Accessible Marketing: Are You Missing Millions of Americans?

While organizations claim to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant in their marketing strategies, many don’t incorporate accessibility into their processes. Some organizations wait until they receive a request from someone with a disability or receive a lawsuit. The downside to this is that they likely already have customers with disabilities who face accessibility barriers when making this request.

People with visual disabilities perform the same daily tasks as people with sight, including shopping, dining out, and surfing the web. With that, the number of consumers looking for companies that value inclusion is increasing.

What is accessible marketing?

Accessible marketing allows organizations to connect with any customer, regardless of their abilities. It takes into consideration how people consume content differently, allowing your messages to reach a wider audience. This applies to both in-person marketing tactics as well as your online presence.

Who are you leaving out?

Because so many Americans live with disabilities, it’s important to include them in your marketing efforts through accessible marketing. For example, people with a hearing impairment rely on captions and transcripts for videos. Someone who has a visual disability needs the ability to navigate your website using assistive technology.

According to the 2023 United States Census Bureau, over 8.3 million Americans reported having a visual disability. You can reach a broad range of customers by offering alternative formats for your print marketing and maintaining an accessible website. The ADA requires businesses to provide accessible formats to people with disabilities. Yet, many Americans still struggle to obtain accessible materials.

Related: Why the Rise in ADA Lawsuits

Why does it matter?

Every business wants to attract more customers through its marketing efforts and increase revenue. In 2018, people with disabilities made up $21 billion of the spending power in America. They also make up a vast consumer market for high-quality services and products. Incorporating accessible marketing tactics ensures that people with disabilities don’t miss out on key information. Remember, it’s a brand strength.

Related: Why Accessibility Matters

Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has a visual disability. Let’s say that you got an email promoting a sale for your favorite skincare products. When you open the page, the images do not have alt text, so you don’t truly know what’s on sale. After clicking the link, you’re unable to add your favorite items to your cart. Out of frustration, you then leave the web page, unsubscribe from the emails, and buy products elsewhere. 

This is why accessible marketing matters. A study showed that 92% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to businesses that are accessible and supportive of persons with disabilities. By applying accessibility to your marketing tactics, you open the door to more qualified customers.

Marketing strategies

If you aren’t sure where to start with an accessible marketing strategy, you don’t have to worry. Braille Works is here to help with that.

Social media is typically a highly visual marketing channel, but that doesn’t mean you need to leave your followers with disabilities out of the fun! Make sure that the color contrast ratio between the background and text colors is high. WCAG standards require a 4.5:1 ratio for regular text and a 3:1 ratio for large text. You’ll also want to add alt text to your posts. You’re probably doing this with your images, but it doesn’t have to stop there. You can add alt text in your captions to describe your hilarious GIFs and inspiring videos.

Email marketing is great for boosting customer loyalty and driving purchases. But if your audience can’t read the email, your efforts are in vain. Don’t rely on image-only emails that won’t render correctly with assistive technology. (They’re generally bad practice, anyway!) Instead, include text between images that gives context to your visuals. You’ll also need to offer a plain text version of your HTML email. Not only are they less likely to trigger a spam filter, but they’re also crucial for those relying on screen readers to see your message.

Event marketing attracts new customers and helps raise brand awareness. But if you only have printed handouts, you’re leaving some customers out. Having alternate formats, like braille and large print, available for people with visual disabilities allows you to reach a larger buyer pool. It also impresses other potential customers with sight. These are just a few of the things you can incorporate to make your marketing strategy more accessible.

Accessible marketing is smart marketing

Businesses shouldn’t lose clients because of inaccessible marketing. Customers with disabilities make up a large portion of spending power in America. That’s money your company could see. Accessibility in marketing opens the door to customers and can lead to strong customer loyalty. Remember, it’s not just marketing, it’s smart marketing.