“But We Only Have One Button”: Classic Developer Excuses for Ignoring Accessibility

As a company at the forefront of digital accessibility efforts, AllyADA has failed to acknowledge just how utterly reasonable and easily justifiable it is for developers to ignore accessibility when planning and implementing contemporary web and app designs. We’ve been touting the outsized business benefits of embracing digital accessibility, without giving careful consideration to the fact that developers have very convincing excuses for not prioritizing it. 

Nah! We’re just kidding. There’s NO good excuse for leaving your company at risk, consumers disenfranchised, and a pile of easy business boosts just laying around unclaimed. But let’s take a look at some of the top developer excuses for avoiding disability improvements just to put them to rest once and for all.

Common Excuses vs. Actual Wins

Excuse 1: “We only have one button” →

Simplicity is a lovely feature for a site that doesn’t need a lot of flashy user interface or gadgetry. It also allows inhouse яweb-developers (aka business owners and their friends) to make sites that perfectly meet their needs and nothing more. We applaud business basics and design tenacity. 

But don’t fall into the trap of believing that simple designs don’t need to be accessible. After all, if you only have one button, you want to optimize the chances that every single person who could ever possibly need to or want to click on that button can. Period. 

Excuse 2: “Our users don’t need accessibility” →  

Wow! Really? Since we work with and for people with low and no-vision, we can easily spot the two logical flaws built into this excuse. Can you?

First, there’s no such thing as a business that zero low and no-vision users need to access. How do we know this? Because it’s our job! Even if you operate a business that, presumably, might have a low incidence of low and no-vision users, your website must still be accessible to anyone who may need to access information about goods, services, hours of operation, location, licensing, etc. Consider that low and no-vision consumers are also parents, children, employees, community members, organizational leads, sales and service personnel, regulators, etc. There can be, and are, reasons far outside your scope of thinking for which low and no-vision users might need to access information from your website, regardless of the nature of your business.

Second, by taking such a narrow view, you’re missing out on all of the ways that digital accessibility benefits your business. We’ve yet to meet a business that doesn’t need a boost in SEO rankings and brand growth, lucrative tax breaks and internal investment opportunities, and mitigation against lawsuits and regulatory fines. Stop looking at your website through a microscope when you should be using a telescope instead.

Excuse 3: “We use standard components” →  

Using standard components is a great design feature if it meets all of your online needs. But keep in mind that it isn’t always what you use that matters. Sometimes, it’s how you use it. “Standard” is a characterization that typically just suggests the commonality of something- the norm. What it doesn’t suggest is perfection, flawlessness, or even necessarily ease of use. Misused standard components can still render a site inaccessible. Inaccessible sites are at risk for lawsuits and regulatory fines, and miss out on organic SEO improvements, increased customer reach, brand loyalty incentives, federal tax breaks, and so much more. 

Excuse 4: “We’ll fix it later” →  

Yikes! This might be the most unsettling excuse of all. After all, it’s an excuse that can only be used by a developer who knows better. It’s the digital accessibility equivalent of ensuring a creditor that “the check is in the mail.” Saying that you’ll do something and actually doing it are vastly different things. Saying that you’ll get around to it is an acknowledgment that you’re informed and well-versed in the problem, aware of the risks associated with it, and understand the benefits that can be reaped by addressing it. But the result of saying that you’ll fix it later? Nothing! Your business is still vulnerable and your benefits are untapped. This is a clear L.

On the other hand, the results of fixing your digital accessibility problem? Everything! Your business reaps the rewards of all the benefits that flow from one simple action. Less risks, more rewards, and complete peace of mind. Take the W!

Why Digital Accessibility Matters

Regardless of the size of your business, the simplicity or complexity of your site, the nature of the components you use to develop it, and whether or not you believe low and no-vision users are likely to need access, digital accessibility matters. 

Yes, 100%, digital accessibility matters to low and no-vision consumers. This goes without saying. And before you dismiss the relevance of this fact, consider that nearly 12% of the consumer base in the United States falls into this category! That’s a number too big to dismiss.

But a statistic that may feel more relevant to your business strategy is that only 2% of online businesses are fully accessible. For this reason, search engine algorithms (like Google) favor accessible websites, boosting their rankings and reach.

In a mind-blowingly crowded online marketplace, taking advantage of every opportunity to stand out to your customers is the smartest thing you can do for your business. Being in the 2% of websites that are fully accessible is just like using the best lure when you’re trying to catch fish on a crowded shore. You’re gonna need a bigger bucket. 

And, since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the digital realm, not being accessible means not being compliant. Non-compliance makes your business vulnerable to an increasingly large number of lawsuits and regulatory fines handed out year after year (sometimes to the same business…over and over again). Thankfully, the opposite is also true- becoming compliant is proactive and protective! 

If that isn’t enough to convince you, consider that the federal government also offers lucrative tax breaks to businesses willing to invest in their own growth and reach by becoming fully accessible. 

Turn Excuses Into Action 

At AllyADA, we help businesses step into the modern era and claim what’s rightfully theirs. Work with us today to grow your business, consumer reach, brand loyalty, security from loss, and tax breaks with one smart decision.

After all, accessibility is good for business. Yes, even yours!