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About the Validation 

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There are approximately 1.2 billion websites worldwide, of which 17% or about 200 million are considered active. Of those, about 1 million are categorized as influential – meaning that the sites have enough traffic to impact a significant segment of the population, in some way, around the clock, every day of the year.

 

Obviously, these sites can include giants like Amazon, YouTube, and Facebook. But sites such as those hosted by your local healthcare provider, universities and colleges, law firms and realtors also make this list of influential websites that, though exponentially smaller than the large sites noted above, can impact their audiences. That impact includes how visitors to these sites experience DEI as it relates to the content on the site. 

 

Concordance’s Web Equal Validated initiative was created to assist websites in the process of presenting DEI in a meaningful manner and began the process by curating more than 1,000 broad-ranging sites. Through a rigorous research method, only those sites that have approached DEI content with purpose receive validation.

 

With over 10 years’ experience researching, reviewing, and understanding content DEI, Concordance’s Web Equal Validation is a mark you can count on when looking for the best presentation of diversity on the web. â€‹

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How does a website become Web Equal Validated?

 

The first step to becoming a Concordance Web Equal Validated site is through simple awareness. Every day, Concordance Web Equal surveyor teams become aware of thousands of web sites that are candidates for becoming validated. These are either part of our internal research, outside suggestions or the website owner themselves coming forward and seeking help. Once a website is identified and meets a specified audience criteria, our researchers begins their exhaustive work on evaluating the factors that are behind the official validation.

 

When considering a site, Concordance surveys a comprehensive array of content and relevant data, this includes, but is not exclusive to: 

  • Words 

  • Images

  • Industry type

  • Organization size 

  • Organizational structure

  • Organizational community demographics

  • Racial diversity

  • Gender diversity

  • Age diversity

  • Size and shape inclusiveness

  • Visual impairment inclusiveness

  • Hearing impairment inclusiveness

  • Physical handicap inclusiveness

  • Religious and belief system equity

  • Socioeconomic diversity inclusiveness

 

This information is then collated and weighed via our proprietary methodology. The websites also are reviewed by Concordance Content Community Advisors – a group of diverse individuals who consider the sites’ DEI stance.

 

Do website owners pay to become Web Equal Validated?

No, a website cannot simply pay to receive a Concordance Web Equal Validation. Our discovery and rigorous research process ensure only the most qualified websites receive this recognition. Internet users and website owners across the country trust that Concordance always stands by this promise. We consider this core to the integrity of our Validation and our mission:

 

Making the web more equal for everyone

 

After an organization’s website is Validated, they are encouraged to promote their success at content DEI through a number of avenues and we offer many opportunities to help. It is important to web visitors to know that the sites they traffic are committed to content DEI. It is also important to DEI efforts overall that website content becomes more focused on the aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and Web Equal Validation is the only way to prove that a site is dedicated to doing so.

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