Hands Up Communications BLOG

Why is Accessibility Important for Your Business?

by | Feb 1, 2023 | General

Hands Up Communication discusses why accessibility should be included in your business and gives tips on what adjustments you can make to ensure your business is accessible.

What is Business Accessibility?

In today’s increasingly digital world, it’s more important than ever for businesses to prioritize accessibility. Accessibility refers to the practice of designing products, services, and environments that can be used by people with disabilities, including those with physical, sensory, and cognitive impairments.

Why is Accessibility Important in Business? 

Accessibility is important for business for several reasons:

  1. Meeting legal requirements: Businesses have a legal obligation to provide accessibility for people with disabilities. In many countries, there are laws that require businesses to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to goods and services. This also includes providing interpreting services to those who are Deaf or hard of hearing with qualified interpreters like those employed with Hands Up Communications.
  2. Expanding customer base: By making their products or services accessible to people with disabilities, businesses can expand their customer base. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. By making their products and services accessible, businesses can tap into this market and increase their revenue.  In smaller communities, word spreads fast about specific experiences, good or bad. People in those communities rely on each other to find the best businesses to better fit their needs.  Hands Up Communication has a stellar reputation in the Deaf and hard of hearing community that could enhance your business.
  3. Improving brand reputation: By making their products or services accessible, businesses can improve their brand reputation. Consumers are increasingly concerned about social responsibility, and accessibility is seen as a key component of social responsibility. Businesses that prioritize accessibility are viewed as more inclusive and caring. Accessible websites ensure that all users can enjoy a great digital experience. This includes websites where all audio-visual cues are easy to understand by people who are Deaf or hard of hearing to enhance the user experience. This can be done by adding transcriptions to all video source material.
  4. Fostering innovation: Accessibility requirements can drive innovation and creativity. By thinking about how to make their products or services accessible, businesses may come up with new and innovative ways to solve problems.

In short, accessibility is important for business because it can help businesses meet legal requirements, expand their customer base, improve their brand reputation, and foster innovation. Companies choose Hands Up Communications because of the quality of our interpreters, customer service and the ability to provide many different languages. We recognize that there are different ways that people become temporarily disabled, and not having access to the language is one form of a temporary disability.  Hiring an interpreter will allow you and your employees to focus on your job hassle-free while we take care of the communication access.