Expertise
What is accessibility and why does it matter?
One in four Americans has a disability (over 25%). That means one in four potential customers could struggle to engage with your brand. Accessibility is about making sure every person who wants to engage with your brand actually can. If communications don’t work for them, they don’t work. Period.
Accessibility doesn’t apply to a group of people on the fringe. Glasses. Captions. Screen readers. These are everyday tools that shape how people experience information. Accessibility isn’t the bridge. It’s the road. And the brands that pave it well don’t just look good. They perform better.
WCAG: The global standard
WCAG, short for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, is the blueprint for online inclusion. WCAG is less about compliance and more about making sure everyone can actually use content. For marketers, WCAG helps build digital experiences that protect brands, expand audience reach.
The best way to get there is culture, not checklists. When creative teams understand how people rely on accessibility features, they design with purpose. We build accessibility into our company culture, with every new (add)venturist completing accessibility training during onboarding. It’s not policy. It’s empathy. And that foundation helps our teams build barrier-free experiences for the diverse audiences our client-partners care about.
Accessibility specialists and tools
Working with healthcare brands means we often speak to audiences with higher likelihood of impairment. That’s why every part of our team—from strategy and design to content and production—collaborates to ensure deliverables aren’t just beautiful but accessible.
Our content strategists, for example, write with inclusivity in mind. Even small word choices matter. Consider this example of a commonly encountered call to action (CTA):
Less inclusive: See our website for more info
More inclusive: Visit our website for more info
It’s a subtle shift, but one that welcomes everyone.
And for non-sighted users, we craft alt text that paints a picture. Alt text turns the visual into the verbal, helping audiences engage with the full experience.
Accessibility boosts SEO and digital performance
Accessibility is a good strategy. Search engines reward accessible websites with higher rankings, stronger engagement and better conversion. It has a direct impact on how long people stay with content and whether they come back. For instance, adding captions to video can increase view time by up to 40%, and viewers are 80% more likely to watch to the end. On the flip side, poor accessibility drives customers away. In fact, 71% of users with accessibility needs leave a site they find difficult to use.
Features like descriptive alt text, logical heading structures and clear navigation often translate directly into:
- Higher rankings in search results
- Increased organic traffic
- Better engagement and lower bounce rates
- Higher conversion rates
So yes, helping people helps performance.
Accessibility isn’t just a nice to have, it’s also the law
Beyond improved user experience, accessible design protects brands from legal risk. Non-compliance can lead to litigation, fines and reputational damage. In 2023, there were 4,605 digital accessibility lawsuits filed in the U.S. Key regulations include:
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Section 508 (Rehabilitation Act – U.S.)
- WCAG (Global)
- EAA (European Accessibility Act)
Smart brands treat compliance as the floor, not the ceiling.
Good design IS accessible design
Great design doesn’t sacrifice clarity for cleverness. It makes information easier to read, navigate and understand. When that happens, everyone benefits. Incorporate design principles to include:
- Clear space and uncluttered layouts
- Adequate spacing around interactive elements
- Avoiding long blocks of centered text
- Strong color contrast for key messaging
Good design doesn’t shout. It speaks clearly.
Accessibility is today’s responsibility and tomorrow’s advantage. The brands that get it right now won’t just meet standards—they’ll set them. And in doing so, they’ll earn the trust and loyalty that competitors can’t buy.
