For modern organizations, achieving compliance with ever evolving standards isn’t just technical, it’s strategic. Here’s 4 things we see holding back organizations and their website accessibility. Sound familiar?
Leadership understanding of compliance and business value
Many clients are unaware of all that digital accessibility entails and why it matters
Agencies often struggle to communicate the legal risks (ADA legalities, etc), the user experience benefits, and the broader audience reach that accessible websites enable. Budget-conscious clients may deprioritize accessibility unless they clearly see its value. While large enterprises may not understand the full breadth of what is required to be in compliance.
Making accessibility integration an afterthought add-on
Accessibility needs to be baked into the project from day one
Agencies working under tight timelines or rigid design briefs frequently inherit designs that aren’t accessible, leading to retroactive fixes that can be costly and inefficient. At FINAO we like to broach the subject of accessibility during early planning stages of projects. Proactive accessibility planning saves time and costs while improving end user experience.
Tooling and testing complexity
Inconsistent and nuanced global guidelines can make things tricky
Accessibility standards are ever-evolving (e.g., WCAG 2.2 and the upcoming WCAG 3.0). Compliance varies by region (e.g., ADA in the U.S., EN 301 549 in the EU, AODA in Canada). Staying compliant and up-to-date across jurisdictions is a challenge, especially for global clients.
Automated tools like Axe or Lighthouse can catch only about 30% of accessibility issues. The rest require manual testing with screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver) and input devices. This adds a layer of testing that not all agencies are equipped to handle efficiently.
Dev teams lacking the right tools and training
Lack of in-house accessibility expertise frequently slows adoption
Many development teams are proficient in code but not formally trained in accessibility best practices. Auditing for keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, ARIA roles, color contrast, and semantic structure can be overwhelming without the right tools or experience.
FINAO understands accessibility adoption and implementation is an ongoing process. We’d love to help your marketing team with an accessibility audit and consultation to improve your organization’s website accessibility.
