Web accessibility is an inclusive practice of designing websites and related technologies in a way that makes it easier for people with disabilities to use them. Web accessibility can also benefit users without disabilities by minimizing barriers that might otherwise make it difficult to navigate your website.
Web accessibility is essential for website owners who want everyone to be able to use and navigate their site with ease. This includes people with cognitive, auditory, physical, and visual disabilities, but it also includes people without disabilities, such as those with different types of devices or slower Internet connections.
From a business perspective, web accessibility improves overall user satisfaction and SEO rankings by creating a more intuitive user experience, and drives innovation by creating tools that may inspire broader applications. And, by making your website accessible to more users, you can reach new markets that may be interested in your brand.
There are many different ways to make a website more accessible, some more complex than others. Below are a few best practices that you should keep in mind when designing or updating a website.
Color Contrast: When designing your website, make sure that the color of your text has sufficient contrast with the background. For example, black text has a greater contrast with a white background than light gray text. This makes the text easier to read.
Alt Text: Use alt text to describe an image or the purpose of an image. People using screen readers will be able to hear the text spoken aloud.
Reactive Website Design: Create different website designs for different screen sizes. Website elements should be readable on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.
Captions and Transcripts: If you have audio or video content on your website, provide captions that are in sync with that content, and provide a transcript near the relevant audio/video. This helps those who cannot hear the audio engage with the content using an alternative format.
Easy-to-read Text: Make sure that the spaces between letters, words, and paragraphs are formatted properly in order to make the content easier to read and comprehend. Spaces that are too close together or too far apart may be harder to read.
Allow Keyboard-based Navigation: For some, a mouse is not an accessible way to explore the Internet. Allow people to navigate your site via their keyboard as well.
Use Symbols to Convey Information: Don’t rely on color alone to convey information about an element on your website. For example, if you want to color the labels of required text fields in red, include an asterisk (*) next to each label as well. This provides additional clarity to users who may not be able to rely solely on color perception.
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