AllyADA Website Accessibility Review for July, August & September 2024

For July, August, and September, we pooled and reviewed data across 2,467 websites and identified digital accessibility trends worth keeping on your radar, including widget and design trends that should directly impact your accessibility strategy. We’ll take a closer look at these trends and review overall statistics for accessibility, both with and without the use of widgets. 

How AllyADA Audits Websites

In the crowded world of digital accessibility products and services, we take a human-centered approach. With a mission of improving digital accessibility through real-world testing, we rely on a team comprised of CPACC-certified digital accessibility professionals working in conjunction with blind and low-vision testers. By incorporating the direct, actual experience of the people who are meant to benefit from these improvements, we ensure that no stone goes unturned. Our audit results accurately identify the nuances of digital accessibility barriers that can only be discovered by people, not computer programs. 

General Accessibility Stats

Total Websites Tested

For the months of July, August, and September combined, we tested 2,467 websites.

Total Inaccessible Websites

A total of 1,531 websites tested, or 62%, were deemed inaccessible to blind and low-vision users. Inaccessibility is defined as the lack of basic functionality or usability for blind or low-vision users, including:

• a failure to provide accessible core information about products, or 

• a failure to allow blind or low-vision users to complete a purchase

Total Semi-accessible Websites

A total of 838 websites tested, or 34%, were deemed semi-accessible to blind and low-vision users. Semi-accessibility is defined as allowing blind and low-vision users to perform minimal navigation from the homepage to the checkout with a basic understanding of the characteristics and qualities of the purchase being made.

Total Fully Accessible Websites 

A total of 98 websites tested, or 4%, were deemed to be in compliance with regulatory standards required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full accessibility is defined as the ability for blind and low-vision users to fully navigate a website and access all of the relevant information that is necessary to make purchases, find services, and learn information. 

Fully accessible websites include things like the ability to:

• search for and navigate to desired products

• understand product descriptions in full

• make selections of products based on product characteristics such as size and color

• identify store or service information, such as location, working hours, contact information, and more

• understand the purpose of each form field

• utilize workable features for things like making an online reservation or buying an event ticket, including date, time, and seating options 

The Impact of Widget Use

For this batch of data, we tested a total of 340 websites for improved accessibility with widget use and found the following results:

• 118 websites, or only 35%, became functionally accessible through the use of widgets

• 222 websites, or 65%, remained inaccessible despite the use of widgets

Five Trending Accessibility Issues

As blind and low-vision users are well aware, there are a large number of issues that can render a site non-ADA-compliant and impede ease of use, navigation, comprehension, and accessibility from the homepage through checkout. In the context of assessing these roadblocks across the websites tested, we identified five trending accessibility issues, ranging from positive (⬆) or neutral (⬆⬇) to negative (⬇), that are worthy of a closer look. 

1. Skip to Content Feature ⬆⬇

We noted a positive trend with the inclusion of this feature across a larger number of websites. However, it still sometimes suffers from a lack of proper functionality due to poor testing.

2. Third-Party Layouts and Widgets ⬇

We noted a rise in the implementation of third-party layouts and widgets. However, despite the increased implementation, the impact ranged from neutral to negative. Specifically, only a few useful widgets, like magnifiers and color inversion tools, contributed to measurable improvements. The remaining layouts and widgets either had no positive impact or had a detrimental effect on site performance, creating illusory accessibility improvements.

3. Proper Sitemap Usage ⬆

We noted a growing awareness of using landmarks and headings correctly, contributing to better navigation for all users.

4. Interactive Phone/Email Elements ⬆

We noted that including phone numbers and email links as interactive elements is now a common practice, improving usability.

5. Minimalism in Design ⬆

We noted simpler, more minimalistic designs are becoming popular, which enhances accessibility for both low-vision and sighted users.

Most Common Categories of Websites with Accessibility Issues

Of the 2,467 websites tested, the vast majority fell into the retail category (73%), with the remaining in the service category (27%).

The retail category includes sites devoted to selling physical goods and products, regardless of the nature of the goods. For instance, it includes websites selling things like shoes, clothing, and electronics, as well as food commodities like candy, ramen, and other pre-packaged foods. Retail sites need to allow users to do things like search, locate, and review products, navigate to the checkout, manage shipping info, pay, and receive a receipt.

The service category includes sites that provide a specified service, such as web auditing services, a law firm website, or grocery delivery. Service websites need to allow users to do things like search, locate, and review service plans and options, arrange payment, contact the business, and receive a receipt for services. 

Among the websites tested, a whopping 2,369 were determined to be non-compliant with ADA digital accessibility standards (inaccessible or semi-accessible). For an even closer look at the breakdown of non-compliant websites within the retail and service categories, we’ve identified the specific retail and service areas:

Apparel- 22%

Electronics- 6%

Pet- 5%

Groceries- 4%

Perfume- 4%

Jewelry- 5%

Sports- 2%

Clinic- 7%

Hotel- 3%

Restaurant- 8%

Other- 34%*

*Other includes things like personal accessories, home accessories, cosmetics, supplements, art, toys, cleaning services, spa services, gyms, flower delivery, nail salons, entertainment, and more.

Work With AllyADA to Improve Your Website’s Accessibility

We conduct a comprehensive audit of your business or organizational website, including the use of advanced automated review tools and our signature manual review phase, where blind and low-vision users give authentic usability feedback. You receive a complete report, including a list of all issues that need to be fixed to bring your website into compliance. Once you have the information, it typically takes two to three days to fix 80% of the accessibility issues identified, with minimal investment on your part. The business benefits of conducting an accessibility audit and making the recommended improvements are plentiful, including:

• Boost SEO rankings, grow your brand & reach more people

• Meet U.S. & global accessibility standards

• Get lucrative tax breaks & invest in your growth

• Avoid costly lawsuits & regulatory fines

Contact us today to get your free quote and ask about available discounts!