As the internet becomes more and more of a part of our daily lives, it is important to consider how this technology will be available for those with disabilities, like those accessiBe aims to assist with. To ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to information on the web as everyone else, there are some things that you should take into consideration when designing your website.
1. Consider the user’s needs and context
When designing the website, it is important to know who your target audience is and what their needs and goals are. Once you have a better understanding of this information, you will design the site with these factors in mind. For example, if you design an eCommerce site that targets senior citizens with limited computer skills, your design will need to be more user-friendly and include large text.
2. Provide a means of customization and personalization
Allowing users to adjust the font size and contrast or invert colors can make all the difference in allowing everyone accesses to your site’s content. Of course, a user’s specific needs should be considered, such as if they are colorblind or have low vision. Adding the ability to change your website’s text size, background color, and contrast can help make it easier for people with disabilities to access your content.
3. Make sure photos contain enough contrast
Contrast is very important in allowing everyone an equal viewing experience of an image on a page. Photos that use colors that are similar in shade, like beige or white, can make objects difficult to distinguish for those with low vision. When creating your website’s images, select ones that have high enough contrast between the foreground and background colors.
4. Provide text alternatives for images and videos
Including a text alternative for any images or embedded videos will allow those who cannot see your website’s content, such as the blind or those with low vision, access to it. We live in a world where many find themselves unable to enjoy the visuals of a web page, and it is important to be considerate of this when designing your website. Simply adding a caption to a photo or video can help provide those who cannot otherwise see it access to this content.
5. Make your website navigable with keyboard shortcuts, tabs, and accordions
People with a mobility impairment can have difficulty using a mouse to navigate a website, so it is important to make sure your site’s content is navigable using only the keyboard. Providing keyboard shortcuts or tabs for navigating to websites can enable those with limited mobility to easily navigate and use your site without assistance from their computer’s mouse.
Final thoughts
Accessibility is a huge consideration for web designers and developers, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. The checklist provided in this article can help you create an accessible website that everyone has equal access to. In addition, by ensuring your site’s content is accessible, you can reduce the risk of getting a website accessibility violation or warning – which could hurt your search engine rankings.
