Every day, I face the same crucial choice. I can dedicate the resources and invest time and effort upfront in accessibility or delay these decisions for later.
I can take the "hard road" right now and integrate accessibility into the development process. It'll take time, it'll be uncomfortable and it'll probably cost more than not giving a damn. This will however pay off in the long run.
I can choose to take the "easy road" as well and ignore accessibility in the short term. This decision will likely lead to legal issues, reputation damage, lost business opportunities and a constant need to retrofit accessibility into the website.
I'll still need to go back and fix any accessibility issues later on. This is more time-consuming and expensive than building the website with accessibility from the start.
The end result is probably the same in both cases. A robust, inclusive website that serves a broader audience, complies with legal requirements and results in improved SEO and user experience for everyone.
How you get there is different in terms of resources needed, time, stress for the team and costs.
Hard decisions, easy life. Easy decisions, hard life. Choose one.
Call me a sadist, but I choose the hard decisions whenever possible.
Why?
- It's cost-effective. I'll spend some money up front, but it's still less than what I would have spent to retrofit an existing site.
- It's the law. Many countries have laws requiring digital accessibility, so I avoid potential legal issues and associated costs.
- I reach a wider audience. An accessible website can be used by people with various disabilities.
- Improved user experience. Many accessibility features, like clear navigation and well-structured content, benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.
- Better SEO. Accessible websites rank higher in search engines.
Why would you choose differently?