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Website accessibility: The critical design element needed on all websites

18 percent of the United States population has a disability, and those 18 percent still need to be able to access and successfully utilize the Internet and company’s websites alike. 

This is where website accessibility comes into notice for companies all around the world with the rise of lawsuits against companies whose websites are not accessible for those using adaptive technology such as screen readers. 

What is web accessibility? 

Accessibility refers to the ability for anyone and everyone to be able to access the Internet, and with that in mind, website accessibility means that everyone and anyone can access the information on your website easily and efficiently, no matter their disabilities. 

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) also known as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) has set regulations and standards in place to help companies and small businesses make sure their websites are accessible to everyone searching on the Internet. 

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed in 1990 by George H.W. Bush which legally states that companies or businesses cannot discriminate against someone with a disability. One year later, Title II and Title III of this act were set into place. Title III is where most lawsuits arise from. 

With the rise of the Internet, businesses and companies alike all forgot one thing, this meant their website also falls under the ADA act, Title I and Title III all set in place by our government. 

Companies are looking to quickly make sure their website accessibility checklist is set in place and implemented on their website sooner than later. 

What are the top elements that should be on all company’s websites to meet the website accessibility checklist? 

Content 

Content is one of the most important things on a website, but for someone with a disability, this is even more critical. Content is king still to this day, and because of this, a website needs to make sure its content is optimized with the following checklist:

• Capitalization

• H1, H2 and H3

• Lists or bulleted points 

• Audio descriptions on videos and multimedia

• Simple is better

Alt tags

When someone with a visual impairment is searching the internet, oftentimes, this person is using technology that reads them the pages. The most common program is known as JAWS, and this piece of technology reads off each part of the website that said consumers are navigating through. 

As a person with disabilities navigates the website, images are just as important as everything else. What is “IMG_098777(2).)? Alt tags are there to help describe the image in the best detail as possible to anyone who is on the website.  

The Alt Tag can be as simple as (boy_reading_book.) Yup, that is it. For an infographic, you will want to create an alt tag or text that explains the entire infographic. No matter the context whether it be a button or an image, always have a description behind the scenes for those who need it. 

Keyboard navigation 

Keyboard navigation is used for a range of disabilities that provide consumers with the ability to navigate through websites. It is important to have the following coded on the site to make sure keyboard navigation can be successfully used on the WebAim website accessibility checklist!

Error messages 

Is that page 404’ing? This is a problem for several reasons and as WebFlow states, “clearly describe the errors that are present and optionally include cues or instructions for resolving them.”

For those who have issues navigating the Internet, this is a major headache. It might have taken a considerable amount of time to get here just to get an error.  Let this person know the new page or how to navigate to the newest page or ways to resolve this problem. 

Headings 

A heading can be the most significant part of a website for those using screen readers or other technology to search the Internet. This is because those technologies oftentimes read the heading and skip over the content. A clear and easy to understand heading will be what the technology reads, so the next time you create headings, keep your friends in mind. 

Larger and better CTAs 

Those quick and grabbing CTAs that are all over the website are critical for accessibility. If the CTA is  “click this link to hear or learn more” and the person has a visual impairment that makes it difficult to find said link, how do you think that will go? It is important that you tell consumers EXACTLY where to go no matter what. 

If they need to click the button below. Say, “please click the “contact us” button below to learn more about this!” 

Contrast

In all of our research, the contrast was the single most spoke about when it comes to website design and content marketing strategies for those with disabilities. W3G states that the color contrast needs to be 4.5 to 1. This is the background to and text. If the background is dark, the text has to be light enough to easily read. 

Also, color alone will not help when it comes to differentiation main points and statements on a website because not everyone can see color. Instead, spend time creating and optimizing indicators that help those with disabilities to navigate through the site seamlessly. You still want enough contrast that someone with low vision or color blindness can tell exactly where that button is.

Typography 

Not only is this part of website design 101, but a viewer comes to a website to read about a product/ service or a blog which is typography. What does a website need to have with their typography? 

• Font based in size relative units

• Color and contrast 

• Font smoothing

• Legible fonts

• Paragraphs and spaces

Here is a perfect example of contrast and font sizes. The font size does meet the requirements and the font is clear and clean; however, the light gray on a white background makes it challenging for someone without disabilities to read this small paragraph. This is why a white on black would be better suited.

For those living with disabilities, it can be difficult to navigate and find technology that makes it accessible to search the Internet and their smartphones, and because of this, all websites need and have to be checking off the website accessibility standards set in place. 

A company’s building has to be accessible to everyone, so make sure your website is as well. Need help with this? Give us a call today for a free consultation on your website design and accessibility.