“Is it supposed to be this expensive?”

A client of ours was looking for a reality check. They were reviewing bids to audit and improve the accessibility of their aging site, and the prices were unexpected.

The estimates were fair. While the visual parts of accessibility (fonts, color, structure) are important, it’s really all about the stuff you can’t see.

• Coding practices impact accessibility the most, because code determines how software will parse your site. If your site was not built for accessibility at the start, there’s no telling what you’ll find when you open the hood.

• Changing any code on a live site is a delicate job that requires caution and plenty of testing.

• It’s not just code. Accessibility problems can build up in the actual content of a site as it grows. Those may require many manual hours to find and fix.

According to the CDC, 61 million adults in the US live with a disability. That’s 1 in 4. And it’s not just the disabled who benefit. Accessible code overlaps with mobile-friendly code, device-independent code, search-engine-optimized code, search-optimized code, and more. 

And that’s not even counting the business benefits of being able to say, “Yes, we’re qualified,” when a prospect offers you a next-level sale that’s dependent on compliance.

For next time ...

• Ensure developers are incorporating accessible practices into the code from the start. Or, if you’re using a framework, pick one with accessible standards built in.

• Train your content creators to follow good practices as they work.

• Use accessibility audit tools for regular, incremental improvements to avoid large overhauls later.