Introduction

As digital marketers, we have a lot to think about. We must keep up with the latest trends and technologies in our industry, stay on top of all new developments in our chosen channels, and always be ready for anything that could come up while we’re developing our campaigns. And it’s not just us as individuals who are responsible for making sure that these things happen—our companies also need to ensure they’re hiring the right people and doing everything they can to ensure their employees are prepared for anything. But sometimes, other factors outside of your control come into play when it comes to creating digital marketing campaigns: accessibility is one of them.

Accessibility and disability

Accessibility is the act of making something available to people with disabilities. It can include making websites, apps, and other digital content accessible to everyone, including those who are blind or have low vision, deaf, or hard of hearing.

1990 President George H.W. Bush established the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in employment and public places and services. The law also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for their employees’ disabilities unless doing so would cause significant difficulty for the employer’s business operations or finances.s

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more employees, whether public or private, to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled employees. However, if such accommodations would cause significant hardship to the business operations or finances, employers are not required to provide them. Reasonable accommodations may include changes to workstations and equipment and allowing an employee more time off if needed for medical appointments.

The Role of Accessibility in digital marketing

Digital marketing is a vital part of any business. It’s not just about SEO, social media, email, and video. Digital marketing also encompasses PPC (pay-per-click).

PPC can be broken down into two models: paid search and display advertising. Paid search occurs when you bid on keywords that users enter into a search engine when looking for products or services similar to yours. Display ads appear next to organic results on websites such as Google Search or Facebook News Feeds, which people visit regularly and may be interested in buying something right away without searching for it first.

PPC campaigns can be very effective but time-consuming and expensive if you need to know what you’re doing. Setting up a Google AdWords account is the first step to running your PPC campaign smoothly.

ADA compliance in digital marketing

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It requires that businesses make their websites accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired.

Businesses can be fined for not complying with ADA requirements on their websites, so you must understand how to make your digital marketing efforts ADA-compliant.

ADA compliance is substantial because it helps businesses reach more customers. It also reduces the risk of being sued for violating ADA requirements.

If you are a business owner, ensuring your website complies with ADA requirements is essential. You need to understand the law to avoid finding yourself in legal trouble. This post covers some of the most critical aspects of ADA compliance and how it affects digital marketing efforts.

Assistive technology

Assistive technologies (AT) are devices and software that help people with disabilities to access information. Anyone can use ATs, but they accommodate those with visual or motor impairment, hearing loss, cognitive disability, or speech impairment. These assistive technologies include screen readers, Braille displays, and text-to-speech applications that are used by people who are blind or visually impaired; voice recognition software used by those with limited mobility due to spinal cord injury; and teletypewriter machines that allow people who cannot speak on the phone to communicate through text messaging.

ATs have become increasingly important in our digital age because they enable us all–including people with disabilities–to access all kinds of content online: web pages, emails, and social media posts, among them!

There are many types of ATs. Some are hardware-based, while others are software-based and can be downloaded onto your device. The following is a list of the most common assistive technologies:

Screen Readers

Screen readers are software programs that read text on web pages. They can be used by people who are blind or have low vision and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Screen readers work with other assistive technologies like Braille keyboards and refreshable braille displays to provide access to digital information.

Screen readers are part of what is known as assistive technology. Assistive technologies include software, devices, or interventions that help people with disabilities access information and perform tasks. Screen readers work by reading aloud the text on a web page so that people who cannot see can still understand what’s on-screen. They also allow you to control your computer using your keyboard or other input device.

Color contrast

Color contrast is essential for accessibility, search engine optimization, and mobile accessibility. Color contrast is also critical for visual, hearing, and motor impairments.

It’s important to note that not all colors have the same contrast level. For example, red and yellow are highly contrasting colors because they’re on opposite sides of the color wheel (see below). But blue-green isn’t as easy on the eyes because it’s closer together in hue than red-yellow:

Visual contrast is the most essential kind of color contrast. Visual contrast refers to the difference in color between an object and its background. For example, if you’re trying to make the text legible, then using a light-colored font against a dark background will help it stand out. It also helps to use a high-contrast typeface like Comic Sans (which could be better for usability).

Alt text

Alt text is the text that appears when you hover over an image. Screen readers use it to describe pictures, so it’s essential to make sure your alt text is descriptive and accurate.

The recommended length for alt text is fewer than 150 characters; this helps with mobile devices and websites optimized for search engines (SEO). You should also ensure that your alt text does not contain any words that may be used as keywords by Google or other search engines because it could penalize your site.

For example, if you were writing an alt text for a picture of an apple, it would be best to write “A red apple” rather than “Red Apple Software & Consulting.” The former is more descriptive and accurate, while the latter is a keyword that search engines could use.

Keyboard navigation

Keyboard navigation is a standard feature on the web, and it’s used by people with motor impairments. Keyboard navigation allows users to move around a page using the arrow keys, which makes it easier for them to use their computers.

Keyboard navigation can be used to navigate menus, tabs, and content areas of your website or application designed with keyboard support in mind. The most common way this works is through tab indexes (tab order) so that when you press “Tab” on your keyboard while holding down one key at a time, you will move through all of your elements until you reach one that has focus or highlight applied (like an active link).

The W3C has a set of guidelines for keyboard interaction that you can refer to for more information.

ARIA attributes

ARIA attributes are an essential part of making your website or app accessible. They allow you to provide additional information about the roles and states of elements on the page, thereby improving how users with disabilities interact with your site or app.

For example, if you have a button with text labeling it as “Submit,” this would be helpful for someone who is visually impaired because they can use their screen reader to hear this label when hovering over or tapping on the button. Similarly, if we want our form fields to be announced by screen readers as “Email” when they’re focused but “Password” when not focused (as opposed to just saying “Text Field”), then we can use ARIA attributes here too!

To comply with the ADA, it’s essential to think about accessibility from the very beginning of your digital marketing strategy.

The ADA is a civil rights law that requires businesses and organizations to provide access to people with disabilities. The ADA applies to all companies with 15 or more employees, public accommodations (like restaurants, hotels, and theaters), and state and local government agencies.

The key here is that you’re responsible for ensuring that your website is accessible if you have any employees at all–even if they work remotely or are just helping out occasionally on the weekends. To comply with the ADA, it’s essential to consider accessibility from the beginning of your digital marketing strategy to avoid costly mistakes!

Conclusion

The ADA is a federal law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. Businesses and organizations must make their services and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. To comply with the ADA, it’s essential to think about accessibility from the very beginning of your digital marketing strategy. The good news is that many tools are available for making websites, apps, and other digital products more accessible