What if you thought about your website in the same way?
We will discuss some quick fixes to improve your website accessibility, so it can be viewed and used by everyone, including people with disabilities.
- What is website accessibility?
- Website accessibility check: common barriers
- How do I make my website more accessible?
- Conclusion: website accessibility helps all visitors
What is website accessibility?
In order to make a website accessible, you must ensure that there are no barriers for people with disabilities. Among these people are those who have difficulty seeing, hearing, using a mouse, reading, and understanding.
In addition to ease of use for all visitors, this also includes older visitors, the visually impaired, or those with “situational” limitations. Perhaps they are in an open office where they cannot hear sound.
Website accessibility check: common barriers
Users of a website “normally” don’t think about obstacles that could prevent others from using it. Improve the accessibility of your website by following this list which is not exhaustive, but they touch on some common barriers:
- In a picture or an infographic, important information is buried. The user of a text-to-voice reader won’t be able to see this.
- A video or audio file without subtitles or a transcript.
- A long, complex navigation menu. Someone using a keyboard to navigate your site will have to tab through all the pages manually to get anywhere
- Buttons that are very small or too close together.
- Text that’s too small or blends into the background (lack of contrast).
- If you are colour-blind, you’ll have difficulty following these instructions if they rely only on colour or visuals.
- Providing only a phone number as a means of communication. A person who is unable to speak or use a traditional telephone needs another way to communicate.
How do I make my website more accessible?
There are entire manuals and checklists for website accessibility online. It can make a huge difference to approach your website design with empathy and awareness. Here are some suggestions:
Provide alternative audio and visual elements
The site might be read by screen readers or other assistive technology. Include a transcript or captions if you have important information buried in an infographic, a table, or a video.
Ensure your images have alt text
Alternate text describes the content of an image in small text. It goes into the HTML code behind the scenes so that screen readers can access it. That way someone who can’t see your image can still know what’s in it. Here’s why Alt text matters to SEO.
Adjust the colour and contrast of your website
Your text will be easier to read if the colors are different enough from one another. To play it safe, opt for dark text on a light background. Here are more tips on creating readable website text.
Make space for large, clear buttons
Keep the text large and clear around the buttons and leave enough space around them so they are easy to push. It’s not a good idea to put two important buttons next to each other, since clicking on the wrong one can be frustrating. Here are more tips on good buttons and CTAs.
Choose large, readable fonts
Make sure your fonts are large, sans-serif or serif, and avoid narrow or decorative ones. Would you like to try it? If you have a website, show it to someone over 60 and ask them if they can read it without glasses. Here are more tips on choosing the right font.
Conclusion: website accessibility helps all visitors
There are a number of easy, non-technical things you can do to make your website more user-friendly, especially if you ask your customers for feedback. In addition, making your website accessible for people with disabilities makes it easier for everyone, so it’s a win-win situation.
Take a look at our UI/UX services including our accessibility experience today at Stich
