Introduction to Accessible Marketing

This post is the first in a series about accessible marketing by The Whole Brain Group. The series will include helpful free downloadable content, including an infographic celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Follow a11ymktg on Twitter to keep up with the content posted during the series. You may even see a guest post from Deque!

The purpose of marketing is to spread the word about your business’s products and services to as many people as possible, in order to improve your chances of reaching people who fit your ideal customer profile.

An important lesson that we’ve learned from one of our clients, Deque Systems, is that a lot of businesses unintentionally exclude a large group of people from accessing their websites and digital marketing materials. Many people with disabilities are unable to use a mouse or a keyboard, and need to use assistive technologies like screen reading software to navigate the web. If your digital marketing materials aren’t created properly, they are incompatible with these assistive technologies, and you’ve effectively prevented people from interacting with your brand online.

Digital accessibility removes barriers to your online content

Deque Systems invents software that helps make websites and other digital materials accessible to people with disabilities, so they can have equal access to online and mobile content. As we’ve worked with Deque on their inbound marketing, we’ve learned a lot about how implementing digital accessibility best practices can make a positive impact.

For example:

• People with vision impairments can listen to websites and video
• People with low vision can enlarge the text on screens easily
• People with color blindness can distinguish content
• People with hearing impairments can read video
• People with motor impairments can navigate digital content
• People with dyslexia can have sites read to them

How important is accessible marketing to your business?

Did you know that 50 million Americans are living with a disability? Did you know that the estimated buying power of this group is around $200 billion dollars? Have you thought about how many of your prospects or customers live with a disability that impacts how they interact with your digital marketing?

Removing barriers to your marketing represents an incredible opportunity to expand the reach of your brand – and it’s easier than you think! The great thing about marketing with accessibility in mind is that it not only impacts people living with a disability, but also positively impacts your business and customers that do not have a disability. You’ll discover that it improves website SEO, increases your market share and audience reach, and creates an all-around improved user experience.

Accessible Marketing Blog Series

Over the next few weeks we will bring you helpful blog posts that cover the different aspects of accessible marketing, including guest blog posts from our client Deque Systems and our marketing partner Hubspot, as well as practical posts that will show you how to make your own online marketing materials accessible.

Follow this blog series as we dive deeper into Accessible Marketing!