In this digital age, people around the world access the internet to carry out daily activities such as streaming music and videos, paying utility bills, or ordering food and personal care items. Many people also use the web when looking for healthcare services before going to a clinic or hospital.
Browsing on a healthcare provider’s website is much more convenient because people can quickly find information like the products and services the healthcare provider offers. Medical websites also typically show the list of affiliated physicians, their specialization, and clinic hours. Should a patient wish to schedule an appointment, they can usually do so by creating an account and filling out an online form on the website.
If you’re in the field of healthcare, you must ensure that your medical website is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Read on to find out why.
3 Reasons Website Accessibility Is Important for Your Medical Website
Website accessibility is an essential feature of any website, more so if your business is in the medical practice. When designing your website, you must consider the ease of use and navigation throughout the entire website, including the links, images, or videos on each web page, so that visitors with disabilities can access your content with no issue.
Below are the top reasons website accessibility is important for your medical practice website.
1. It makes your website ADA-compliant
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), websites must cater to everyone, including people with vision loss, hearing loss, mobility issues, or learning difficulties. For your website to be ADA-compliant, the content must be reachable using assistive and adaptive technology such as voice recognition software, screen readers, and alternative input devices.
Following website accessibility standards reduces the risk of your business getting involved in complaints or lawsuits. If your website is non-ADA-compliant, you might also have to pay fines that can amount to thousands of dollars per violation.
2. It allows your business to reach a wider audience
If your website is fully accessible, you can rank better in search results and drive more traffic to your website. As a result, you can reach out to more people and increase your patient base.
3. It shows how much you care for the well-being of your visitors
When you’re in the healthcare business, you must find ways to sustain customer loyalty and gain the trust of potential customers. If you make your website accessible, it lets people know you care about making their experience more comfortable while navigating your website. It also shows that you are sincere in providing everyone equal opportunity in accessing the information on your website, which can boost your brand’s reputation.
Top Tips to Build Web Accessibility
To design a fully accessible website, your web developer must refer to the WCAG 2.0 web accessibility standards. Here are some ways to build or enhance website accessibility.
• Make sure all content is accessible using the Tab button and voice control
• All text must read clearly against the background
• All images, graphs, infographics must have text alternatives
• Close caption videos
• Provide transcripts for audio content
• Refrain from using blinking or flashing images and graphics
• Allow people to resize the text
Turn to ADA Web Accessibility to make your website compliant
ADA Web Accessibility is a company who offers an effective solution that can make a website instantly compliant within 48 hours.
