Is It Worth It To Hire A Web Accessibility Specialist?

As mentioned in our previous article, web accessibility lawsuits are increasing exponentially, but you can prevent a case by hiring a web accessibility specialist. A web accessibility specialist ensures that a website is accessible to everyone with a disability and complies with the ADA. They evaluate the website’s content and determine what changes need to be made for accessibility to be achieved. While there are many benefits to consulting a web accessibility specialist, below are the three reasons that most strongly resonate with us.

A Web Accessibility Specialist is Cheaper Than a Lawsuit

Sheri Byrne-Haber, a disability advocate and accessibility architect, says web accessibility specialists cost “a minimum of $100 an hour if you are going through an agency, $70 an hour for a W-2 contract not through an agency, and $76 an hour for a business-to-business invoicing relationship.” This might seem like a lot to pay an hour, but it costs nowhere near as much as a web accessibility lawsuit. According to the ADA, “civil penalties may run as high as $92,383 for a first violation or $184,767 for a subsequent violation.”

It typically costs around $3,000 to $50,000 to make a website fully accessible, which is significantly less than the cost of a web accessibility lawsuit. With hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, hiring website accesibility specialists proves to carry significant financial value when compared to the alternative scenario. The longer you wait to make your website accessible, the risk you assume of getting sued climbs (and the number of customers that you will potentially lose rises).

Web Accessibility Specialists Are Knowledgeable About Accessibility Laws

Web accessibility specialists have extensive knowledge about accessibility laws, such as Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Web Accessibility Initiative Accessible Rich Internet application (WAI-ARIA), User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG), Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG), and Universal Design principles. If you try to make your website accessible by yourself, you might miss some of the guidelines you have to follow and accidentally end up with a web accessibility lawsuit.

The web accessibility laws and guidelines contain a substantial amount of information that takes a long time to study. A web accessibility specialist already knows this information and can apply it to your website so it will be completely ADA compliant. You don’t want to spend hours on your website and end up with a lawsuit anyway.

A Fully Accessible Website Allows You to Reach More Customers

Besides not having to worry about a lawsuit, a web accessibility specialist can help you reach the most customers possible by giving you a website accessible to everyone. By adding a web accessibility specialist to your team, customers will notice that your company is inclusive and want to be a part of it. Web accessibility lawsuits have been rising dramatically because companies are not taking the time to make sure everyone with a disability can access their website.

If you show customers that you take the time to include everyone, it will separate you from the competition and you’ll connect with more customers than ever. Able IT Pros specializes in web accessibility—you can reach out to us anytime to talk about how we can help make your website fully accessible! Our website accessibility specialist is available to respond to any questions you may have.