The need for inclusivity in digital marketing

We live in a world dominated by digital.To embrace and enjoy contemporary society, we need to connect with it.Those without access to the Internet or digital devices may find themselves living on the margins of society.This affects their ability to find jobs, connect with friends  and family, buy products and services or access important resources.

When people go through these digital cracks, it not only affects the success of your website, but it alienates a large audience and is easy to be attracted by your inclusivity.

Why do you need to think about inclusivity in digital marketing in China?

People with disabilities are found in every corner of the globe, both in developed and developing countries.The incidence rate of disability in various countries is only high and low, there is no difference.The 11 million people in the UK who suffer from some form of serious illness or infirmity is already a large population.According to data released by the China disabled persons’ federation, the total number of disabled people in China in 2018 is more than 85 million, accounting for 6.34 percent of the total population.That means one in 16 people is disabled.Of these, more than 12 million are visually disabled and nearly 25 million are physically disabled.As China steps into the “universal two-child” era, the number of elderly mothers (over 35 years old) increases, so does the number of high-risk mothers.All these increase the risk of birth defects to some extent.It is estimated that by 2030, China will add 2 million to 2.5 million people with disabilities every year, with an average of one person born every 15 to 20 seconds.

Disability is a term that covers a wide range of conditions from the body to the nerves.Disabled persons include persons with visual disability, hearing disability, speech disability, physical disability, intellectual disability, mental disability, multiple disabilities and other disabilities.

Disabled people are a growing group that cannot be ignored and deserve the same digital opportunities as the rest of the population.

There are three common causes of disability around us, namely, heredity and development, injury and disease, environment and behavior.Disability can be divided into congenital disability and acquired disability, among which acquired factors are the main factors causing disability.People born with disabilities account for 9.57%, and acquired disabilities account for 74.67%.So in many cases, this is a case of adapting their lives to their circumstances, which means the gap between their able-bodied digital prospects and their current digital prospects will be even more stark.

Now, if you exclude 10 percent of the population from any other type of difference (hair color, skin color, religion), you find yourself in a very dangerous situation.However, considering how people with disabilities can access your site fairly and equitably, and by expanding their business, may not seem to be a top concern for many.

China has promulgated the law on the protection of disabled persons and the regulations on the construction of a barrier-free environment, which have made clearer and more specific provisions on the rights of disabled persons to education, employment, rehabilitation and barrier-free in social security, thus guaranteeing their basic rights.The education level and employment rate of the disabled have been generally improved, and many disabled people have been given opportunities to recover…

Although “90 per cent of brands claim to prioritise diversity and inclusivity, only 4 per cent have considered the needs of disabled consumers”.

Where do you start on the path to better accessibility?

There are many types of disabled people, but there are no more than the following three types of product design for disabled people:

· restore its body function and structure

· replace its body function structure

· adapt the environment to its new body structure

In real life, we can see many designs for the disabled, such as barrier-free ramp, chinese-style blind path, various prosthetics, wheelchairs, hearing AIDS and so on are designed based on the above.In the digital aspect, generally there is a barrier-free function in the government website. At this time, the disabled can access the government website and browse the information of the government website through the barrier-free function.But the website of a lot of enterprises did not install website information to serve platform system without obstacle.

The Web content accessibility guidelines from W3C propose techniques aimed at improving the usability of blindness and poor vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech problems, photosensitivity, and some cognitive disorders.However, as is often the case, some businesses simply do not consider these best practices when there is no legal requirement.

This is not to say that companies deliberately ignore disabled users;What’s more, the loudest sound will make the loudest noise.It’s that what companies claim to do leaves a shockingly large gap between what they actually do and what they claim to do.

But the disabled population is a population group that cannot be ignored.So if a business wants to change, where do they start?

Creating a website that works for everyone is the first step in ensuring that a diverse population enjoys equal access to a business or brand – it starts with development.Let’s break it down into a few categories:

Blindness and poor vision

Text-to-braille or text-to-speech software has been around for a while, but if a site lacks a basic text-to-visual equivalent, the data can’t be delivered accurately.

Mobility issues

For people who can’t use their hands or don’t have the motor skills needed to operate a mouse, the site is inaccessible unless you can navigate only with a joystick or keyboard.

Deafness and hearing impairment

The Internet is highly visual, but today video makes up a large part of the digital world, there is no transcript, sign language or closed captioning, and any audio input is lost to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Cognitive impairment

Brain damage or learning difficulties can lead to problems with memory, problem solving and attention span. Companies can ensure that people with this condition can absorb information from websites by maintaining readability at a simple level and ensuring easy navigation between regions.

Of course, this is just a small list of thousands of conditions that directly affect a person’s ability to access and participate in information online.

How convenient is your business?

One of the most important parts of moving to more accessible sites is auditing the current site.There are a number of tools available to check if your site complies with accessibility laws and if you need to fill in the gaps by changing the content and layout to improve usability.

But it’s not just on the web;Promoting better publicity within the team is key to ensuring that everyone is representative and (B) included.

So much digital marketing is based on learning-learning habits, behaviors, and the data behind them.But if such a large group of consumers can’t participate in business online, the data can become distorted.Not just the potential for higher incomes, but a better climate around inclusivity should be enough for businesses to raise their service levels.It’s no longer good to just do enough to get people with disabilities into a website, and brands need to engage and represent them.