Why Accessibility Matters
What Is Digital Accessibility and Why Does this Matter?
In today’s digital-first world, everything from shopping to banking to education happens online. But not everyone can navigate the digital world in the same way. Digital accessibility ensures that people with disabilities—whether visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive—can access and interact with digital content just like everyone else.
From websites and mobile apps to PDFs and software platforms, digital accessibility is about creating equal access and inclusive experiences for all users. It’s not just a best practice—it’s an ethical responsibility and, increasingly, a legal requirement.
Why Digital Accessibility Matters
Why is digital accessibility important? Because it makes online spaces usable for everyone, including the 1 in 5 Canadians living with a disability. But beyond that, digital accessibility offers a range of social, ethical, and practical benefits:
✅Social Equity: Ensures people with disabilities can participate fully in digital society
✅Better User Experience: Accessibility features like keyboard navigation, proper headings, and alt text benefit all users—not just those with disabilities.
✅Brand Reputation: Companies that invest in inclusivity build stronger brand trust and customer loyalty.
✅Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Many digital accessibility practices—such as structured content and descriptive links—also improve search engine rankings.
When you make your digital products accessible, you’re not just complying with a standard—you’re expanding your reach and enhancing usability for all.
Did you know?
- The number of Canadians with at least one disability has doubled in ten years, a reality that should push governments to help reduce barriers to accessibility, says the head of a human rights organization.
- Statistics Canada data shows that 27 per cent of people 15 and older — about eight million Canadians — reported having at least one disability in 2022, about twice the percentage of people who reported a disability 10 years ago.
What Does Digital Accessibility Include?
Digital accessibility covers a wide range of areas and technical requirements, including:
✅Websites – Ensuring navigation, forms, images, and multimedia are usable by screen readers and keyboard-only users
✅Mobile Apps – Supporting voice control, screen readers, and proper touch target sizing
✅Documents – Making PDFs, Word files, and presentations readable with assistive technologies
✅Multimedia – Providing captions for videos, transcripts for audio, and controls for playback
✅Software & Platforms – Building platforms with accessible user interfaces, alerts, and error handling
To meet digital accessibility standards, most organizations follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the W3C.
Who Benefits from Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility isn’t only for people with disabilities. It benefits a wide range of users, including:
✅People with temporary impairments (e.g., a broken arm or eye surgery)
✅Seniors facing age-related changes in hearing, vision, or dexterity
✅Users in low-bandwidth environments or using outdated hardware
✅People with limited literacy or using the web in a second language
Accessibility is fundamentally about universal design—making digital content usable by as many people as possible, regardless of ability or circumstance.
Digital accessibility helps everyone.
- Text to speech (TTS) gives users the option to listen rather than read when your hands are full.
- Subtitles on videos help people scrolling social media at night who don’t want to wake others.
- Dark mode improves readability and reduces eye strain.
- Smart home devices make daily tasks easier for… everyone.
- Accessible websites improve usability for anyone dealing with slow internet or older devices.
- Headings help users understand the structure of the content, and lists are easier to skim than paragraphs.
- Audiobooks are great for someone who wants to enjoy a book while exercising.
- Voice-to-text technology, which anyone can use to send a quick text or transcribe business meetings.
- Simple and clear language also helps people who are learning new languages or subjects.
Final Thoughts
Digital accessibility is no longer optional—it’s essential. Whether you’re developing a new website, launching an app, or reviewing existing content, designing with accessibility in mind ensures that everyone has a fair chance to engage with your services. It’s about inclusion, compliance, and better business outcomes.
Twenty Second Designs 