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28.7% of American adults live with some type of disability. This includes visual or hearing impairments, mobility issues, and cognition issues. Dexterity issues alone impact 24% of adult computer users to some degree.

These statistics mean that a lot of software is difficult or impossible to use for one in four adults. Unfortunately, the scope of these issues is not fully appreciated by most software designers and developers.

Over the past two decades, I have personally worked on dozens of software projects. I’ve led teams that have worked on many more. Outside of the handful of those projects that were built for the federal government (where software must be accessible), I’d say the vast majority of software projects I’ve worked on have had some amount of accessibility problems.

As I settle into middle age, I am gaining more and more appreciation for accessibility issues in software. I’m having to zoom in on text more nowadays, and the tappable areas on phone screens always seem too small. Sometimes, those tappable areas are intentionally small: have you ever tried to tap the “exit” button on a mobile ad? Those buttons are criminal!

However, the primary reason I care about software accessibility is due to my perspective on what it means to build excellent software. I don’t believe that you can call software “excellent” if it is unusable to a quarter of the population.

At Twin Sun, we have decided that inaccessible software is unacceptable. Every product we build for our clients is now built with accessibility in mind.

What does that mean for our clients? Greater opportunities with an expanded user base. Out-of-the-box compliance with federal requirements for accessible software. And product ease-of-use that will stand out from the competition.

Accessible Software Increases Your Opportunities

The stats mentioned at the start of this article are reason enough to build with accessibility in mind. Failing to do so diminishes your opportunities with a quarter of potential end users. Theoretically, a 33% larger user base should increase revenue by 33% compared to a similar but inaccessible product.

For software where revenue generation is not the goal, a larger user base is still important. If your goal is to connect people and build a community, accessible software increases the number of people who can participate on your platform. For educational products, accessible software maximizes who can learn something new by using your software. Saying yes to accessibility means saying yes to more people.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that any “public accommodation” (such as a store or hotel) must be accessible to people with disabilities. In recent years, some courts have found that ADA applies to websites and apps just as much as it applies to brick-and-mortar locations.

Additionally, software built for federal agencies must comply with Section 508. Section 508 requires all software used by federal employees and members of the public must grant similar information access to all users, regardless of any individual’s disabilities.

California has their own laws regarding accessibility: the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the California Disabled Persons Act. These laws require websites to be accessible to those with disabilities, and are applicable to anyone conducting sizable business in the state of California (even if your business is not incorporated in California).

If you are launching in the U.S. market, it’s best to deal with these regulatory requirements upfront. The effort to do so is a negligible time investment when considered from the start of your software design and development. Much like security, building with accessibility in mind is much easier than tacking it onto a finished product.

Accessible Software Is Better for Everyone

When you read about software accessibility, you might think most of the work is targeted around screen reader support for the blind or visually impaired. While that’s part of it, accessibility is a holistic improvement to your user experience.

As an example, high color contrast is an important element of accessible software. Certainly this helps the visually impaired. However, high contrast text is easier for everyone to read. Also consider tappable or clickable buttons. Tiny buttons are difficult for everyone to click, not just those with severe dexterity issues. Addressing problems for those living with disabilities coincidentally helps all of your users regardless of their abilities.

The writing in your product is another element that impacts accessibility. Simple, concise sentences can improve readability for users living with cognitive impairments or reading disorders. All users enjoy a better experience with improved text readability.

Let’s Build Accessible Software Together

At the end of the day, building accessible software is simply the right thing to do. Are you building a new product, or have an existing app you’d like to make more accessible? We’re happy to discuss how we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation about making your software product more accessible.