Promoting Inclusivity and Accessibility in Healthcare: The Crucial Role of Section 508 Compliance
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Why you should care about inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare
The world is becoming increasingly digitalized day by day. The healthcare sector has had to react, as more than ever, healthcare services are increasingly being provided through digital resources. As this continues, it is important to remember that all online and digital experiences should be both welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Welcoming and accessible digital and online experiences are not just about ticking off compliance checklists or working out the resources for purposes of avoiding penalties. Rather, they are about extending empathy, embracing inclusivity, and demonstrating that you take corporate social responsibility seriously.
Digital inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare: what it is
Digital inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare is a way of saying that our healthcare systems and processes see everyone as desirous of using them, value everyone, and make room for everyone to use or benefit from them, including people with various types of disabilities.
Ensuring your digitalized healthcare services are inclusive and accessible to everyone is an act of compassion that can make a world of difference in someone’s ability to learn, work, and connect with those providing the healthcare services.
When government agencies and businesses place emphasis on and prioritize digitally inclusive and accessible healthcare, they are not only simply complying with Section 508 accessibility requirements, but they are also making a significant contribution to building an inclusive culture in the healthcare environment.
Inclusive and accessible healthcare is one that ensures that individuals with disabilities can access and navigate its associated digital content as easily as those without disabilities. This includes everything from documents and web content to tech support and user interfaces.
Championing inclusive and accessible healthcare through 508 compliance
Given the important role that inclusivity and accessibility play in healthcare, how can you or your organization become a champion of digital accessibility in healthcare? Here are some critical steps to guide you in navigating or helping healthcare providers deliver inclusivity and accessibility in their services:
- Understanding what makes digital services Section 508 compliant
Championing inclusive and accessible healthcare requires understanding and adhering to Section 508 certification guidelines. Section 508 compliance certification requires the use of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA conformance.
Seeing that WCAG 2.1 is in effect now, it is advisable to always meet the latest set of 508 compliance requirements. WCAG 2.1 is backward compatible, which means that any website that meets its associated regulations will also be 508 compliant because it comprises the WCAG 2.0 accessibility requirements.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has also provided a wealth of information about Section 508-compliant systems and processes on its website. As a champion of inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with the provided guidelines so you can adhere to them in your promotional endeavors.
- Training of inclusivity and accessibility teams
As a healthcare inclusivity and accessibility champion, it is important to keep in mind that everyone in a given healthcare system has a unique role to play in making healthcare digital content inclusive and accessible. Ensure you provide training and the requisite resources to these people to help them understand and apply Section 508 accessibility principles during the design and implementation of inclusive and accessible healthcare systems or programs.
Section 508 accessibility trainings are particularly essential because they usually benefit both the employees of the healthcare establishment as well as the organization itself by enhancing customer service, fostering employee engagement, and aligning with organizational overall social responsibility goals.
- Undertaking 508 compliance certification audits
Section 508 compliance certification audits are inclusivity and accessibility tests that seek to identify and solve any inclusivity and accessibility barriers that exist in information and communication technology (ICT) products or services used by employees and customers of a given organization or program.
Tests that lead to Section 508 certification of an organization’s products or services help the organization identify and address inclusivity and accessibility issues before they become legal problems. It helps to improve the product’s or service’s user experience.
Inclusive and accessible healthcare pays attention to accessibility features such as text-to-speech and captioning because of their ability to improve the user experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
You can make use of the available accessibility checkers that offer accessibility review features. Once you have used the accessibility checkers to establish the Section 508 accessibility status for a given healthcare digital system, you should allocate time to review and implement the provided recommendations.
- Conducting regular 508 accessibility audits and making updates
As a champion for inclusivity and accessibility in your healthcare organization, you should keep checking your digital content for inclusivity and accessibility regularly. That is because as technology evolves, so must efforts to keep digital content and systems supporting healthcare products and services inclusive and accessible.
- Stocktaking the present, emerging, and possible risks of non-compliance
Every astute healthcare accessibility champion will definitely keep tabs on the existing, emerging, and forecasted risks of non-compliance. It is important to keep in mind that ignoring accessibility does not just hamper inclusivity within the organization; it also has legal and financial repercussions. Most important, it impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities by denying them equitable access to information and opportunities.
For private organizations and individuals in the healthcare business, it is important to note that non-compliance with Section 508 accessibility requirements could result in lost opportunities to capture new markets and reach new audiences.
Keeping in mind that an estimated 16% of the world’s population consists of individuals who experience some form of disability is also essential for champions of inclusive and accessible healthcare. That is because by neglecting digital accessibility, healthcare businesses could miss out on engaging with such a significant portion of their potential customers.
The potential legal consequences of non-compliance include hefty fines, loss of federal funding, and possible legal action. But beyond these tangible costs, non-compliance can damage a brand’s reputation as well as customer loyalty.
It is therefore important to understand that digital accessibility is more than just a mandate. Rather, it is a commitment to the concerns of others, inclusivity, and corporate responsibility. It is also about recognizing the value and rights of all individuals and making sure that everyone has equal access to the digital world of healthcare.
Need help making your healthcare products or services accessible?
We can help your healthcare organization fully embrace digital accessibility. By embracing digital accessibility, your organization will make its corner of the Internet kinder, more inclusive, and more welcoming to customers. Call us today at (626) 486-2201 or schedule a consult to we can discuss how we can assist you in getting 508 compliance certification for your digital healthcare products and services.
