In today’s digital age, creating an accessible and inclusive internet is not just a moral imperative—it's a necessity. At Unified, we understand the importance of this mission, which is why we’ve partnered with accessiBe to implement cutting-edge accessibility solutions on our own website (Check out the blue icon in the bottom right-hand side of your screen!) This small but mighty plugin ensures that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can enjoy a seamless online experience on unified.co. We’re proud to be ahead of the curve, especially as t Europe gears up for stricter accessibility standards under the European Accessibility Act (EAA) by 2025.
The Importance of Accessibility
The internet is a vital resource for communication, information, and commerce. Yet, millions of users with disabilities are often excluded from fully participating due to inaccessible websites.
According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 135 million people living with disabilities in Europe alone. For them, an inaccessible website is not just an inconvenience—it's a barrier to equal participation in society.
“Being accessible means opening your website to 25% of the population living with a disability.”
At Unified, we believe in breaking down these barriers. By implementing accessiBe, we’ve taken a significant step towards making our website accessible to all users. This isn't just about compliance; it’s about ensuring that our digital spaces are welcoming and usable by everyone.
Why We Chose accessiBe
accessiBe is an AI-powered accessibility solution that is both powerful and easy to implement. It automates much of the heavy lifting involved in making a website accessible, which is crucial for businesses that frequently update their content. The accessiBe widget, which you can now experience on our website, offers a user-friendly interface that allows visitors to tailor their browsing experience according to their needs.
We chose accessiBe for several key reasons:
Affordability: Making web accessibility affordable for businesses of all sizes is crucial. accessiBe provides scalable solutions that don’t require massive investments, ensuring that even small businesses can comply with accessibility standards.
Scalability: AI-driven processes allow accessiBe to keep up with frequent content updates, ensuring that websites remain accessible as they evolve.
User-Centric Design: accessiBe’s tools are developed with constant feedback from users with disabilities, ensuring that the solutions meet real-world needs.
Compliance with Legislation: With the EAA’s 2025 deadline fast approaching, businesses in Europe must comply with new accessibility criteria. accessiBe not only helps meet these legal requirements but also enhances the overall user experience.
accessiBe icon on unified.co, 2024.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) 2025
The EAA, effective from April 2019, mandates that all European member states implement laws ensuring that digital products and services are accessible by June 2025. This includes ecommerce websites, which must be designed with accessibility in mind. For businesses operating in Europe, this means that compliance is not optional—it’s essential.
Non-compliance can result in legal consequences, financial penalties, and damage to a brand’s reputation. More importantly, it excludes a significant portion of the population from engaging with your business.
The Benefits of Accessibility
Beyond legal compliance, making your website accessible offers numerous benefits:
Increased Audience Reach: In the UK alone, 16 million people live with a disability. By making your website accessible, you’re opening your brand to a broader audience and fostering inclusivity.
Enhanced User Experience: Accessibility features improve the browsing experience for everyone, not just those with disabilities. This can lead to increased brand loyalty and customer satisfaction.
SEO Benefits: Websites that are accessible often see improvements in organic traffic. According to recent studies, 73% of sites with an accessibility widget have seen significant increases in organic traffic.
Our Implementation Process
At Unified, we’ve made it easy for other businesses to follow our lead. Here’s how we work with AccessiBe:
Discovery: Explore the AccessiBe widget on our site. If you’re impressed, you can request an audit and get pricing information.
Audit: We offer a free, no-obligation accessibility audit that identifies areas for improvement on your website.
Implementation: As a trusted partner of AccessiBe, the widget is easy and fast for us to implement— we can take care of the technicalities of this for you.
Testing and Deployment: Post-implementation, we rigorously test the functionality to ensure it meets accessibility standards and provides a smooth user experience.
Join Us in Making the Web Accessible
At Unified, we’re committed to making the internet a more inclusive space. We invite you to join us in this mission by ensuring your website is accessible to all. To get started, request your free accessibility audit today and see how AccessiBe can help you comply with the latest regulations while enhancing your user experience.
