ADA Compliance: Making Websites More Accessible for the Hearing Impaired
An ADA accessible website may attract potential deaf and hearing-impaired customers. Ultimately this can promote your company in a positive light because it demonstrates that your business remains aware and inclusive of individuals facing disabilities.
In the ever-expanding digital age, we all have an opportunity to create and implement inclusive ways to connect and circulate information to reach people of all abilities. A rapidly increasing area when we need inclusivity resides within the deaf population.
One in eight Americans suffer from hearing loss in the United States, a number that is predicted to grow as prior generations become elders, and we see how earbud usage and loud music impact Generation X, in addition to millennials.
As our web-based world continues to grow, this rapidly advancing medium can bridge the gap between the hearing-impaired community into areas that may otherwise feel exclusive.
Any company needs to utilize marketing tools and strategies to effectively reach all potential customers, including those who suffer from hearing issues.
So many companies today don’t provide reasonable details for deaf and hearing-impaired people, making life far more difficult for them. This is why our team from GOA-TECH wants to break down some information on how your company can:
- Get more from a hearing-impaired website
- Attract a wider audience
- Do its part to help out hearing-impaired and deaf individuals
Web Design for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
Consider how you might move through the trials and tribulations of life with limited or no ability to hear. You would learn how to draw upon other senses to aid you. With this in mind, a web design company can make an ADA compliant website that engages and includes the hearing-impaired.
Use Simple, Clear Language
The internet can be a visually stunning environment. Deaf and hearing-impaired individuals use sign language, a form of communication completely different from standard written English. Reading skills may vary within the hearing-impaired community, and web design companies must consider these issues when creating content.
Balancing Visuals
Creating a balance between written and visual content can help site visitors take in the information through all of their senses. This balance means utilizing creative graphic design and stunning imagery wherever possible. For deaf people, balancing visual elements can even heighten their experience when interacting with the overall web design and content.
Transcribing Text and Installing Closed-Captioning
Numerous websites and marketing platforms depend on audio and visual presentations to connect with viewers while sharing their messaging. By including text-based transcripts and closed-captioning on videos provides engagement with the hearing-impaired.
When designing an ADA accessible website, these are relatively easy tools to include, and offering them on your website can send a clear message: your company values inclusivity, including people with disabilities.
Offer Multiple Contact Options
The main goal of any business website should be to increase conversions, sales, and ROI. To make your company website and business more accessible to people that suffer from hearing impairments, ensure that you offer various contact options.
For example, your company could provide email, online forms, web chatting, and even video correspondence through a format like Google Hangouts or Skype to interact with customers.
Creating an ADA Accessible Website | GOA-TECH
Every day designers produce new technologies to assist and support deaf and hard of hearing individuals with leading more fulfilling lives.
When designing your company website, remember the following to help with ADA compliance and as points of greater inclusivity for deaf and hearing-impaired users:
- Utilize simple, straightforward language
- Use imagery with written content to balance visual aspects
- Include text-based transcripts and closed-captioning with audio and visual components
As our technological culture continues to grow and stimulate the world while focusing on audio and verbal exchanges, it remains crucial to include web design strategies right from the jump that consider hearing-impairment.
To learn more about designing an ADA compliant website, contact some of the best web designers in the business today from GOA-TECH by calling (786) 462-8324.
