Creating a quality website requires a blend of stand-out design and thoughtfulness if it’s going to reach a wide audience. Without paying attention to certain elements, you may unintentionally exclude a large group of visitors, especially if disregarding accessibility. When a website is inaccessible, users who live with disabilities may be unable to clearly navigate your site pages. However, there are several ways to gauge accessibility and make sure your site offers a great experience for all. We’ll explore steps you can take so that your site visitors feel valued and included.

What is Website Accessibility?

Prioritizing website accessibility makes sure everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can effectively use your site. When designing a page for inclusivity, users should be able to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with your content. This, in turn, drives their engagement, purchases, form submissions, and feedback sharing. 

It’s important to account for a variety of disabilities as it comes to digital usage, including those that fall under these categories:

• Auditory
• Cognitive
• Neurological
• Physical
• Speech
• Visual

Web accessibility also accounts for those experiencing other circumstances, for example:

• Temporary disabilities (a broken arm or hand)
• Situational limitations (lack of screenplay or noisy environments)
• Limited device capabilities (older devices with small screens)

Why Combine Design and Accessibility?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law in the U.S. that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public domain. In response, The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides accessibility standards for digital sites, platforms, and content, which entities like the U.S. government utilize to maintain standards. 

These standards are great references for businesses and brands in making a website that’s easy for all. Prioritizing accessible design has a strong business case, too, as it elevates user experience across devices. This ease-of-use amplifies your brand’s attentiveness and extends your market reach. Accessible websites also often perform better in search engine rankings (SERPs) because they tend to follow SEO best practices.

Commonly Used Assistive Devices and Site Barriers

Some users may be utilizing assistive technologies like the ones listed below to navigate your website or platform. These cases should be considered in the design and development phase of a site if your brand is aiming for max accessibility.

• Screen Magnifiers and Visual Reading Assistants 
• Screen Readers 
• Text-to-Speech Software and Speech Recognition Software
• Alternative Keyboards and Pointing Devices

Not all assistive devices can successfully navigate the digital space because some websites are missing a few key elements, for example they could be:

• Missing descriptions for images, making it difficult for screen readers to accurately describe the content
• Using color as the only means of conveying information, which can be challenging for people with certain types of color blindness
• Poorly structured content and links that make it difficult for users with motor disabilities to understand and interact with

Some ways you can change this?

Best Practices to Maintain an Accessible Site

Add alt text for images to describe and convey the purpose of the visual content. This can be short and concise. Include captions for videos, plus transcripts for audio content. You can test the alt text you’ve added with screen readers to be sure that it makes sense.

Also, organize content with proper heading titles and structure and use clear and concise language across the site for better understanding. Importantly, enable keyboard navigation across all parts of the site so that if your user can’t access a mouse, it’s not required. You can do this by making sure all interactive elements (links, buttons, and forms) can be clearly navigated using the Tab key.

Last, shoot for a responsive design and check that the website is mobile-friendly, adapting to different screen sizes and devices. Try to use high-color contrast ratios between the text and background to improve readability and make sure that your text can be resized up to 200% without the loss of content or functionality.

Looking to Be More Accessible?

Regularly audit your site for issues and make the necessary adjustments to maintain a welcoming and inclusive online presence. You can do this yourself or with your site host by:

• Scheduling periodic accessibility reviews.
• Using automated tools to scan for accessibility issues.
• Conducting manual testing with assistive technologies and real users when possible.

And before you go, here are a few additional resources regarding website accessibility that you might find informative:

Is Your Chatbot Accessible? - Self-Assessment Chatbot Accessibility Playbook

Get an In-Depth Intro to Website Accessibility - W3C Web Accessibility Initiative

Disability Impacts All of Us - CDC

If you’re ready for an all-access site that gives users the perfect path to your brand, we’re here for you. Just fill out the form below or leave us a message and our team will reach out to you soon!