It's simple to become alarmed by the increasing demand for "accessible" websites. What does that actually mean? Will your website need to be modified?
Even while we still want websites to be as inclusive as possible, making even small progress in this direction is preferable to doing nothing at all (or trying to do everything at once and failing)!
Websites that are accessible are quickly taking over, which makes sense given that 15% of the world's population is disabled. What specifications must your website meet in order to be deemed "accessible"?
1: Verify your content
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For people with visual impairments, accessible features are essential.
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hearing problems
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a physical or motor disability
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epilepsy that is sensitive to light
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Dementia and dyslexia are two examples of cognitive impairments.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 were created since the content is such an important part of this (WCAG 2.1). A website's written, graphic, and aural content all influence how visitors engage with it. It is far more difficult to navigate a website if you have vision or hearing issues.
Consider again if you think your website is secure without having it tested. 96.8% of home pages in 2022 had WCAG 2 issues.
It will be easier if you:
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Avoid employing words or phrases that the reader could find confusing.
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Any relevant photographs should have alt text supplied.
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Links should be written in a readable, informative manner.
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Videos should have subtitles or transcripts.
2: HTML: How Good Is It?
Even if a website looks excellent and performs well, it may nevertheless use subpar HTML practices. Because of this, not just screen readers but also Google will have trouble comprehending the page. Google, for example, has recently begun to prioritize accessible websites and will often punish websites with a lot of "poor" coding.
Most sound HTML concepts are simple to comprehend and can be used as a foundation for building your website. For instance, there are other methods besides color that you can use to identify between various font types. HTML links should include descriptive anchor text. The href property must always be present and links must start with the letter "a".
3: What's the point of your web design?
Color contrast is among the first ideas that spring to mind when discussing website accessibility. Despite this, the most common issue with website accessibility is this one. The text contrast on 83.9 percent of home pages is insufficient to comply with WCAG 2 AA requirements.
The color scheme for your website should be intentional, constant, and have good contrast. See what is said about color in WCAG 2.1. You can also use the AA criterion to determine whether your colors are accessible.
Another design element that can make or break an accessible website is the use of fonts. Fonts ought to be straightforward, recognizable, and easy to read.
Not all people can read every typeface, and the combination of fonts you employ might affect how well something reads.
Verdana, Arial, and Helvetica are a few notably accessible typefaces that you might wish to look at.
4: What's your heading structure?
If you are familiar with SEO, you presumably already understand the value of headers. Nonetheless, headers are essential for accessibility. Interestingly, headers are only present on roughly 10% of web pages.
Keep in mind the following principles when creating heading structures:
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One H1 heading ought to be present on every page.
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The heading's elements ought to be arranged logically or sequentially. They should never be employed merely for ornamentation. As a best practice, if you need to employ a certain visual element, apply a CSS class and preserve the relevant header tag.
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Avoid skipping heading levels in the same way that you shouldn't skip paragraph levels. The author finds it perplexing.
You can use digital marketing services to do a website audit.
5: When in doubt, do what's right
Most accessibility problems are easy to find when you know what you're looking for. Although you might have previously observed them, you're unsure of what exactly is upsetting you. Squinting and using the brightness button, you struggle to read the dark text on the black background. This is a perfect example of accessibility being difficult.
For many of us, it is only a minor annoyance. It can make using websites and navigating the internet challenging for people with vision-related issues. According to WebAIM, users with disabilities should anticipate problems on one out of every 19 site component they deal with.
Accessibility is an essential aspect that benefits everyone, as it facilitates our daily lives and makes browsing the internet less challenging. Even if your website is not yet fully compliant with accessibility standards, it's still possible to take steps toward making it more accessible.
At Wise Web Pros, we believe in creating websites that are accessible to everyone, and we specialize in building best-practice, accessible websites for healthcare and non-profit organizations. If you're interested in learning more about how we can help make your website more accessible, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for further information.
