Eighty-nine companies in the Fortune 100 fail to meet at least one of six basic standards to make careers websites accessible, according to a survey by Phenom People, a talent experience management company.
A website is considered accessible when it meets the standards of the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. Although the U.S. Department of Justice has not adopted any Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standard for accessible websites, WCAG 2.0 has been applied by many courts as the ADA standard.
"Failing to meet critical accessibility standards creates a troubling problem: Individuals with disabilities cannot navigate, find jobs or apply on careers sites," stated Ben Eubanks, principal analyst at Lighthouse Research & Advisory in Huntsville, Ala. "Research shows there is a higher rate of unemployment among them than the general population. This means employers are missing out on otherwise qualified talent with critically low levels of employment."
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Most Fortune 100 Careers Sites Aren't Accessible to People with Disabilities
SHRM | Oct 2019
A customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2 requirements can be found here.
Make Your Career Website More Accessible
Regardless of whether the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or state law requires careers portals to be accessible, many employers want their careers websites to be so that they can recruit people with disabilities—a talent pool that could help employers fill jobs more quickly in the tight labor market.
How to Make Your Careers Website Usable for People with Disabilities
SHRM | Oct 2018
Digital accessibility refers to designing devices, products and environments such that individuals with disabilities or sensory impairments can successfully use the device or product or navigate the environment.
6 Ways to Make Your Careers Site More Accessible
SHRM | Apr 2018
The career page on your company website is often the first point of interaction with a candidate. If at this initial stage job seekers cannot access content or struggles to obtain the data they are looking for, then the chances are that they won't return.
Is Your Careers Page Accessible for People with Disabilities?
HR Technologist | Oct 2019
Accessible design also means thinking about how to include people who may be temporarily disabled (e.g., those with a broken limb) or people who have gradual shifts in ability (e.g., the elderly).
Four Tips To Help You Design An Accessible Website
Forbes | May 2019
Solutions to Common Barriers
When websites don't meet certain accessibility standards, people with disabilities who try to use them may encounter several barriers. And increasingly, that leads to lawsuits against the employer.
Can People with Disabilities Use Your Careers Website?
SHRM | Oct 2018
Website features may inadvertently pose barriers to people with disabilities. This article highlights common barriers and solutions.
Tips to Correct Common Website Design Barriers
SHRM | Oct 2018
Examples of Web Accessibility Statements
CareerOneStop
Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology
Michigan State University
University of Massachusetts Boston
Federal Government Resources for Designing Accessible Websites
Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)
DOL
Accommodation and Compliance: Online Applications and Websites
Job Accommodation Network
Website Accessibility Under Title II of the ADA
DOJ
Disability Issues Related to Online Application Systems
OFCCP
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Seyfarth | Oct 2019
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Fast Company | Oct 2019
Potential Job Applicants Sue Companies with Difficult Online Forms
SHRM | Oct 2018
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