Businesses that are looking for multiple affordable web accessibility tools and services, and would like to monitor their websites on an ongoing basis.
UserWay Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and More (2024)
#userway #webaccessibility
When you start searching for the right web accessibility tool, you’ll be met with a number of options, but UserWay is one tool that really stands out.
UserWay is a leading digital accessibility innovator and has been mentioned on a number of reputable sites such as Forbes, TechCrunch, and Mashable. Their main mission is to make the internet more accessible for everyone.
In this review, we cover everything you need to know about UserWay and how to can help you reach a more compliant web accessibility status.
Let’s start with the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Published by the World Wide Web Consortium, WCAG is a set of guidelines that outlines how to make websites and online content more accessible to those living with disabilities. It also caters to older members of society who are experiencing changing abilities brought on by age.
WCAG is the benchmark for website accessibility. It states that websites need to be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Then there’s the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This act was created to prevent discrimination based on disability across several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications, and access to government services.
Where public accommodations once only referred to physical spaces and businesses, today it also includes websites.
This is the point at which the ADA and WCAG come together.
Any mentions of website accessibility in the ADA are based on the WCAG and it’s what business and website owners need to adhere to in order to comply with legal requirements.
If your website is not compliant with ADA and WCAG, it means that you are, in essence, discriminating against users with disabilities. In turn, this could lead to costly demand letters and damaging lawsuits.
ADA lawsuits are rising at a rapid rate and law firms are always on the lookout for sites that are non-compliant – this is simply a risk that you shouldn’t and don’t have to take.
Over and above this, by making your website more accessible using tools such as UserWay and accessiBe, you are also opening up your business to a much wider audience with immense buying power. Why lose out on potential sales when you don’t need to?
Lastly, websites that choose to comply are doing their part to create a more inclusive society overall, which is great for your brand’s reputation.
UserWay is a toolkit that helps website owners comply with WCAG and ADA requirements more easily.
First, there’s UserWay’s accessibility widget, which gives users more power over their experience on your site. Once installed, the widget will allow visitors to adjut settings such as contrast, text size, text spacing, and the structure of any given page.
UserWay also offers accessibility audits and ongoing monitoring, helping you stay on top of potential accessibility issues as you update your site. Should you choose a manual audit, their team of experts will provide you with a detailed report that outlines the steps you need to take to comply.
If you would like to consider an alternative to UserWay, accessiBe comes highly recommended. This AI-powered solution can make your website more accessible without compromising on design and functionality.
Businesses that are looking for multiple affordable web accessibility tools and services, and would like to monitor their websites on an ongoing basis.
Businesses that don’t have access to technical resources and would rely heavily on instant access to support.
UserWay’s widget is compatible with almost every content management system you can think of, including WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Joomla, and Weebly.
You can install the UserWay widget on your site in just a few clicks. From there, you can customize it to fit the look and feel of your site.
The widget will now automatically remediate issues associated with color contrast, keyboard navigation, text and readability, and more. The result is a more accessible website for your customers and a continuous journey towards greater compliance for your site.
Once you install the widget, on top of the features we just mentioned that will help make your website more accessible, Userway’s widget also creates a layover which solves many of the issues related to blind people and people with physical impairments. More on this later on.
Remediation of videos, audio files, and PDF documents is also available but at an extra cost.
UserWayWith over 1M installations and counting, UserWay is one of today’s market leaders. UserWay is a safe and trusted solution for your website accessibility goals. What makes this solution unique? Its compatibility for businesses of all sizes and its wide range of solutions, along with its beautifully designed widget.
The automated solution installation process is easy and efficient and only requires you to add a single line of Javascript code on your website. You’ll also have the option of taking advantage of a 7-day free trial before committing to a long-term solution.
Here are the two main solutions that you can easily install on your site as a UserWay client:
Here’s how UserWay makes your website more accessible to people with disabilities:
The front end of your website needs to be accessible to people who have visual, hearing, and mobility impairments, seizures, and other cognitive problems. UserWay solves this problem by allowing website visitors to adjust the design and UI of a website, so it perfectly meets their accessibility needs at the WCAG 2.2 AA and AAA levels.
Users can start by selecting specific accessibility profiles to customize their experience.
They can also select specific settings if they fit into more than just one of the above accessiblity profiles.
On the back end, UserWay uses machine learning to scan, analyze, and interpret every element on the page the same way a human would. Then, the system automatically fixes accessibility issues it finds using ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes and various behavior adjustments to provide full context to screen readers, allowing blind users and people who suffer from motor impairment to navigate and browse through sites accurately and seamlessly.
Similar processes are used when installing the automated accessiblity monitoring solution. AI technology will scan your site according to the latest WCAG guidelines, ensuring it meets the most recent standards.
UserWay offers different price packages depending on the number of page views your site receives. This ranges from $490 to $1,490 per year. The company also offers custom and dynamic pricing packages for enterprise and public sector businesses. Monthly subscriptions are also available if you choose not to commit to a full year.
The chat support usually answers within a few minutes, which isn’t as quick as other solutions, but once they respond you can ask the representative basic questions. The rep will either answer you within the chat or direct you to the correct place on the website.
UserWay has dedicated account managers to cater to all your questions.
Making your website more accessible and ADA compliant is a must, both for your brand and for the disabled community.
However, if you’re still on the fence, why not book your free consultation to see where you stand?
UserWay also offers you the opportunity to scan your website for free to determine where your business is vulnerable and what you will need to change to meet important compliance standards.
UserWay is a great solution for enhancing website accessibility. It automatically addresses key issues like color contrast, keyboard navigation, and text readability, and creates an overlay to assist users with visual and physical impairments. UserWay helps websites achieve greater compliance and offers a continuous journey towards improved accessibility for all users. Additionally, UserWay provides services related to digital accessibility, giving you a full umbrella of support for your accessibility needs. With customers ranging from Coca-Cola to small owner websites, you can’t go wrong with this choice.