The Catholic Case for Digital Accessibility
“God created mankind in his image” - Genesis 1:27
Have you ever been annoyed by a pop-up that won’t go away? Or a website where the text blends into the background? These common irritants are just two ways our digital world can be inaccessible to people with disabilities.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four American adults has a disability. This community spans a wide range of visible and invisible conditions, encompassing people from all walks of life.
Our online presence is often the front door to our businesses, ministries, and communities. When we improve accessibility by making online content easier to find, understand, and use, we welcome our brothers and sisters with disabilities and more fully live out the virtue of hospitality.
Beyond serving people with disabilities, accessibility benefits all of us: for example, the older parishioner reading your newsletter or the mom watching your product Reel on mute while snuggling a sleeping baby.
A Catholic Viewpoint
At its heart, accessibility is about serving people. For Catholic women in business, we can think about it as a way to practice love of neighbor in digital spaces.
Imago Dei: Every human being has intrinsic dignity because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). People with disabilities should not be an afterthought; we have responsibilities to one another and our larger society.
Imitating Christ: By prioritizing accessibility, we reflect Jesus’ ministry, characterized by outreach to the marginalized. When we invite people into full participation in our online communities, we act in solidarity with those we are called to serve and welcome those who are often excluded.
Five Simple Habits to Start This Week
For most small business owners, ministry leaders, consultants and service providers, the starting point is一 encouragingly 一 not rebuilding everything from scratch. It’s giving deeper consideration to the content you’re already creating.
A good first step is to test your key website pages with the free WAVE accessibility evaluation tool. Start with your homepage, contact page, services page, and any page where someone is asked to sign up or make a purchase to identify common barriers.
There’s an important caveat:an automated checker won’t catch every issue and a clean report does not necessarily mean your site is fully accessible.
Next, here are five basic habits to begin incorporating. Remember that accessibility isn’t a one-time task; it’s an ongoing practice.
Use clear language. Make your message easy to understand. Use headings, short sections, and direct instructions. Avoid using “click here” or “read more”; instead, hyperlink text that explains where the user is going, like “download the guide.”
Add alt text to images. This descriptive text tells people using a screen reader what an image shows. Focus on what someone needs to know, not every visual detail. For a good example, visit the U.S. National Park Service’s Instagram and see how they describe images in the captions.
Make key information available outside images and PDFs. Repeat important details in a caption or body text, and consider putting them directly on a web page or in an email body.
Ensure text is easy to read. Use readable font sizes and avoid script fonts for important information. Text should stand out against its background. Use the WebAIM contrast checker to verify. Avoid conveying information through color alone.
Add captions to videos. Captions should include spoken words and, when relevant, important sounds. Ensure that all captions are edited for accuracy.
Digital spaces are real places of encounter. Making our work more accessible acknowledges the dignity of our brothers and sisters with disabilities, demonstrates our love of neighbor, and deepens the practice of our faith.
Bookmark These Accessibility Resources
Introduction to Web Accessibility: A clear, beginner-friendly overview of what web accessibility is and whom it benefits.
Accessibility Tutorials: Practical and task-based tutorials that cover common website issues.
Create Accessible Digital Products: Guidance and training videos for accessible PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoints, Excel files, and social media content.
Accessibility for Content Designers: Explains content responsibilities, including transcripts, synchronized captions, accessible media, and clear content structure.
ADA.gov: Official guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Carolyn Crawford is a communications and marketing professional with 15 years of experience across multiple sectors, including defense, labor and biopharmaceuticals. She got her start at boutique PR agencies in Washington, D.C., before making the jump to become a freelance communications consultant. Now, she primarily serves Catholic clients through mission-centered organizational advancement. Carolyn lives in Maryland with her husband and son. She can be reached at carolyn@crawfordconsultingllc.com.