applications, etc. is difficult for them, if not impossible. According to a survey, around 96% of the world’s top one million web pages aren’t accessible. This implies that less than 4 percent of the popular websites are capitalizing on the disability market.

Think of a visually challenged person who can’t access the information or browse through the web easily. 508 compliance consulting services help you broaden the reach of digital solutions and democratize information. These 508 compliance consultants help businesses ensure that people, irrespective of their (dis)abilities including, cognitive impairments, visual impairments, or auditory impairments can access and experience a digital product/service offering seamlessly.

Complying with Section 508 Accessibility: The New Digital Mandate

Section 508 Accessibility law guides organizations to make information and technology solutions approachable for differently-abled people. More than a legal obligation, conforming to the 508 Accessibility Compliance opens new market opportunities. It has great potential in removing digital barriers and delivering a seamless experience. As the future lies in welcoming inclusivity and diversity—organizations, therefore, must address the 508 document remediation process. Listed below are the primary benefits of improving digital access and investing in 508 compliance consulting:

1. Market Opportunity

Organizations adhering to the accessibility norms can reach out to wider demographics and tap new business opportunities. Advances in AI and automation make accessibility compliance simpler and faster. Professional Section 508 compliance services providers can help in developing accessible content for technology products and services. This facilitates clients to uniquely position themselves in the industry.

2. Product Differentiation

Case in point: A customer with vision impairment may have difficulty in shopping with brick-and-mortar stores. But with the eCommerce application, s/he can overcome barriers and make the best use of the ‘anytime, anywhere’ option.

Achieving eCommerce accessibility enables organizations to deliver a better customer experience. Using professional 508 compliance services, they can make product descriptions and UX elements accessible to the challenged population. Catering to diverse needs not only serves as a product differentiator but also increases the brand value unlocking customer loyalty.

3. Boosted Search Engine Optimization

Achieving enhanced accessibility standards improves search engine optimization. Web accessibility helps Google crawl the website better. One of the most conspicuous advantages is that the website is awarded a higher organic search ranking. Professional 508 Compliance Services can help in adding alt text to images, transcribing audio/video files, and adding captions to videos. Therefore, it is immensely beneficial to engage a provider with good experience in search engine optimization.

4. Enhanced User Experience

Just like SEO, improving digital access is not only beneficial for people with disabilities, but users in general. Features like zooming in and out, speech-to-text, and read-aloud are benefitting the users, regardless of their abilities. Thus, adhering to the accessibility standards helps in elevating the overall user experience. Other than this, 508 compliance consulting service providers can provide additional tips to help businesses enhance their user experience.

5. Positive Brand Image

Businesses that prioritize accessibility create a positive brand image for themselves in the industry. Users acknowledge the fact that companies go the extra mile to cater to their unique needs and provide them equitable access to digital content. This not only unlocks greater customer loyalty but also opens new revenue generation streams for businesses.

At the same time, remediating documents and websites to make them accessible is an intricate process. Specific tags must be added to the standard documents/websites for people relying on assistive technologies to easily access the information. Other factors like color contrast ratio, reading order, entity linking, text description for images, video transcribing, etc., have to be taken care of. Though the process can be managed in-house, it is time-consuming and resource-intensive in nature.

Instead, engaging in professional 508 compliance accessibility services helps in speeding up the process. The document remediation professionals are well-acquainted with the nitty-gritty of the remediation process and work accordingly. So, whether you are a business owner, a content creator, or a website owner, there’s no better time to invest in 508 compliance consulting services.

Way Forward

Abiding by Section 508 accessibility compliance enables businesses to remove the digital barriers and level up their availability for differently-abled users. The professional providers offer custom solutions that can address obstacles towards digital accessibility. They act as an efficient bridge between businesses and customers, facilitating a rare win-win.