Why you should care about inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare
The world is becoming increasingly digitalized day by day. The healthcare sector has had to react, as more than ever, healthcare services are increasingly being provided through digital resources. As this continues, it is important to remember that all online and digital experiences should be both welcoming and accessible to everyone.
Welcoming and accessible digital and online experiences are not just about ticking off compliance checklists or working out the resources for purposes of avoiding penalties. Rather, they are about extending empathy, embracing inclusivity, and demonstrating that you take corporate social responsibility seriously.
Digital inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare: what it is
Digital inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare is a way of saying that our healthcare systems and processes see everyone as desirous of using them, value everyone, and make room for everyone to use or benefit from them, including people with various types of disabilities.
Ensuring your digitalized healthcare services are inclusive and accessible to everyone is an act of compassion that can make a world of difference in someone’s ability to learn, work, and connect with those providing the healthcare services.
When government agencies and businesses place emphasis on and prioritize digitally inclusive and accessible healthcare, they are not only simply complying with Section 508 accessibility requirements, but they are also making a significant contribution to building an inclusive culture in the healthcare environment.
Inclusive and accessible healthcare is one that ensures that individuals with disabilities can access and navigate its associated digital content as easily as those without disabilities. This includes everything from documents and web content to tech support and user interfaces.
Championing inclusive and accessible healthcare through 508 compliance
Given the important role that inclusivity and accessibility play in healthcare, how can you or your organization become a champion of digital accessibility in healthcare? Here are some critical steps to guide you in navigating or helping healthcare providers deliver inclusivity and accessibility in their services:
- Understanding what makes digital services Section 508 compliant
Championing inclusive and accessible healthcare requires understanding and adhering to Section 508 certification guidelines. Section 508 compliance certification requires the use of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA conformance.
Seeing that WCAG 2.1 is in effect now, it is advisable to always meet the latest set of 508 compliance requirements. WCAG 2.1 is backward compatible, which means that any website that meets its associated regulations will also be 508 compliant because it comprises the WCAG 2.0 accessibility requirements.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has also provided a wealth of information about Section 508-compliant systems and processes on its website. As a champion of inclusivity and accessibility in healthcare, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with the provided guidelines so you can adhere to them in your promotional endeavors.
- Training of inclusivity and accessibility teams
As a healthcare inclusivity and accessibility champion, it is important to keep in mind that everyone in a given healthcare system has a unique role to play in making healthcare digital content inclusive and accessible. Ensure you provide training and the requisite resources to these people to help them understand and apply Section 508 accessibility principles during the design and implementation of inclusive and accessible healthcare systems or programs.
Section 508 accessibility trainings are particularly essential because they usually benefit both the employees of the healthcare establishment as well as the organization itself by enhancing customer service, fostering employee engagement, and aligning with organizational overall social responsibility goals.
- Undertaking 508 compliance certification audits
Section 508 compliance certification audits are inclusivity and accessibility tests that seek to identify and solve any inclusivity and accessibility barriers that exist in information and communication technology (ICT) products or services used by employees and customers of a given organization or program.
Tests that lead to Section 508 certification of an organization’s products or services help the organization identify and address inclusivity and accessibility issues before they become legal problems. It helps to improve the product’s or service’s user experience.
Inclusive and accessible healthcare pays attention to accessibility features such as text-to-speech and captioning because of their ability to improve the user experience for all users, not just those with disabilities.
You can make use of the available accessibility checkers that offer accessibility review features. Once you have used the accessibility checkers to establish the Section 508 accessibility status for a given healthcare digital system, you should allocate time to review and implement the provided recommendations.
- Conducting regular 508 accessibility audits and making updates
As a champion for inclusivity and accessibility in your healthcare organization, you should keep checking your digital content for inclusivity and accessibility regularly. That is because as technology evolves, so must efforts to keep digital content and systems supporting healthcare products and services inclusive and accessible.
- Stocktaking the present, emerging, and possible risks of non-compliance
Every astute healthcare accessibility champion will definitely keep tabs on the existing, emerging, and forecasted risks of non-compliance. It is important to keep in mind that ignoring accessibility does not just hamper inclusivity within the organization; it also has legal and financial repercussions. Most important, it impacts the lives of individuals with disabilities by denying them equitable access to information and opportunities.
For private organizations and individuals in the healthcare business, it is important to note that non-compliance with Section 508 accessibility requirements could result in lost opportunities to capture new markets and reach new audiences.
Keeping in mind that an estimated 16% of the world’s population consists of individuals who experience some form of disability is also essential for champions of inclusive and accessible healthcare. That is because by neglecting digital accessibility, healthcare businesses could miss out on engaging with such a significant portion of their potential customers.
The potential legal consequences of non-compliance include hefty fines, loss of federal funding, and possible legal action. But beyond these tangible costs, non-compliance can damage a brand’s reputation as well as customer loyalty.
It is therefore important to understand that digital accessibility is more than just a mandate. Rather, it is a commitment to the concerns of others, inclusivity, and corporate responsibility. It is also about recognizing the value and rights of all individuals and making sure that everyone has equal access to the digital world of healthcare.
Need help making your healthcare products or services accessible?
We can help your healthcare organization fully embrace digital accessibility. By embracing digital accessibility, your organization will make its corner of the Internet kinder, more inclusive, and more welcoming to customers. Call us today at (626) 486-2201 or schedule a consult to we can discuss how we can assist you in getting 508 compliance certification for your digital healthcare products and services.
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