The goal of web accessibility is to make your website accessible to everyone. It doesn't just cover visually impaired or blind users but also people with a range of other disabilities that affect how they use websites.
Web accessibility means three things:
Let's take a deeper look at some of the most common disabilities and how they affect people's ability to access websites.
This type of disability refers to any mental or psychological condition that affects cognition. For example, people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have difficulty focusing on tasks for long periods and learning new things.
In contrast, others with depression may have trouble concentrating or remembering information. In either case, web designers need to create accessible websites because these disabilities can prevent someone from using a website if it's designed poorly or has confusing navigation methods.
Most people think of web accessibility in terms of making websites for blind users who use screen readers. However, it isn't just blindness that needs consideration when making websites accessible! Many people have other visual impairments. If your website has these users in mind, they can access it correctly. Common web accessibility issues for sight-impaired users are low vision, low contrast, and colour blindness.
It's common to assume that people with hearing impairments are less limited on the web than people with other disabilities. But although people with hearing impairments can access visual content on the web and can navigate it, audio and video content pose a challenge.
It was common to see flickering, blinking, or moving content on websites to draw attention to a particular element. Fortunately, this design practice has largely fallen out of favour. If your website has flickering content, you may need to reassess its need and design since it can induce seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy.
Aside from the risk of attacks, flickering content is one of the most annoying things on a website. This is a good example of how web accessibility and good user experience intertwine. If your website is accessible, it will provide a good experience to all users – regardless of ability or disability.
Those with physical disabilities can see and hear everything on a website. However, they may need help controlling the mouse. To operate a keyboard, the user may rely on adaptive technologies like mouth sticks, "Puff' n' Sip" systems, voice controls, or eye-tracking software.
Did you know every second Thursday in November is World Usability Day?
This day aims to raise standards so that technology works to harness human potential and make our world easy for all. Well-designed user experiences can help make a more inclusive world. And we can all help shape history through our work, and a great user experience design allows people to be their best selves.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) created the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines set standards for making websites, devices, and content accessible to users with disabilities. Under the WCAG, content is the information on a web page or web application, e.g., text, images, sounds, and code or markup that defines structure.
In 2008, the W3C published WCAG 2.0, which became an International Standard in 2012. An updated version of the guidelines—WCAG 2.1—was published in 2018. WCAG 2.0 includes all requirements ("success criteria") from 2.0, with a few additional success criteria in 2.1.
The guidelines form the basis of most legislation on accessibility worldwide, including in the USA Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), etc. Some countries have indirect references to WCAG; for example, EN 301 549 for the EU Web Accessibility Directive in Europe does not explicitly state its adoption of WCAG but includes all requirements from the guidelines.
WCAG establishes three conformance levels to its success criteria:
The principles are:
If these four principles aren't followed, the web will be inaccessible to people with disabilities. And we don't want that.
You may be wondering why web accessibility is so important. The answer lies in legislation and the fact that it's not just a moral imperative—it's also one of law.
In the United States:
In Europe:
Here is an infographic to understand better what an accessibility website must have:
With this knowledge, let's look at some tools that can assist you in making your website more accessible.
Now it's time to test your site. While many people think of testing as something that only happens once, it should be an ongoing process.
You can use various tools to test websites—including those built into your browser, like VoiceOver on Mac or Narrator on Windows—that will tell you whether or not your website is accessible.
In addition, there are several tools available today for testing web accessibility. There is a list of tools on W3C's website for you to learn about, and we have our list of recommendations too.
WAVE
Wave allows you to check the accessibility of a given website by verifying that all areas on your site comply with WCAG standards and highlighting which parts of your site aren't accessible.
DYNO Mapper
DYNO Mapper, a sitemap generator by Indigo Design Company LLC, uses sitemaps to highlight areas of your site that do not meet WCAG standards. It also works with Google Analytics to offer in-depth analyses.
WCAG Compliance Auditor
Funnelback's WCAG Compliance Auditor is an excellent choice for those who have not yet worked much on web accessibility. It gives recommendations on improving those parts of your website that are not yet accessible, as well as a benchmark for measuring your website's accessibility over time.
A11Y Color Contrast Accessibility Validator
Use the A11Y Color Contrast Accessibility Validator by A11Y Company to test your website's colour combinations. The tool will display colour contrast issues and recommend solutions to meet WCAG standards.
Here are some examples of websites that meet WCAG accessibility standards.
There are many good reasons to make your website accessible. But one extremely important is that web accessibility is about inclusion. It's about ensuring your website is helpful to everyone, not just people with disabilities.
It's wise to make as much of your website WCAG-compliant as possible since it will create a memorable and positive UX and help you boost customer loyalty.
And remember: start making your website more accessible today by following the WCAG guidelines and using the recommended tools. Remember, an accessible website is not just a legal requirement—it's a step towards a more inclusive digital world. Need support designing an impactful and accessible website? Contact Imaginary Cloud today!
Content writer with a big curiosity about the impact of technology on society. Always surrounded by books and music.
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