For people with vision or hearing impairment and neurological or cognitive limitations, browsing the internet can present barriers, with 71 per cent of people with these conditions ‘clicking away’ from websites that are difficult to navigate, according to a recent survey.
Data from an online shopping index was revealing too. It looked at the accessibility of some of the most popular online retailers across a section of different industries and countries and found the most that were user-friendly.
When it comes to some of the wealthiest brands in the world, there are few excuses for websites lacking accessibility. Unlike with smaller, less lucrative companies, the money to prioritise and maintain site accessibility is not an issue, leaving many with disabilities or impairments to wonder how something so important can continually be overlooked.
Coming out on top was Visa, followed by Google and Samsung with Microsoft also in the top 10.
The index covered five sectors including automotive, beauty, fashion, technology and restaurants, and took 20 of the top brands from each sector using Google Lighthouse to rate the industries putting accessibility first.
Interestingly, aside from Google, which scored 98 on Lighthouse, the top four brands on the Forbes 2020 ‘Most Valuable Brands’ seed list failed to make it into the top five most accessible sites in the research.
Apple, along with Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook were all found to have elements of their main websites that would cause accessibility issues for people who have a disability or impairment. With more than one in three relevant individuals with access needs stating they would ‘click away’ from a site with accessibility barriers, it is surprising to see such wealthy companies failing to meet their needs.
For more details go to: https://affise.com/blog/online-shopping-accessibility-index/