Website accessibility explained. How and why to be accessible in your website design.
I’ve been nerding out on accessibility. It’s a really interesting subject and, to be honest, undervalued in the web design industry. Understanding accessibility means understanding the inner workings of your website and how someone would approach using it in a "non-conventional” way.
The more I learn, the more I realise this isn’t an "extracurricular” addition to your web design process. Website accessibility is actually a legal requirement in certain areas and a subject we should all be committed to learning more about.
I’ll be sharing the resources I have come across in my research.
So here’s my 2 cents on how you can be accessible in your website design:
Ask yourself these questions…
What if someone is using my website without the use of a mouse?
What if someone is using my website without the use of sight?
What if someone is using my website with Epilepsy?
What if someone is using my website that is deaf?
Would you be able to say your web designs and developments are equipped for these people?
“It’s estimated that 1 in every 5 people has a physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, or neurological disability that can make accessing information online difficult. If your website doesn’t have the features those people need, they’re probably already spending on a competitor’s website.”
What is accessibility?
Inclusive design
Any user in the world would be able to confidently use all of your website, no matter their disability. - Epilepsy - Visually impaired - Colour blind
Why is it important?
Millions of users need accessibility simply to use the internet.
20% of internet users have some kind of disability that could hinder their ability to use your website.
Accessibility is closely linked to SEO.
Meaning that when you improve how accessibile your website is to others, your search engine ranking will also improve.
It’s a legal requirement!
It certain places within the world, there have been legistations brought in to prohibit descrimination against people with disabilities. So as an example, if you’re an ecommerce store serving the US.. and you’re not accessibile for users with a discability, you are at risk of being sued. This makes sense right? We already have legal requirements to provide disabled access, toilets etc in the real world.. we also need to make sure the digital world is also a place that does not discriminate. Especially as using the internet has become a vital part of all of out lives.
“a brand like Dominos Pizza was sued by a blind man who was unable to order pizza online. The blind man won the case and Dominos had to compensate him because their site did not offer him digital accessibility.”
How will it affect the health of your website?
Faster page loading.
Better user experience. Improved readability.
Improvement of the use of relative keywords.
How can I make sure my website is accessible?
Descriptive ALT tags for screen readers explain images to visually impaired users.
Adding other distinguishing indicators rather than just colour for graphs, tables and links.
Using clear link texts that relate what you are linking to (just general good practise!)
Creating visual contrast between text and other elements around it.
Making sure text size is bigger enough, also allowing text size to be zoomable by 200%.
Making sure any ‘movement’ on the page can be disabled through browser settings. Liek animation or marquees.
Clear heading structure for screen readers to have insight on what headings are ‘more important’ or higher in the hierarchy. Be intentional with headings.
Be thoughtful when adding custom code, making sure buttons and links use the correct ‘html tags’, this is so users can use their keyboards to navigate around the websites links. To carry out simple tasks like submitting a contact form, or opening a new page, simply with your keys.
Making sure informative videos have captions where necessary.
Making sure all your form fields are named correctly.
When you implement these small changes on your website, you’re not only helping the internet become a more welcoming space for every user, but you’re also attracting more users to your website in general. It's a win-win!
Every day we are learning more about accessibility, and the technical standards are being updated regularly. If you want to keep up with the times in your web design industry, I recommend becoming acquainted with the helpful resources out there.
Resources
WCAG Guidelines by W3C — Lots of recommendations on how you can ensure your website content is accessible for users with disabilities
