Why Accessible Digital Design is a Non-Negotiable Priority

For associations, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations, authentic connections are paramount to your success. To build relationships with donors or strengthen your member network, your team relies on digital tools and platforms to raise awareness and drive engagement. Most first impressions your organization makes, and your ongoing communication, will be online, which is why it’s so important for your digital design to reflect and amplify your values. 

For your website, learning management system (LMS), community apps, social media, and any other digital assets, you’ve likely evaluated for intuitive functionality and for a cohesive, clear brand across the board. But, without web accessibility, a huge piece of the puzzle is missing. Accessible design ensures that all of your members are welcome in your digital community and can engage with the resources your organization provides. In this guide, we’ll explore why digital inclusion is so important and how to get started. 

What is accessible digital design?

The Web Accessibility Initiative defines digital accessibility as the process by which “websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.” This organization also created the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which is the leading resource on digital accessibility. 

Your organization launched a fundraising platform or an online membership community to reach more people than would be possible with face-to-face interaction alone. It’s so second nature in today’s world that you probably don’t even consider how many more donations you’ve raised or members you’ve retained over the years because of your digital presence. You’ve increased access to your organization, but accessible digital design ensures you can reach everyone. Without accessibility measures, the steps you’ve taken to expand your reach fall short. 

Why is web accessibility important?

As a nonprofit or association professional, you’re likely already on board with the need for accessibility. After all, working in industries that are highly relationship-based, you know the power of a welcoming environment that has removed as many barriers to entry as possible.

However, with busy schedules and stretched-thin staff, researching digital best practices or making the necessary updates to your site might have slipped your mind amongst competing priorities. You know it matters, but you just haven’t been able to get to it yet. That’s why understanding the full picture of digital inclusion’s importance can be helpful for your team. 

Here are just a few of the many reasons why accessible digital design is so vital.

• Ethical considerations: Making sites accessible demonstrates your belief in the value that each of your stakeholders brings to your community and upholds everyone’s human rights and dignity.
• Legal compliance: Depending on your location, your organization may be legally obligated to optimize your digital assets for inclusion. Also, if your organization is a government entity, you may be required to comply with Title II web accessibility requirements, which go into effect in April 2026. 
• Member and donor engagement: An inaccessible website will shut out significant portions of your audience, stifling community engagement, blocking potential donations, and hurting your organization’s reputation. But by crafting an inclusive user experience, your organization opens its doors wide for everyone.

Web accessibility is foundational to communicate to your members, donors, staff, and community that they matter. Any future engagement strategies your team employs, whether that’s creating personalized experiences or gamification, will fall flat without first practicing digital inclusion. 

3 steps towards digital inclusion

As your nonprofit or association begins incorporating accessibility into your digital strategy, ensure the right team members have the necessary training and tools. While your IT team will likely be responsible for significant portions of this ongoing work, anyone who interacts with your digital assets should have a working knowledge of web accessibility. 

Here are three areas to begin with to enhance web accessibility: 

1. Audit your written content

Start by reviewing your website’s blog posts, downloadable resources, and testimonials pages. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind for text-based resources and pages on your website:

• Headings. Use the heading formatting within written content to support organization and navigation. Headings should follow a logical structure and be nested by level. For example, in this article, “1. Audit your written content” is formatted as Heading 3 and nested under “3 steps towards digital inclusion,” which is a Heading 2.
• Readability. It’s recommended for online content to be written at roughly an eighth-grade reading level. This helps the information be easily digestible and skimmable, as well as breaking up text into shorter paragraphs (usually five lines or less) and using bulleted lists. 
• Links. Hyperlinked pages within content help people find related information and also inform users and Google how your site fits together, which supports easy navigation. Any links should be distinguishable, not just by color, but by another formatting notation, like underlining or bolding. 

You can apply these principles to blog articles, training modules in your LMS, email newsletters and appeals, and any other written content your nonprofit or association produces. 

It might be a good idea to create an accessibility checklist or standard for any new content that your team writes, as well as updating previously published assets on your website or other platforms. To keep content truly evergreen and helpful for all of your stakeholders for years to come, regularly audit your site for accessibility every six months. 

2. Review visual and audio resources

Delivering resources across a variety of media (such as video, images, and written text) keeps users engaged and accommodates diverse learning and consumption preferences. To ensure all of your community members gain the benefit of your investment in these resources, here are a few tips for inclusive visual and audio assets:

• Captioning or transcripts. Instituting accurate captioning for videos and providing transcripts for audio recordings, such as podcasts, supports users with hearing impairments. It’s also helpful for everyone, since users can turn on captions if they’re in an environment that’s not conducive to listening, like a loud room.
• Safe and predictable visuals. Flashing or strobing elements can trigger seizures and generally create a negative viewing experience for the user. Avoiding these elements ensures users are safe and can consume resources without fear or distraction.
• Alternative text. Providing a brief description of the images, typically less than 140 characters, allows screen readers to convey the purpose of the visuals to the user. Keep it brief, and you don’t need to include alt text for purely decorative images. 

Don’t forget to make accessibility a priority for hybrid events or training sessions that your association or nonprofit is hosting as well. When procuring the webinar or other necessary technology, ensure that the platform has the necessary accommodations available. 

3. Align design

On your website as a whole, ensure your design supports inclusivity as well. Here are a few things to check for:

• Color contrast. Your background and foreground elements should have a sufficient contrast ratio to help text be legible. WCAG recommends a 3:1 ratio for large-scale text and images.
• Touch targets. Any button, link, or element that a user needs to select should be large enough and spaced out from other navigational elements so the user can select their intended target. 
• Form labels. Bloomerang’s guide to nonprofit donation pages recommends that any form should label the fields with descriptive text outside the fields themselves. This way, screenreaders aren’t hindered in communicating the form to the user.

You can use the Google Lighthouse accessibility checker tool to spot-check your web pages as you continue to make updates. Also, refer to the WCAG regularly and ensure your IT or web development team prioritizes accessible design in their day-to-day operations. 

Website updates might seem like a headache or something that can be put off, but to cultivate a culture of welcome and inclusivity, accessible digital design is an urgent necessity. There’s no better time than right now to optimize your website and communicate to each of your stakeholders your recognition of the value they bring to your community. 

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