Steps For Integrating 508 Compliance in Your Website Strategy

What is a website strategy?

A website strategy is a long-term business plan built around your website. It goes beyond the design you opt for regarding your website and informs the content you create as well as your marketing efforts and so on.

Website strategies usually include several parts, including the website design, approach to branding, keyword research and implementation, and analytics. These parts work together to help you come up with a website that effectively delivers your intended purpose. A good website strategy will make it easier for you to optimize your website in a way that is aligned with your business goals.

Why integrate Section 508 accessibility into your website strategy?

Section 508: Accessibility is the legal requirement that federal organizations and contractors ensure that the information and communication technology (ICT) they create, acquire, maintain, or use allows people with disabilities to access and use the attendant information and data.

All federal agencies operating websites are mandated to ensure website 508 compliance. The requirement for a Section 508 compliance website is not binding on private websites unless the businesses or individuals owning them receive federal funding or are under contract with a federal agency.

Therefore, all federal organizations as well as individuals and businesses that receive federal funding are required to integrate Section 508 compliance into their website strategies so as to make their websites simple for people with disabilities to navigate and access them using a keyboard.

Other reasons for integrating Section 508 accessibility into your website strategy are to ensure that the website has alternative text (ALT) provided for all images and videos used on the site, supports screen readers throughout, has transcripts and captions for all videos and audios, avoids screen flickers, has no time limits on accessing any particular content, and much more.

• Set your website's 508 compliance goals

No good plan for integrating 508 compliance into a website strategy is complete without goals. That is why 508-compliant websites require taking some time to set a handful of goals for the website.

For example, if the website’s overall strategy is to sell more products or services or increase the sales of a particular product or service, setting a 508 compliance website goal to get a specific number of unique visitors each month, especially people with disabilities, or convert a certain percentage of visitors with disabilities into leads could be ideal.

The Section 508 accessibility goals you set as part of the steps to integrating website 508 compliance into our website strategy will determine what you will be working toward in your 508 integration strategy. So setting clear goals is essential.

• Locate the place for 508compliance,eaccordingsto thee stories told on the site

Your website strategy will doubtless have a story to propel your brand. For a 508-compliant website, you should ensure that such stories are kept simple and accessible to all possible users of the website. That includes proper use of ALT for images and videos, support for screen readers, no time limits for access, etc.

• Taking a 508 inventory of the website’s content

This should happen before the website’s launch. You need to commission a Section 508 audit of the website to be sure that the kind of content you have to offer is accessible to all users, especially those with disabilities. 

• Integration of people with disabilities as part of the website’s target audience

Part of a good website strategy is to identify the website’s target audience. Every successful business targets a given demographic or other aspect of the population that uses the offered products or services. When identifying the target audience, keep in mind that those aspects of the population include people with disabilities.

If you don’t have any existing data to help you with your 508 integration, you can send an accessible survey to your customers to help you determine the accessibility requirements of your target audience. Keep in mind that for targeted 508 website compliance, you might need to offer an incentive to collect credible and enough data to understand your target audience’s accessibility needs.

• Prioritize 508 accessibility in all the planning for your website

Once you have figured out the basics regarding your website, take some time to plan out the website and ensure mainstream Section 508 accessibility at every stage. There are many decisions you will make when building the website, including choosing between static and dynamic presentations, responsive or adaptive designs, etc. Ensure 508 accessibility is considered throughout these decisions.

Need help with delivering Section 508 compliant websites?

Integrating Section 508 accessibility into your website strategy may not be an easy thing because of the many aspects of the strategy that require expert understanding about how 508 compliance needs to be integrated. That is why you need to work with a Section 508 accessibility professional to deliver Section 508-compliant websites.

If you need any information or help with 508 integration, feel free to call (626) 486-2201 to arrange a free consultation. You could alternatively request a quick Section 508 website integration quote.