The Increased Importance of Digital Accessibility in America
So much has changed during the past year, and computers, the internet, and mobile options have played a significant role. Imagine if you could not effectively access, use, or take advantage of these now essential tools to perform even the most basic tasks. Digital accessibility has become instrumental in the way that we learn, work, shop, travel, and view the world. One of the best methods for ensuring that your website measures up to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance standards is to use an AI-powered solution that provides an accessibility interface that customizes your website according to each visitor’s needs. Accessible Internet offers our clients powerful compliance protection to prevent potential lawsuits and ensure digital accessibility for everyone who visits their website.
The Classroom Comes Home
American children experienced distance learning via laptop computers when schools were shut down due to the global pandemic. As a result, many workarounds had to be created to accommodate each user’s different needs and requirements. Many students with vision or hearing impairments and those with physical conditions and other disabilities were unable to learn along with their classmates due to the lack of digital accessibility for educational resources. Enlarged print, video magnification devices, read-aloud text, and other tools are used in the classroom to assist students with dyslexia and other similar difficulties. Since many teachers and schools were new to online learning, it took a while for everyone to get on the same page with video conferencing, e-documents, tutoring and support, as well as web-based tools and services. The good news is that most schools are now well-equipped to meet all students’ needs with digital accessibility and other resources for support.
The Office Comes Home
In addition to children using distance learning to keep up with their education, many employees quickly found themselves scrambling to re-create the office setting at home. At the workplace, all ADA required accommodations are in place to assist employees with disabilities. While working from home, it can be difficult for all staff to have the same advantages concerning participating in meetings or conferences via video communications platforms. It was quickly discovered that most software has accessibility limitations, requiring employees to use online meetings and conference calls for collaboration instead of in-person gatherings. Increased anxiety due to video-based meetings, especially for those with disabilities, can pose a significant challenge. Individuals who are on the autism spectrum, people with low vision, or those who already suffer from anxiety are particularly at risk in this type of scenario. Many software developers and resource platform providers are now aware of WCAG 2.1 AA compliance requirements for the workplace and have sought to make changes to improve accessibility.
Increased Mobile Shopping
Another way that things have changed in America is the way that we shop. While many people used computers and mobile devices for grocery shopping, personal purchases, prescription refills, or placing orders for food delivery, it was a new concept for some. Figuring out how to re-create the in-person shopping experience for individuals with disabilities can be challenging. Time limits on order forms, limited amounts of time slots for deliveries, and ordering that could only be done by phone made things even more difficult for those with disabilities during this time. Many improvements were made with regard to digital accessibility by major brands and services to ensure that everyone was able to get the essential things they need in a fair and timely manner. Alternative options and ADA-compliant solutions have helped to make food, groceries, and other essentials accessible to all.
Powerful Compliance Protection
The good news is that regardless of the platform you have used to build your website, it is possible to achieve WCAG 2.1 AA compliance with just a simple code installation. Accessible Internet offers our clients an easy-to-use AI-powered solution that can render your website compliant within minutes. This solution scans your website to identify any compliance issues and provides visitors with a new accessibility interface when installed. The technology is designed to re-scan and analyze your website content and design every 24 hours to ensure that any new content or updates are also accessible and compliant with WCAG ADA requirements.
This solution is designed to meet all of the compliance standards set by WCAG 2.1 AA, ADA Title III, Section 508, and EAA.EN 301549 guidelines and regulations. Digital accessibility for all is possible with Accessible Internet. This solution works with any website and is customized according to the unique needs of each visitor. Fully automated, this powerful compliance protection requires no additional effort from you or your staff. It begins to work immediately once it is installed. If you would like to learn more about this AI-powered solution from Accessible Internet, give us a call at 1-800-999-9999 or use our online contact form to reach out to one of our customer service agents.