Website accessibility is all about making sure everyone, including people with disabilities, can use and enjoy the web. When you design accessible websites, you’re not just ticking off a box. You’re making the internet a better place for everyone. Plus, it helps you stay on the right side of the law, improves user experience, and broadens your audience.
Accessible websites aren’t just for a small group; they benefit everyone by making things easier to use, boosting your search engine rankings, and ensuring your site works well on various devices and browsers. As the web keeps growing, it’s crucial to make accessibility a priority to create a more inclusive online world.
Why Accessibility Matters
- Inclusion: Website accessibility helps include people with disabilities, allowing them to participate fully in society.
- Legal Compliance: Various laws and regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), mandate accessible web design.
- Better User Experience: Accessible websites are easier for everyone to use, including people with temporary disabilities, older adults, and those with limited internet skills.
- SEO Benefits: Many accessibility practices, like using alt text for images, also improve search engine optimisation (SEO), making your site more discoverable.
- Brand Reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to accessibility can enhance your brand’s reputation and reach a broader audience.
Handy Tools and Links for Website Accessibility
For those looking to dive deeper into web accessibility, here are some useful tools and resources:
- Current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: These guidelines are your go-to for making web content more accessible. They cover a wide range of recommendations to help you make your site perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
- Pagespeed Insights: While mainly for checking and improving your site’s speed, it also flags accessibility issues that might affect user experience.
- Axe Accessibility Checker: A handy browser extension that helps you find and fix accessibility issues. It gives you detailed info and actionable recommendations.
- WAVE: This tool provides visual feedback about your site’s accessibility. It highlights issues directly on the page, making it easy to spot and fix problems.
- A11y Colour Contrast Checker: Probably the easiest tool to use, this helps ensure your text has enough contrast against its background, which is crucial for readability.
Easy Accessibility Checks You Can Do Yourself
You don’t need to be a tech wizard to make your website more accessible. Here are some simple checks you can do:
- Check for Alt Text on Images: Make sure all images have descriptive alternative text (alt text) that explains what the image is about. This helps people using screen readers understand the context of the images.
- Keyboard Navigation: Try navigating your site using only the keyboard (Tab key to move forward, Shift + Tab to move backward). Make sure you can access all interactive elements like links, buttons, and forms, and that they’re highlighted when focused.
- Colour Contrast: Ensure your text has enough contrast with the background. You can eyeball it or use online contrast checkers. Good contrast makes it easier for everyone to read your content.
- Text Size and Resisability: Check if your text is readable and can be resized without breaking your layout. Zoom in on your browser (Ctrl + + and Ctrl + -) and see if everything stays usable at 200% zoom.
- Headings Structure: Use headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content logically. This helps users, especially those with screen readers, navigate your page more easily.
- Link Descriptions: Make sure your link text is descriptive and tells users what to expect. Avoid vague terms like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, use meaningful phrases.
- Forms and Labels: Check if form fields have clear labels describing their purpose. Click on the label to see if it focuses the corresponding form field.
- Captions for Multimedia: Ensure all videos have captions and that audio content has transcripts. This is crucial for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Readable Fonts: Use simple, sans-serif fonts that are easy to read. Make sure the font size is large enough and there’s enough space between lines.
- Pop-ups and Animations: Make sure pop-ups can be closed easily with both mouse and keyboard. Ensure that animations don’t flash rapidly to avoid triggering seizures in users with photosensitive epilepsy.
- Test with Screen Readers: Try using free screen reader software (like NVDA for Windows or VoiceOver for macOS) to navigate your site. See if the content makes sense and if all interactive elements are accessible.
By doing these easy checks, you can make your website more accessible and create a better experience for all your visitors. If you’d like to know more you can visit our WCAG accessibility page, or get in touch.
