TL;DR:
- Inaccessible Websites Pose Legal Risks: ADA lawsuits are rising, especially in biotech. One small error, like a missing alt tag, can lead to fines, mandated rebuilds, and reputational damage.
- Accessibility Is Part of Compliance: Biotech firms must meet global digital regulations (e.g., Section 508, EN 301 549). Accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential to meeting internal and external compliance expectations.
- It Impacts Your Reach and Revenue: Excluding users with disabilities limits engagement with potential investors, talent, and partners. Around 25% of U.S. adults live with a disability.
- Accessibility Is Ongoing, Not a One-Time Fix: It’s more efficient to build accessibility into ongoing website support, auditing high-traffic pages, updating alt text, and embedding accessibility into content workflows.
- Accessibility Improves SEO and UX: Accessible websites perform better across the board, search engines reward semantic structure, and users stay longer when navigation is easy and inclusive.
Marketing leaders in biotech operate at the intersection of compliance, communication, and credibility. Every initiative, from landing pages to investor updates, must be thoughtful, on-brand, and above all, trustworthy. But there’s one area that often raises concern:
Is our website truly accessible to everyone who needs it?
In regulated industries like biotech, accessibility isn’t just a technical requirement. It’s a reputational, legal, and strategic imperative. A single oversight—a missing alt tag, a non-functional keyboard element, or poorly contrasted colors—can exclude users, trigger lawsuits, and compromise public trust.
If your organization’s digital presence is mission-critical, accessibility isn’t optional, it’s operational.
The Real Risk of Inaccessible Digital Experiences
In biotech and other regulated sectors, websites are more than marketing tools. They’re gateways to essential information for researchers, partners, patients, investors, and regulators.
When a website doesn’t meet modern accessibility standards, the consequences can be serious:
1. Legal Liability
Website inaccessibility lawsuits are on the rise. In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is increasingly being applied to public-facing digital properties. If your site isn’t accessible, your organization may face:
- Fines and legal fees
- Mandated rebuilds
- Reputational fallout
2. Compliance Exposure
Biotech companies already follow strict standards for documentation, data privacy, and public disclosures. Digital inaccessibility may breach internal policies, investor expectations, or regional laws such as Section 508 or the EU’s EN 301 549.
3. Missed Opportunities
Roughly 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. has a disability. If your site doesn’t serve this audience, you’re limiting engagement with qualified talent, diverse stakeholders, and prospective partners.
What Does Website Accessibility Actually Mean?
Website accessibility means designing and developing digital experiences that can be used by everyone, regardless of ability.
Following WCAG 2.1 standards, an accessible site must be:
- Perceivable – content is available to all senses (e.g., alt text for images)
- Operable – all elements can be accessed via keyboard or screen reader
- Understandable – content is readable, logical, and predictable
- Robust – compatible with assistive technologies and future updates
For senior marketing executives in regulated industries, accessibility isn’t just a checkbox. It’s the foundation of inclusive, effective communication.
Accessibility in Biotech: Where the Gaps Show Up
Even the most well-intentioned teams can overlook accessibility in fast-paced campaigns. Common blind spots include:
- PDFs or gated content lacking accessible formatting
- Color schemes that don’t meet contrast requirements
- Interactive charts without screen reader alternatives
- Videos or webinars without captions or transcripts
- Menus that are not keyboard-friendly
Each of these issues creates friction, not just for users with disabilities, but for anyone trying to engage with your content under different circumstances.
Accessibility Is Not a Redesign, It’s a Mindset
Most marketing teams don’t have budget for a full website overhaul every quarter. The good news? You don’t need one to start improving accessibility.
Prioritized Accessibility Fixes:
- Audit key traffic pages for accessibility issues
- Remediate alt text, forms, and navigation
- Add captions and transcripts to priority videos
- Run monthly scans and include accessibility in website support reviews
When accessibility is built into your ongoing web design and development strategy, new updates and content stay inclusive from the start.
Bonus: Accessibility Improves Overall UX and SEO
Here’s another reason accessibility matters: it improves performance across the board.
- Search engines favor accessible structure (e.g., heading hierarchy, alt tags)
- Users engage longer with content that’s easier to navigate
- SEO and conversion rate optimization improve when clarity and usability are prioritized
What’s good for accessibility is good for your brand visibility, and your results.
How 3 Media Web Can Help
At 3 Media Web, we help marketing leaders in regulated industries bridge the gap between compliance and communication.
Our accessibility services include:
- Audits and performance scans to identify issues
- WCAG 2.1 remediation across content and code
- Team training on best practices and tools
- Alignment with broader lead generation and content strategies
- Ongoing website support to keep accessibility top of mind as your site evolves
Whether you’re working toward full compliance or just getting started, we’re here to support your mission and your metrics.