Accessibility is much more than just a buzzword when it comes to marketing. In today’s hugely competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever for all your marketing activities to be accessible. But what does this actually mean and what does ‘accessible marketing’ look like? Let’s take a look.
Defining accessible marketing
Accessible marketing means making sure everyone can access and understand your marketing activities, regardless of their abilities. It’s all about removing actual and potential barriers that might prevent people being able to read, watch, listen to or otherwise consume your marketing content and activities. These barriers might be physical or intangible.
Accessibility versus inclusivity
It’s a common assumption that accessibility and inclusivity are the same thing. This isn’t quite the case. Whilst accessibility is about removing barriers as noted above, inclusivity is focused on making sure everyone has the same end-user experience, feels valued and respected, and can participate fully.
However, the two concepts are inextricably linked, as you can’t truly have one without the other. Think of accessibility as the foundations, whilst inclusivity is the environment within the house that’s built on top.
To give an example, imagine you’re running an event or exhibition at a local gallery. There’s a flight of steps leading up to the entrance at the front, and a ramp around the back for wheelchair and buggy users, and people with mobility issues. This means everyone can enter the gallery, so it’s accessible.
However, not everyone has the same experience, as less mobile visitors, or those with pushchairs or prams, can’t use the same entrance as more mobile people. It’ll take them longer to get into the gallery than those using the steps, and having to use the back entrance might make them feel less valued. Therefore, the entrance isn’t inclusive and might even be classes as illegal under Chapter 2 of The Equality Act 2010.
On the other hand, if the gallery had a step-free ramp at the front, it would be inclusive as well as accessible. This is because everybody would use the same entrance, with no disadvantage to or ‘singling out of’ one or more groups.
Why is accessible marketing important?
Accessibility in marketing matters on several levels. From a purely business viewpoint, it makes sense for as many people as possible to be able to access your marketing activities and content, so you can maximise brand awareness and, ultimately, sales. When it comes to online content, accessibility is also important for search engine optimisation (SEO), as it can help your content rank higher on Google and the other search engines.
There are also legal and compliance requirements for certain sectors. For example, local government organisations such as Parish Councils are required to follow central Government regulations when designing and creating content for their websites, mobile apps and digital services. These rules, known as the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, mean that all public-facing digital content must meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA.
And coming back to inclusivity, accessibility is also critical for making sure everyone can access and enjoy your marketing activities, regardless of their ability and background (although they might not have exactly the same end-user experience, as explained above). It’s estimated by the charity Scope that 1 in 5 people in the UK has a permanent disability – and many more have a temporary disability. That’s a hefty chunk of the population and not one you’d want to ignore when marketing your products and services.
How to make your marketing accessible – key considerations
The key disabilities to bear in mind, depending on the nature of your marketing activity or content, are:
- Impaired vision
- Deafness or hearing impairment
- Learning difficulties or cognitive impairments
- Motor difficulties (physical disabilities) – this means much more than just ‘people in wheelchairs’
- Hidden disabilities, such as neurodivergence, dementia, mental health issues, Crohn’s disease and diabetes.
As well as disabilities, there are other factors to think about with accessible marketing. People with pushchairs, prams or buggies, for example, will have the same physical access challenges as someone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Younger children may not have learned to read yet, or may need information providing in a very simple format.
How to make your marketing accessible – steps to take
Here are some simple guidelines to make different types of marketing activity and content accessible and, where possible, inclusive. You may not need to follow all the guidelines, as which ones apply will depend on your target audience and the type of campaign you’re running.
1. Online content
- Use a clear, sans serif font in a large enough size to be read easily.
- Make the screen or font size variable so the user can make it bigger or smaller.
- Add Alt Text and Descriptions to all images and videos, so visually impaired people using screen readers can access it.
- For the same reason, don’t embed text within images or present information visually with no accompanying text, e.g., using green and red blocks to mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.
- Add descriptions to internal and external links, so visually impaired users know where they’ll be sent when they follow a link.
- Add transcripts to video and audio content, and synchronised closed captions (CC) to videos.
- Consider producing a version of videos with sign language or Makaton for people with hearing impairments who can see but find reading difficult, or have other sensory or communication challenges, and / or for young children and babies.
- Avoid the use of flashing images or lights in videos, as this can trigger photo-sensitive conditions such as epilepsy.
- Be careful with colour contrasts as some are more difficult to read, especially for people with certain visual impairments like colour blindness, or some types of dyslexia. E.g., yellow text on a white background, or red on green.
- Limit the use of emojis, put them at the end of sentences not in-between words, and don’t use them as bullet points.
- Capitalise the first letter of each word in multi-word hashtags, e.g., #SocialMediaAccessibility. This is known as Camel Case and tells screen readers that the words are separate.
2. Printed content
- Use a clear, easy to read font in at least font size 12.
- When marketing to children or people with learning difficulties, increase the minimum font size to 14.
- Always write in Plain English and, where appropriate, Easy Read.
- Where possible, present information visually as well as in writing. Consider the use of Widgit Symbols for young children, people with learning difficulties, or those living with dementia.
- Don’t overcrowd the page with text or visuals, include gaps between paragraphs or sections, and leave plenty of ‘white space’ (also called ‘negative space’).
- Make your materials available in different formats, e.g., larger sizes / fonts, Braille, other languages. Providing a Welsh-language version is mandatory in Wales and Gaelic versions are always recommended and sometimes required in the Republic of Ireland.
- Use QR codes instead of, or as well as, URLs.
- Make your materials easy to pick up, hold and handle.
3. Physical marketing, e.g. events, exhibitions, trade shows
- Do what you can to make your event or stand physically accessible, e.g., avoid steps if possible, install handrails, use yellow and black tape to indicate changes in flooring, and make sure there’s enough space for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies.
- Make sure there’s comfortable seating available, accessible toilets and baby change facilities.
- Make sure all signage is clear, high contrast and large print.
- Follow the guidelines in sections 1 and 2 for video, audio and printed materials.
- Make handouts available on disc and / or accessible using a QR code.
- Use assistive tech as relevant / necessary for videos, audio and presentations, e.g., live captioning, induction (hearing) loops.
- Bear sensory needs in mind, e.g., by using calm colour schemes and avoiding flashing images.
- Include an accessibility statement on materials promoting the event, including contact details for information.
- Train all event staff on disability etiquette, including the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and how to use accessibility equipment.
More on accessible marketing
There’s lots of information online about making your marketing accessible . You might find the WCAG 2 website particularly useful for online content (look out for WCAG 3 coming soon). The website includes access to a free online course.
If you’re looking for accessible copywriting, content writing or event planning support, please get in touch so I can help.