Why digital accessibility is vital for global businesses

Digital accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. For global businesses, it’s a must. Making your website and digital content accessible to everyone has many benefits. It improves user experience, broadens customer reach and promotes inclusivity. It also boosts your reputation. How can language services providers help you with your digital accessibility efforts? Read on to find out more.

What is digital accessibility?

You’re likely to be familiar with physical accessibility features in public spaces. Braille signage for blind and partially sighted people, for example. Digital accessibility means making sure that everyone can use websites and apps easily. You might also hear people referring to it as web accessibility. It means designing digital content in a way that offers all users a smooth online experience.

Why is digital accessibility important?

As a society, we’re becoming ever more reliant on digital devices. So digital content needs to be easy for everyone to access. That’s where digital accessibility comes in. It’s about removing barriers to inclusion.

Who benefits from accessible digital content?

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people have a disability. That’s one in six of us. This figure is growing, too, because the world’s population is ageing. As people age, they are more likely to develop a physical or cognitive impairment. That’s a huge number of people with access needs. People who may be your customers or employees.

Similarly, there are situational and temporary disabilities to consider. Think about how difficult it can be to follow a conversation in a noisy environment. Or to carry on with your daily routine with a broken arm.

What’s more, disabilities can be visible or non-visible. In fact, around 70–80% of disabilities are hidden. In short, digital inclusion and accessibility benefits everyone.

Masking, code-switching and the hidden work at work

Not everyone will tell you if they have a disability. Many disabled people fear discrimination in the workplace. But hiding a disability can be exhausting. On top of the challenges a disabled person faces, this lack of psychological safety takes a huge toll.

Code-switching is the practice of alternating between one language and another in conversation. If you work for a global business, you may already be familiar with this phenomenon. And how tiring it is! Code-switching is also common among people from underrepresented groups. They may adjust their language, behaviour or appearance to fit in. Whether it’s a conscious or unconscious choice, code-switching can lead to burnout.

Consider a swan gliding across a lake. What we don’t see is the furious paddling below the water’s surface. Fostering true inclusion takes time and effort. It starts with legal compliance and reasonable adjustments. How to help your employees thrive and encourage your customers to become ambassadors? Here are our tips.

1. Translate your content

Accommodating people’s language preferences is a great way to boost inclusion.

Firstly, let’s consider your customers. CSA Research asked 8,709 consumers across 29 countries about their buying preferences. They found that 76% of online shoppers prefer to read information in their own language. Furthermore, the report showed that 40% would never buy from a website in another language. So it’s essential to localize your website if you want to appeal to global customers. In short, it improves online experience and boosts engagement.

Likewise, in the B2B segment, businesses also expect information in their own language. However, CSA Research found that not many firms invest in language services.

Meanwhile, in the workplace, expecting employees to speak one common language marginalises talent. Language barriers also risk worker safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says they are a factor in 25% of accidents at work. Providing training in your employees’ native language can help keep them safe. What’s more, eLearning industry analysts say 90% of workers prefer to learn in their own language.

2. Caption your videos

Adding captions to your videos makes them accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Same-language captions can also help with focus and attention for neurodivergent viewers. Adding subtitles allows speakers of other languages to understand your video, too. Finally, captions are a powerful language learning aid. This makes them a fantastic tool for fostering inclusion in a global workplace.

3. Transcribe your video and audio content

Transcripts make your video and audio content searchable. That’s good news for your SEO efforts. Transcripts not only help people to find what they need quickly. They also let people absorb information at their own pace. This makes transcripts a vital part of your digital accessibility strategy.

4. Consider foreign-language voiceover for your video and audio content

It’s important to note that accessibility barriers are not the same for everyone. For example, captions, subtitles and transcripts are great for enhancing digital accessibility. They are crucial for people with auditory disabilities. But audio content is more accessible for others. People who struggle with literacy and those with limited vision, for instance. Many people use screen readers or text-to-speech technology to assist them with this. Your target audience may appreciate narration in their own language.

5. Add audio description to your videos

Audio description is a commentary of the action on screen in between the dialogue. It includes details about body language, gestures, facial expressions and movements. It makes visual content clear to blind and partially sighted people through sound.

6. Add alt text to visuals

Alternative text (alt text) is a description of the meaning and context of a picture, graphic or video. Well-written alt text improves user experience for people with visual disabilities. Screen readers read alt text aloud so that they understand what’s on screen.

7. Check your colour contrast

Some people can’t read text if there is not enough contrast between the text and background. You can check how your brand colours fare with a colour contrast checker. You should also avoid using colour alone to convey information. That’s because people with colour blindness cannot differentiate between certain colours. Include other attributes like shapes and text to make your content more accessible.

8. Simplify your language

Plain language is a writing style that is easy to understand, clear and concise. It’s accessible to a wide audience. That includes disabled people and those with low literacy. It’s not always easy to write in plain language, though. But when you make the effort to create clear content, it shows that you respect your reader and their time. Writing in plain language also demonstrates your credibility and builds trust. Our blog on creating translation-friendly content is a good place to learn more. You can also use tools like Microsoft Word’s readability checker to help you with your writing.

9. Structure your content

Another aspect of readability is text structure. Headings and lists help you organise your content. They also act as signposts for your readers. They can also help readers find relevant information quickly. In web content, HTML elements give semantic meaning to text. This allows people who use assistive technology to navigate to specific information.

10. Know the law

WCAG

WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It’s a set of recommendations for making web content accessible. There are four principles that lay the foundations for digital accessibility:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

There are 13 guidelines for making content accessible to users with diverse needs. You can then test conformity against success criteria. WCAG defines three levels of conformity:

• A (lowest)
• AA
• AAA (highest)

WCAG level AA is the minimum standard that is written into accessibility laws in many countries. This includes the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada as well as countries in the European Union. Accessibility laws apply mainly to government institutions and public sector bodies.

European Accessibility Act

Before you write off accessibility as an issue that only affects the public sector, things are set to change in June 2025. That’s when the European Accessibility Act comes into force. The act is designed to make life easier for the one in four adults in the EU who have a disability. It focuses on products and services that make the biggest impact on disabled people’s lives:

• Computers and operating systems
• Smartphones
• TV equipment
• Banking
• Transport services
• E-commerce

“I’m not based in the EU, so it doesn’t affect me.”

Think again. Within the EU, the European Accessibility Act applies to any business with at least ten employees and a turnover of more than €2 million. It also applies to any business that trades in the EU. Still not convinced? Even if your company is based outside the EU, the act applies to you if you sell relevant goods or services within the EU.

Conclusion

Digital accessibility can certainly be daunting. Especially with the European Accessibility Act on the horizon. However, businesses that prioritise accessibility will reap huge rewards in the long run. It’s not only the right thing to do. It also makes good business sense. Providing an accessible online experience means happier customers. You’ll also attract more customers. And you’ll boost your brand’s reputation, too.

Finally, it’s worth knowing that professional language services providers are well placed to help. At Planet Languages, we have 30 years of experience in adapting content to the needs of diverse audiences. So why not contact us today to find out how we can help you with your digital accessibility efforts?

About the author

Bethan Thomas has worked in the language services industry for 20 years. She is a Professional Member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. At Planet Languages, she manages audiovisual translation projects for companies that embrace inclusion.