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Why it's important to have an accessible web platform for PwDs

Por que é importante ter uma plataforma web acessível para PcDs

The simple habit of accessing the internet to do research, read the news or communicate with other people has become practically organic in the last decade. Who has never 'Googled' quickly to confirm information in a matter of seconds, for example? It turns out that this behavior, which for many is trivial, turns out to be a great challenge for people with limited mobility.

It turns out that, in many cases, the disability is not severe to the point of completely excluding Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from using the computer. However, in most cases, the programming development of web platforms does not take into account the need to serve blind people, with low vision, significant hearing impairment, difficulty in handling the mouse to access their digital content.

However, an accessible web platform is not restricted to democratic programming in the physical sense, limitations related to memory, attention, reading and linguistics, mathematical comprehension and visual comprehension must also be taken into account. As exemplified by the Electronic Government Accessibility Model (eMAG), a person with dyslexia may not be able to read a page properly because of poor design.

What is eMAG?

The Electronic Government Accessibility Model is a set of recommendations for federal government websites to have the most accessible content possible. The document includes a series of standardizations and follows international standards, since it is an adapted version of the international document Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and serves as a guide for entrepreneurs in private companies.

Given this scenario, following the guiding principle of eMAG in the development and adaptation of digital content — ranging from texts to audiovisuals — welcomes people respecting their respective needs, since assistive technology resources, such as adapted keyboards and screen magnifiers, by themselves they just don't guarantee everyone's access to the content.

What is an accessible website?

An accessible website, according to eMAG, must allow all contents to be accessed by keyboard, offer a hierarchical navigation structure in the header and present content distinguished by blocks. In addition, the fields must also contain some form of differentiation other than just color, so that colorblind users are not harmed.

Furthermore, the platform must also include images with alternative text describing them. The writing resource is equally important for the subtitles that must be present in all videos, as well as the translation into Brazilian Sign Language (Libras). Audio description is another tool that should integrate audio and audiovisual media.

Implementing these possibilities also improves the ranking of your site on Google, since having a site characterized by ease of navigation allows a larger audience — according to the latest survey by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), there are 45 million PwDs in Brazil — access it, following the same SEO-based boosting templates. 

Digital Accessibility Seal

In May 2018, the São Paulo City Hall launched the Digital Accessibility Seal. The idea is to certify private companies to follow the criteria established by national standards. Anchored in the Brazilian Inclusion Law, the seal is awarded to platforms that have at least 95% of eMAG adherence and comply with all items on the checklist for manual analysis of accessibility in portals.

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How to apply International Marketing concepts in the Brazilian market

Como aplicar conceitos de Marketing Internacional no mercado brasileiro

Every company has ever thought of selling its products and services outside Brazil, either for strategic reasons or even for financial growth purposes.

Today, Brazil's main export partners are China, the United States, Argentina and the Netherlands (Holland). In the case of the latter, we can analyze it more broadly, since the largest port in Europe is in Rotterdam. Without a doubt, commodities represent a large share of national exports, but an interesting fact that few people know is that micro and small companies are responsible for 40% of exports. This volume of products, however, when translated into monetary value, represents only 5% of market share. The major export center in Brazil is the southeast region, led by São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. Out of this axis, Rio Grande do Sul stands out.

This internationalization usually takes place through some means, whether directly or indirectly: exports, licensing, franchising, consortia, joint ventures, acquisitions and strategic alliances. Each of these actions has a different degree of commitment, complexity and risks.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges for a brand in the internationalization process is marketing. Often, companies start exporting to countries where they think entry will be easier, whether due to language, distance or any element that makes that country something more familiar to those who are exporting. But what many companies don't ask themselves is whether people in that country need their product, or even if they should make some adjustments to the product or the way they communicate about it.

Many of these ventured without a minimum study of the country they are entering. Some work out, some don't. Citing the case of China Inbox, a successful franchise that needs no introduction. When the company tried to plant its flag in Argentine lands, it did not have any kind of concern, it simply advanced and assembled its units. But what they didn't have in mind is that the Argentine public has a totally different habit from the Brazilian one – they have lunch and dinner much later than us, for example – not to mention that meals are always accompanied by a good wine. These habits, different from ours, had a consequence: when the Argentines were going out to dinner, the restaurant was almost closing, and even when they found it open, they didn't have an alcoholic beverage (wine) to drink. Result: bankruptcy of the units.

This shows that, no matter the size of the company or the degree of maturity, if it does not adapt to the market, if it does not try to understand what the people in that region really need, the probability of something going wrong is great.

Now place yourself, look at the size of the country we live in, of continental dimensions, states larger than many countries. A multicultural Brazil, a world of different ethnicities within a single place. Before trying to introduce your product to another market, you should ask yourself several questions.

Should I introduce the same product or do I need to make adjustments?

Should I adapt or standardize my communication?

Mixed, multiple or umbrella brand?

The biggest challenges for your company to sell nationally are the same as a company that wants to sell to another country: geographic, cultural and psychological.

1.1 Geographic – should be one of the easiest points, however, taxes and logistical problems in Brazil make it something more complex.

1.2 Cultural – this is certainly one of the biggest challenges and deserves a more technical analysis. A study by Geert Hofstede, which ended up becoming a book later, deals deeply with these “cultural dimensions”. Power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term versus short-term orientation.

1.2.1 Distance from power – this factor itself exemplifies how society reacts to inequalities. This directly implies how a boss should deal with an employee, how a salesperson should act with the customer. Where people are more likely to accept such inequality, the easier they will accept hierarchical levels.

1.2.2 – Individualism versus collectivism – how these people act and how they are interconnected. Should I put individual goals or should I add collective goals for the team. Should I present advertisements with friendship and companionship?

1.2.3 – Masculinity versus femininity – it is worth emphasizing that this concept was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The best-used translation would be “money versus values”. Are my employees more interested in earnings or benefits? Do my customers prefer a lower price or a value-added product?

1.2.4 – Aversion to uncertainty –  how much people are willing to take risks in their lives. Is this new wave of Start-ups not showing a new reality? Do these new generations have something to tell us?

1.2.5 – Long-term versus short-term orientation – here in Brazil short term is the rule. But since they are internationalization challenges, think about how a Japanese and a Brazilian company acts. Ask yourself this question, and understand how alliances and partnerships are made.  

2.3 Psychic – in short: psychic distance results from the perception and understanding of the existence of cultural and business differences between them. Here, returning to the beginning of the text where I commented that companies generally export to countries where they have more identification, but these decision-making can be due to environmental, individual or relationship factors.

Do research! Today the digital revolution and globalization have brought us more cost-effective means of getting more relevant data. Use them wisely in your decision making.

Think globally, act locally.

Renato Vincoletto Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Alliance Comunicação. Graduated in Digital Communication, post-graduated in Advertising Creation, Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from USP. I have been in the Communication market for over 15 years, in which I have worked in several segments, with experience in directing and creating projects and campaigns, directing marketing and branding.