How To Improve Web Accessibility?
Not everyone has the same ability to perform a task. Some individuals might be born blind or have partial blindness. Others might have had a life-changing injury that has restricted their movements. With essential services such as banking, utility, shopping, and tax payments slowly integrating digital technologies it's more important to ensure that these essential services are accessible to everyone. When building digital service, websites, and mobile apps, they need to be designed and developed keeping different capabilities in mind. This is where accessibility comes into play.
What is accessibility?
Providing a platform that enables people with disabilities to access and use the product no matter what disabilities they have. In terms of web accessibility, it means people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, interact with the web, and contribute to the web. By integrating web accessibility, you can also benefit others such as the older generation where abilities change due to age. When discussing web accessibility, you are talking about digital accessibility as well. Digital accessibility is ensuring everyone, regardless of barriers, can access the mobile app, providing content is reachable in every possible direction. Making sure that people with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments are not excluded.
Ways To Improve Web Accessibility
Use A Content Management System (CMS) That Supports Accessibility
When building a website, it's good to use a CMS that supports web accessibility. When using the CMS, be sure that page layouts, themes, widgets, plugins, and other aspects are compatible with web accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.0.
Structure and Organise Content With Headers
Headers are a great way to organise the importance of content within a page. By using the correct structure it will allow users to navigate your web pages easily especially people who use screen readers. Using the correct structure also improves your SEO score therefore generating more traffic to your site.
Use of Headings Example
<H1> – Document Title
<H2> – Important Heading
<H3> – Less Important Heading
<H2> – Important Heading
<H3> – Less Important Heading
<H3> – Less Important Heading
Assign Alt Tags For Images
Pictures paint a thousand words. Images provide a great value to users however images can also create barriers for users with limited or impaired vision. Assigning alt tag images will describe the images allowing users to understand the images through screen readers. The use of alt tags also contributes to your SEO score.
Using Descriptive Links
Screen readers read out content on screens; by using descriptive links it will make it easier for users to understand the purpose of the link. It is best not to have ‘click here’ as a link as it does not tell the user the purpose of the link. Imagine if the whole page had ‘click here’ links.
Use Colours Carefully
Use of colour can help highlight important information within a paragraph or attract focus on a certain area of the page. Think about colour blindness and other disabilities where certain colours and colour contrast might make it difficult for users to find information. Try Web Aim Colour Contrast Checker.
Use Correct Labels In Forms
When designing forms, use appropriate field labels with a descriptive title. Using descriptive titles will ensure that users who rely on screen readers can properly complete the form.
Summary
When designing a website/mobile app or creating content, it’s best to consider individuals with disabilities and how they access your content. Ensure that your content is well structured with the correct headings and provide enough descriptive text for users to understand the context. Remember not everyone is the same so try and make your content as simple as possible so everyone can enjoy your content.
Try it for yourself
You can install a screen reader plugin for Chrome, give it a go and see how they work. Try it with some websites.
Resources
WebAim Colour Contrast Checker