Web accessibility is an aspect of web design that can sometimes be overlooked or misunderstood but it is an imperative part of a website. The internet is a place where communication, commerce and information distribution take place and ensuring that there is equal access to your website’s content is not just an option, but a moral imperative.
WHAT IS WEB ACCESSIBILITY?
Web accessibility is the practice of designing websites in a way which allows people with disabilities to see, understand, navigate and interact with the website effectively. It’s a way of embracing inclusivity, diversity and giving equal opportunities to all of a website’s userbase to ensure that they receive the same user experience as everyone else.
UNDERSTANDING WEB ACCESSIBILITY
Web accessibility covers a wide range of disabilities which include visual, auditory, motor and cognitive impairments. It aims to address these challenges faced by individuals and cater to them in order to foster a more inclusive online environment. The impairments covered by web accessibility include things such as:
- Visual impairments
Those with visual impairments might rely on screen readers or magnification software to access website content. Applying proper coding practices, correct semantic markup and utilising alt text for images are all essential parts in making your web content accessible to those with visual impairments.
- Auditory impairments
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing might require transcripts or captions to consume web content which means that web designers should provide text alternatives for any audio content to ensure that the information is accessible to all users.
- Motor impairments
Those who have motor disabilities may navigate the web using alternative input devices such as keyboards or other specialised hardware. Making sure that a website is designed with things such keyboard accessibility will allow smooth navigation for users and cater to those with motor impairments.
- Cognitive impairments
Cognitive disabilities such as dyslexia or attention disorders can impact a user’s comprehension and focus. Conscious practices such as simplifying language and logically organising content within a website will help to improve web accessibility for users with these cognitive impairments.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WEB ACCESSIBILITY
Web accessibility promotes online inclusivity by ensuring that everyone can access and engage with web content regardless of their abilities. As a result, individuals with disabilities can get involved with online activities and experience digital consumption like everyone else. As well, improving web accessibility will often result in a better user experience for all users, not just those with disabilities. This is because websites will automatically become more responsive and user-friendly through their more meticulous and user-conscious design.
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Web accessibility is not just important from a moral standpoint but in many countries, it is also a legal requirement. Many countries, including the UK, have introduced legislation and guidelines that mandate certain web accessibility standards to protect the online rights of people with disabilities. This means that businesses must comply with these accessibility regulations to avoid legal issues.
From a marketing point of view, making web content more accessible expands a business’s potential audience reach and boosts SEO (search engine optimisation). Furthermore, by catering to users with disabilities, businesses can reach a whole other market segment whilst enhancing their brand reputation and customer loyalty in the process. When it comes to SEO, best practices such as including alt text for text and images will help a website to rank higher in search engine results pages. This will then drive more organic traffic and enhance a website’s online visibility.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT WEB ACCESSIBILITY
Some key strategies to achieve web accessibility include:
- Adopting web accessible standards: making sure to follow accessibility guidelines will ensure that businesses create accessible web content.
- Looking at your semantic markup: HTML5 markup should be used to structure content semantically which will make it easier for assistive technologies to present information accurately to impaired users.
- The use of alt text: web designers should add descriptive alt text for images and other non-text content to make sure that screen readers can interpret the information accurately for those with visual impairments.
- Keyboard accessibility: to aid those with motor impairments, all of the functionalities within a website should be accessible and operable by only using a keyboard.
- Colour contrast: there should be an adequate colour contrast between text and background to improve readability for users with low vision or colour blindness.
- Captions and transcripts: content such as videos should have captions and audio content should have transcripts to make them more accessible for those who have auditory impairments.
Web accessibility is not just a technical requirement when creating a website, it is a fundamental part of digital inclusion. Businesses must incorporate web accessibility elements into their web design and development activities to create a more inclusive and diverse online environment. Those that choose not to risk legal action, hindered brand reputation and significantly reduced audience reach.