Why Web Accessibility Compliance is Important for Nonprofits
Your nonprofit could have an inspiring mission and a clear roadmap for achieving your goals, but if your website is poorly designed, you won鈥檛 be able to reap the rewards of high supporter engagement. An outdated website that takes forever to load and has hard-to-read text frustrates your users and might slowly drive them away from your organization.
To eliminate these digital barriers, you must take a proactive approach to inclusivity by designing your website to welcome all users, regardless of ability.
This guide explores the core guidelines for web accessibility compliance, practical implementation strategies, and the fundamental value of adopting these inclusive practices when designing websites for nonprofits.
What Is Web Accessibility?
According to the , web accessibility means that websites, SaaS applications, and other digital tools are designed and developed in a way that people with disabilities, be it auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual, can use them (i.e., perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, as well as contribute to the Web).
For nonprofits, web accessibility principles apply to online tools community members use, such as donation forms, resource libraries, volunteer calendars, and donor portals.
Why Is Web Accessibility Compliance Important?
Web accessibility is incredibly important because the that affects the way they interact with the web. So, if your website doesn鈥檛 have inclusive design elements like alt text for images, audio transcripts, and search facets and filtering capabilities, you鈥檙e unintentionally excluding about 16% of the world鈥檚 population from engaging with it.
Another great thing about web accessibility is that it benefits even those without disabilities. For example, people using phones, smartwatches, tablets, and other devices with small screens can still access your website if it supports fluid layouts and typography. Even people with situational limitations (e.g., viewing your website on a phone in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio), those with a slow Internet connection, or those with temporary disabilities (like a broken wrist or dilated pupils after an eye exam) can still use digital tools, thanks to web accessibility.
For nonprofits, prioritizing web accessibility compliance removes friction for supporters or beneficiaries trying to access critical resources. As a result, you鈥檒l enhance community engagement and convince more donors, volunteers, and corporate partners to stay involved with your nonprofit in the long term.
The 3 Core Web Accessibility Standards
Navigating the technical requirements of digital inclusivity requires familiarizing yourself with established functional benchmarks. These widely recognized frameworks provide clear, actionable guidance for development teams aiming to build robust, compliant platforms.
The three core web accessibility standards your nonprofit must adhere to are: the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Compliance, Section 508 Web Accessibility Compliance, and WCAG 2.1 Compliance.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Compliance
The is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities, including jobs, schools, transportation, and other public and private places.
The core principles of ADA are also present in web accessibility. One practical application of these principles is a website that incorporates semantic HTML, alt text for images, and keyboard navigation. Incorporating these components allows people to use screen readers to access the site, making the experience as hassle-free as possible.
Section 508 Web Accessibility Compliance
is a federal law demanding that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, or maintained by federal agencies be accessible to people with disabilities. This law serves as a critical benchmark for any organization interacting with government entities.
Some of the Section 508 priorities include:
- Providing an alternative for time-based media that presents equivalent information for prerecorded audio-only content
- Providing a text transcript for audio-only content, or a text transcript or an audio track for video-only content
- Not having audio automatically played on the website
- Implementing dynamic content
- Providing contrast, such as color contrast and a contrast ratio of at least 4:5:1, for the visual presentation of text and images
- No flashes more than three times in any one second period on the website
- Formatting accessible forms (e.g., border around the grouped fields can be hidden programmatically if it conflicts with the design)
Adhering to this standard guarantees a baseline of usability for electronic and information technology, ensuring that platforms remain structurally sound and technically viable for all users.
WCAG 2.1 Compliance
The is the most comprehensive resource for all your web accessibility needs. This working framework is designed to address and evolving user needs, outlining in great detail the actionable technical criteria for developers and marketers.
This resource tackles practically everything, from perceivable accommodations like alternative text, captions, and proper use of color to robust guidelines such as ensuring that names and roles in forms can be programmatically determined.
Targeting WCAG 2.1 criteria during your initial design phase typically satisfies both the ADA and Section 508 mandates. For that reason, we recommend consulting this resource whenever possible.
Next Steps to Enhance Accessibility for Your Website
Maintaining a working understanding of core standards such as the ADA, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 provides your nonprofit with a framework for effectively evaluating and improving your digital platforms. However, knowing the standards is only the first step.
To actively move your organization toward full web accessibility compliance, follow these actionable steps:
- Conduct a comprehensive accessibility audit: Start by evaluating your current website using automated testing tools (such as WAVE or Axe) to catch technical errors in your code. Follow this up with manual testing, like navigating your donation forms using only a keyboard or a screen reader, to experience the site exactly as a user with a disability would.
- Address simple fixes first: Don’t let the scope of WCAG 2.1 overwhelm your team. Begin by remediating the most common and easily fixable errors. Ensure all images have descriptive alt text, check that your color contrast meets the required ratios, and verify that your pages use logical, sequential headings (H1, H2, H3) for easy screen reader navigation.
- Train your content and marketing teams: Digital inclusivity shouldn’t fall solely on your developers’ shoulders. Educate your content creators on how to format accessible forms, write descriptive hyperlink text (instead of generic “click here” links), and upload properly captioned videos so that new content is compliant from the moment it is published.
- Partner with an experienced design agency: Reaching and maintaining compliance often requires technical expertise beyond the scope of an in-house marketing team. If you need specialized help remediating your site or are ready for an accessible redesign, consider working with a to find an expert partner tailored to your organization’s needs.
Keep in mind that incorporating web accessibility elements isn鈥檛 a one-and-done task; rather, it鈥檚 an ongoing process. In fact, recommends continually auditing your site for accessibility, as well as other features such as security and overall functionality. Doing so ensures that your site won鈥檛 become outdated too quickly and that you can easily respond to fluctuations in your engagement metrics.
