How To Increase Accessibility in Your Advertising

[Approximate Reading Time : 4 mins]

Online advertising is projected to rise in spending over the next several years while print ad spending is expected to stay flat or decline, reports MarketingCharts. Even television is projected to see slow growth. This can be attributed to the viewing habits of consumers who are becoming more and more reliant on digital media for news and entertainment. If a person with a disability cannot access your online ad, you are alienating a potential customer. Enhancing accessibility both provides an important service and contributes to your bottom line.

Closed Captioning

While print and television ads are generally accessible to those with hearing disabilities, few digital video ads cater to this demographic. Closed captioning displays dialogue and describes other important sounds directly on the ad. Implementing this feature can keep a hearing-impaired person engaged in your content.

Transcription

Transcription is another way to make your ad accessible to people with disabilities. A video ad may be confusing for the sight impaired if the dialogue is heavily tied to the moving images. Transcription describes the video to users so they can understand the full scope of the ad.

Alternative Text

If your digital ad includes text and photos but no audio, those with sight impairment may not be able to access it at all. Alternative text is a great way to make your ad available to potential customers who are blind or have difficulty identifying images. The web page is simply imbedded with text that describes the image. That text is then picked up by a screen reader that audibly describes the image to its user.

Compliance

Governments are beginning to require digital media to adhere to the same accessibility requirements as television. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that people with disabilities have equal access to public amenities such as media and technology. Addressing this issue now will ease your transition when more accessibility standards and guidelines are implemented.

When you incorporate accessibility into your marketing plans, you invite an oft-overlooked demographic into your world. To get started, contact Amnet. We offer a range of services to help you engage with a broader audience.