Human Rights Day, a global celebration of the universal human rights that today’s world has committed to protecting for every living person on the planet, was celebrated this week. Since 1948, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the holiday has served as an acknowledgement, celebration, and reminder of the importance of fighting for human rights for all global citizens regardless of citizenship, economic status, gender, affiliations or orientations, or disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has served as another important step toward human rights for disabled U.S. citizens.
Web Accessibility is a Human Right
The ADA and WCAG 2.0 guidelines help businesses and organizations get on board with the reality that web accessibility is a basic human right and needs to be treated as such. The web is becoming an integral part of Americans’ daily lives, and this is why access to the internet should be considered a basic human right for all Americans. Part of the conversation around Human Rights Day, is to ask yourself if your company or organization is supporting the human rights of your fellow citizens in one of the easiest and most important ways: making your website accessible.
Determining Your Website’s Accessiblity
To quickly gauge your website’s accessibility, consider the following: Did you enter alt image descriptions when placing all of your images? Is your website’s navigation compatible with assistive technology? Do you have captions for hearing-impaired customers? If the answer to any of these is no, it’s safe to say that your website is not accessible and you have some further considerations to make. If you're still not sure where your website falls or want more detail about your unique situation, you can use our tool to check your website’s accessibility or speak to one of our accessibility experts.
Because of a recent increase in legislation surrounding website accessibility, companies are quickly hopping on board to make sure their websites comply with the current standards and federal guidelines. It's not too late to get started. Being proactive about website accessibility will not only help you win new customers, it will help you avoid any legal issues for your company. If your website is not accessible yet, don’t let it overwhelm you. With the right experts walking you through the basics, making your website accessible is easier than ever. There is no better time than during the celebration of Human Rights Day to think about these issues and make sure you’re putting your best foot forward for your company and your customers.
