2024 agency resolutions: 5 ways to help your clients achieve web accessibility

If your agency is looking to make a difference this year, there are steps you can take to ensure your clients' websites are accessibile to all. Here are five suggested new year's resolutions to guide you.

2023 was quite the year for your agency. You worked hard to help your clients step up their web accessibility game or you successfully convinced them to make their websites accessible for the first time. Either way, what’s important is that your clients can now call themselves inclusive brands that comply with web accessibility legislation. But, what's next?

There are ways that you can continue your clients’ web accessibility journeys and your own, as well. As a team, you can take extra steps to achieve maximum digital accessibility, benefit from commitments to inclusion, and stay informed on the space’s evolving updates and trends.

As we step into the new year, it’s the perfect time to choose a resolution and see to it that this year is filled with inclusive choices that prioritize web accessibility for your agency, its clients, and people with disabilities. We’ll do you one better, though; we’ll give you five resolutions that you can get to work on today.

Resolution #1: File for the ADA tax credit

Have you let your clients know that they could qualify for a tax credit for being web-accessible?

The ADA tax credit, which is listed under Section 44 of the IRS Code, promotes, supports, and incentivizes accessible practices that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The credit covers 50% of eligible accessibility expenditures made during the previous tax year. There is an expense maximum of $10,250 and the first $250 of the claimed expenditures is deducted automatically. Therefore, the highest amount of credit a business can receive is $5,000. So, which of your clients can you file for? The credit is available to businesses that generated $1m or less during the year before filing or those that employ 30 or fewer full-time employees.

This year, you’ll want to guide your clients toward the ADA tax credit during the filing season, and later on, they’ll thank you for your expertise on the matter.

Resolution #2: Train developers to build accessible websites

If you’re a web agency that employs developers, then you understand the power they hold, especially when it comes to web accessibility. They can build accessible websites that set the standard for inclusion in the digital world. At the same time, they’re mitigating the legal risks your clients face by including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines in the code they create. Even more, they save your agency and clients time and money that could have been spent on litigation costs, while still ensuring equal opportunity online for people with disabilities.

Aim to create a culture of learning and improvement that enables your agency to offer your clients a new service that supplements your web accessibility offerings. If you make training your developers on web accessibility a 2024 mission, it will benefit their skillset, growth, and the clients they service.

Resolution #3: Involve QA experts in the development stages

It’s no secret that every aspect of a website needs to be inspected for accessibility issues that could disrupt the user experience for a person with a disability. Give your clients that extra feeling of assurance by hiring QA experts to check the accessibility of their websites and gain some peace of mind that lasts all year long.

If you enlist the help of QA experts, they can make sure your clients enhance their user experience for everyone by identifying and addressing address potential barriers to accessibility, making the website more inclusive. And, just like developers, QA experts can contribute to risk mitigation on the legal side of things. QA experts can help you find and rectify accessibility issues early in the development process, reducing the risk of legal difficulties that can come with inaccessible websites.

Basically, you want your clients to know that you’re willing to go the extra mile and foolproof their website from an accessibility standpoint; including QA experts in your web accessibility offerings contributes to the overall success and sustainability of your clients’ websites and your agency's reputation.

Resolution #4: Work with disability-focused groups

Getting feedback on a newly-accessible website isn’t enough. You and your clients need to get the type of feedback needed for personalized usability. If you resolve to work with disability-focused groups when testing your clients’ websites throughout 2024, you’ll be able to gather real-world perspectives on how people with disabilities interact with the website. This will let your clients know that they’re not just another piece of the portfolio to you because you’re going above and beyond in the testing process.

Feedback from disability-focused groups also offers diverse perspectives from people with disabilities. Testing with individuals who have various types of disabilities, like visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive, introduces a type of diversity that ensures a more comprehensive evaluation of your client’s website accessibility level.

We’ve talked before about how brand reputation is impacted by an agency or business’s inclusion efforts, and working with disability-focused groups is included in that list. Working with disability-focused groups shows empathy and that you as an agency prioritize a more considerate approach to web design and development. This reflects well on your clients, too.

Resolution #5: Read up on the WCAG 2.2

Part of being an agency that mentors its clients on web accessibility requires staying informed and regularly reviewing new versions of the WCAG. Your clients, especially the ones in industries with a focus on inclusivity and social responsibility, definitely have certain expectations for the accessibility of their websites, and that includes meeting the latest WCAG standards. Being aware of and implementing the most recent version of WCAG will help you as an agency meet or exceed these expectations.

Demonstrating your commitment to accessibility as an ongoing process also shows that, as an agency, you’re actively engaged in staying informed about the latest standards and are dedicated to creating digital experiences that are accessible to all users. Knowledge of the latest WCAG version will foster more effective communication and collaboration between you and your clients, ultimately paving the way for informed discussions about accessibility goals, strategies, and the implementation of best practices.

Start the year off with the right intentions

In the year ahead, let these resolutions for web accessibility be a driving force for positive change among your agency and within your clients’ businesses. Continue to break down barriers, dismantle online divides, and build a more accessible internet for all. You’ll be meeting the demands of a dynamic digital landscape but also contribute to a future where the online world reflects the diversity and type of inclusion we’re working toward. Cheers to more accessible efforts in 2024 and beyond.