The Value of Building an Accessible and Data Privacy Compliant Website

Having a website that is inclusive to everybody and puts its users first is not just a smart business move, but, more importantly, it's the right thing to do.

What Is the Difference Between Web Accessibility and Data Privacy Compliance?

Web accessibility means that any user can navigate your company's website in an accurate and tailored way, including individuals living with some form of disability. In comparison, data-privacy compliance ensures that your company meets all the laws that safeguard consumers' data.

Web Accessibility

As an element of both development and design, web accessibility influences every aspect of a website, from how mobile-friendly it is to whether the content meets search engine optimization (SEO) practices. It also includes a website's usability and interaction with different modes.

The most important aspect of web accessibility is whether users can view, comprehend, and engage with the website's content. Proper implementation of web-accessible practices allows all users — with or without disabilities — to have equal access to information and functionality.

For a business owner with an online presence — or an agency that builds websites — this means ensuring no barriers exist. The latest web technologies and companies, such as accessiBe, can help you achieve this.

Considerations for Disabilities

The people your business services may include those who, for example, have low vision, hearing impairments, motor skill impairments, cognitive disabilities, etc. This segment of your audience may love your product or service as much as any other customer does, and that's why inclusion is important.

A web-accessible design ensures inclusion by providing helpful features such as:

• Content adjustments - increase text, spacing, etc.
• Colors adjustments - color contrast, black and white, etc.
• Alternative text - describing what an image contains

This gives all members of your audience equal access to a user-friendly experience.

Applicable Laws for Web Accessibility

In the United States, various federal and state laws have been enacted to ensure that business websites and their content provide web accessibility. The primary regulation governing anti-discrimination policies in favor of people with disabilities is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It requires that all organizations — including businesses and nonprofits — provide equal access to people with disabilities.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice revised ADA guidelines to include Standards for Accessible Design, which addressed and updated electronic and information technology regulations, including hardware, software, and documentation requirements. Under these standards, all organizations must have spaces aimed at public accommodation, including the internet — meaning a website must be web accessible to those living with disabilities, and compliance is mandatory.

Though there are no direct regulations that affect web accessibility, U.S. federal courts have ruled that such accessibility falls under the ADA's purview. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice has also consistently held that the ADA applies to websites because they fall under the definition of public accommodation.

Outside of the U.S., several laws have also been passed regarding web accessibility in other countries. They include:

• The Policy on Communications and Federal Identity (Canada)
• The Voluntary Web Accessibility Standard (China)
• The Web and Mobile Accessibility Directive (European Union)
• Equality Act 2010 (United Kingdom)
• Online Practice Guidelines (New Zealand)

Data Privacy Compliance

Data privacy is a general term covering the handling, storage, and accessing of a user's personal data. The term relates to how a user's personal information should be safeguarded to ensure no business or third parties exploit it.

There are three components to data privacy:

• Assurance of proper practices for appropriate processing, handling, sharing, and collecting of personal data
• An individual's right to have autonomy over the collection, storage, and handling of their personal data
• Compliance with relevant laws

Legal Framework

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has put much stricter data privacy laws into place. Data privacy laws now cover personal data collection, processing, and sharing.

On top of that, legislation such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) shows the United State’s efforts to follow in the footsteps of the European Union.

The UK’s Data Protection Act is another example of such applicable law.

Privacy Policies

Companies have an obligation to establish specific rules regulating the use of personal data for marketing, research, consumer contact, and auditing. Article 12 of the GDPR requires website owners to inform their visitors of any data collection and processing. You are required to do this by generating a privacy policy that is used to give information about how your website collects, shares, and treats consumer data.

Cookies

Cookies are small fragments of data produced by websites you visit that are saved as text files. There are now laws that regulate cookies to ensure an organization does not exploit any consumers' data.

To ensure compliance with these laws, you can use a cookie consent management platform to automate the process. A company's information technology division has to maintain data privacy protocols regularly. Through such regular scrutiny, you can ensure complete compliance with the relevant laws.

The Value of Being Web Accessible

Here are a few ways that web accessibility adds value to your company's website:

It’s the Right Thing to Do

Making your website more accessible is just the proper thing to do. It ensures that your website is open to everyone regardless of their abilities. This helps cultivate a culture of acceptance and inclusivity — a win for the world.

It’s More Inclusive

Apart from legal obligations, increasing web accessibility facilitates the inclusion of more people. It allows people with disabilities to actively participate in society without depending on other individuals.

It Enhances Usability

Accessibility concerning online website designs promotes the usability of a website. It is likely to be more user-friendly, resulting in a better experience for the consumer.

Examples of such user-friendly features are:

• Closed captions for videos
• Screen brightness adjustment
• Text-to-speech or speech-to-text features
• Navigation of websites by using a keyboard

It’s Good For Brand Enhancement

Generally, companies that support people living with disabilities have a better reputation among consumers. Companies' actions to make their websites more accessible to people with disabilities positively impact their reputation and create an impression of social responsibility.

The Value of Being Compliant With Data Privacy Laws

Like web accessibility, data privacy law compliance also adds value to your company's website and to the rest of the world — here's how.

It’s the Proper Action to Take

Being compliant with Data Privacy Laws is not only a legal obligation, it promotes an ethical and transparent business culture. Through data compliance, people are given autonomy over how their data is used. It creates a more trusting relationship between your website and its users, because of which they will be more secure while accessing your website.

It’s Legally Required

Companies that do not regulate data privacy protection and do not comply with the relevant laws are subject to fines. For example, non-compliance with the GDPR risks a hefty fine of up to 20 million euros, or 4% of your company’s annual turnover, whichever sum is higher.

Business-Consumer Relationship

As mentioned above, when a company puts security protocols to ensure compliance with data privacy laws, they resultantly have fewer data breaches. Fewer data breaches reassure your consumers that your company is taking positive steps to ensure their valuable data is not lost or stolen.

Improves Brand Image

Avoiding data breaches is crucial to maintaining a positive brand image. When users provide their personal data to companies, they expect the companies to protect it and make sure it is not stolen or exploited by anyone. If the data is not well-protected, consumers lose trust in the company and brand.

How Web Accessibility and Compliance Work Together for End-Users

Web accessibility should be prioritized in the same way as data privacy and security. Advocates for accessibility often argue that accessibility is privacy.

Digital accessibility allows different people to navigate web content through various means, including:

• Using keyboard-only navigation
• Text-to-speech function
• Speech recognition
• Screen magnification
• Stopping flashing images, and more

However, if you do not account for these differences, certain people are at higher risk for data breaches.

For example, when a person with low vision magnifies his screen, it becomes difficult to determine whether he is entering his data into the correct field — resulting in the possibility of him entering his credit card number in a field meant for delivery instructions.

For your business to prevail in the digital era, it is necessary to make your websites more accessible and strengthen privacy and security.

Conclusion

Making your site more inclusive to everybody is a moral imperative that should not be dismissed or sidelined. In addition, optimizing your website to comply with all the relevant laws will also ensure that you do not incur any additional costs or fines upon yourself.