Website accessibility isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s the law. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice passed the Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, requiring all electronic and information technology, like websites, to be accessible to those with disabilities such as vision impairment or hearing loss.
Therefore, healthcare institutions and private businesses are expected to accommodate users with disabilities. “Accessibility involves a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities,” according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Having a website that is accessible means that all users regardless of their disability have access to the information and content on those sites. Not all web designers are aware of the website accessibility guidelines and some institutions opt not to spend the time or money to optimize their website accessibility believing that the number of users who are blind or have low vision is not significant.
Access to Healthcare Information for Disabled Users
Imagine being blind or having low vision and needing to search online for the most current information regarding COVID. Having a disability should not prevent someone from accessing this life-saving information. A person who is blind or has low vision has the same rights as a sighted individual, and should not be put at a disadvantage at obtaining important health information because websites are not set up to accommodate users with disabilities.
Patients who are blind or have low vision need access to hospital, pharmacy and healthcare clinic websites in order to schedule medical appointments, renew prescriptions, access up to date medical information or set up an account in order to take advantage of telemedicine options. It is always imperative for healthcare facilities to make website accessibility a priority and even more important in light of the current public health situation.
T-Base Specializes in Website Accessibility Solutions
T-Base provides website accessibility audits and assistance to ensure your website and mobile apps are fully accessible for users with disabilities, and that your website is compliant with WCAG 2.0/2.1 AA (the international standard for web accessibility), the ADA and Section 508. Having an accessible website empowers disabled or impaired users with vital and up to date information. At a time when access to constantly changing healthcare information is key to staying healthy and safe, healthcare institutions must make accessibility and compliance a priority. T-Base can help you do this today!
