Preface
In today’s digital world, your website is often the first interaction potential customers or users have with your brand. But what if some of those users can’t easily navigate or understand your site due to disabilities? That’s where web accessibility comes in. It’s not just a nice-to-have feature; it’s a necessity for creating a truly inclusive online experience. Let’s dive into how you can improve your website’s accessibility and why it’s so important.
What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can:
- Perceive
- Understand
- Navigate
- Interact with
- Contribute to the web
Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including:
- Auditory
- Cognitive
- Neurological
- Physical
- Speech
- Visual
A great resource for understanding web accessibility is the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). You can find more information on their official website: W3C WAI.
Why is Website Accessibility Important?
Ethical Considerations
First and foremost, ensuring your website is accessible is the right thing to do. Everyone deserves equal access to information and services, regardless of their abilities. By making your website accessible, you are promoting inclusivity and demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility.
Legal Requirements
In many countries, web accessibility is also a legal requirement. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States is increasingly being interpreted to include websites. Similarly, the Equality Act in the UK and EN 301 549 in the EU mandate accessibility standards for digital content. Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits and fines. Ensuring your site is accessible keeps you on the right side of the law.
Improved User Experience
Accessibility improvements often lead to a better user experience for everyone, not just users with disabilities. For example, clear and concise content, logical site navigation, and properly structured HTML benefit all users, including those on mobile devices or with slow internet connections. A user-friendly website keeps visitors engaged and reduces bounce rates.
SEO Benefits
Search engines like Google prioritize websites that offer a good user experience. Many accessibility best practices, such as using alt text for images, providing transcripts for audio and video content, and ensuring a clear site structure, also improve your site’s search engine optimization (SEO). By making your website more accessible, you are also making it more discoverable.
To optimize your website for SEO, check out this helpful guide: How to Optimize Your Website for SEO: A Quickstart Guide for WordPress.
Broader Audience Reach
By making your website accessible, you’re expanding your potential audience to include people with disabilities, who represent a significant portion of the population. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people, or 15% of the world’s population, experience some form of disability. Ignoring this demographic means missing out on potential customers, users, and supporters.
Practical Steps to Improve Your Website’s Accessibility
1. Use Semantic HTML
Semantic HTML uses HTML elements to reinforce the meaning of the content. Instead of using `<div>` elements for everything, use elements like `<article>`, `<nav>`, `<aside>`, `<header>`, and `<footer>` to structure your content. This helps screen readers and other assistive technologies understand the layout and purpose of your content.
<article>
<header>
<h1>Article Title</h1>
</header>
<p>Article content goes here.</p>
</article>
2. Provide Alt Text for Images
Alternative text (alt text) is a short description of an image that is displayed when the image cannot be loaded, or when a user is using a screen reader. Alt text helps users understand the content of the image, even if they cannot see it. Make sure your alt text is descriptive and accurate.
<img src='example.jpg' alt='A smiling person using a laptop'/
Hint: Keep alt text concise. If an image is purely decorative, use an empty alt attribute (alt='') to signal to screen readers that it can be ignored.
3. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Users with low vision or color blindness may have difficulty reading text if there isn’t enough contrast between the text and the background. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Use tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify your color contrast.
4. Use Clear and Consistent Navigation
Make sure your website’s navigation is easy to understand and consistent across all pages. Use meaningful link text and avoid ambiguous phrases like “click here.” Implement breadcrumbs to help users understand their location on the site. A well-structured navigation system improves the overall user experience for everyone.
If you’re using WordPress, you might find this article helpful: WordPress functions.php: What It Is and Where to Find It.
5. Provide Keyboard Navigation
Some users may not be able to use a mouse and rely on keyboard navigation to move through your website. Ensure that all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields, can be accessed and activated using the keyboard. Use the `tab` key to navigate and `enter` to activate elements.
6. Use ARIA Attributes
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes can be used to provide additional information to assistive technologies about the role, state, and properties of HTML elements. ARIA attributes are particularly useful for dynamic content and complex user interface components. However, use ARIA judiciously and only when necessary, as improper use can worsen accessibility.
<button aria-label='Close' onclick='closeDialog()'>X</button>
7. Provide Transcripts and Captions for Audio and Video Content
Provide transcripts for audio content and captions for video content to make it accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Transcripts also benefit users who prefer to read content or need to search for specific information within the audio or video. Services like Rev can help you create accurate transcripts and captions.
8. Use Forms That Are Accessible
Ensure your forms are accessible by using proper labels for form fields and providing clear instructions. Associate labels with their corresponding input fields using the `<label>` element and the `for` attribute. Provide error messages that are clear, specific, and easy to understand.
<label for='name'>Name:</label> <input type='text' id='name' name='name'/>
Hint: Use the required attribute to indicate mandatory fields and provide real-time validation to help users correct errors as they fill out the form.
9. Make Content Readable and Understandable
Use clear and concise language, avoid jargon and complex sentence structures, and organize your content using headings, subheadings, and bullet points. A readable website benefits all users, including those with cognitive disabilities or limited literacy skills. Tools like the Hemingway Editor can help you improve the readability of your content.
10. Test Your Website’s Accessibility
Regularly test your website’s accessibility using automated tools and manual testing methods. Automated tools like WAVE can identify many common accessibility issues. However, manual testing with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, is also essential to ensure a truly accessible experience. Involve users with disabilities in your testing process to get valuable feedback and insights.
Accessibility in WordPress
If you’re building your website with WordPress, you have several options for improving accessibility. Many WordPress themes and plugins are designed with accessibility in mind. Here are a few tips:
- Choose an Accessible Theme: Select a WordPress theme that is explicitly designed for accessibility. Look for themes that follow accessibility best practices and are regularly updated.
- Use Accessible Plugins: Install plugins that can help you improve accessibility, such as accessibility overlay plugins.
- Keep Content Organized: Use headings, lists, and other formatting options to structure your content logically. Here is an interesting blog post about where to find the style.css file.
- Test Regularly: Use accessibility testing tools to identify and fix any issues. These tools can help identify potential issues and provide guidance on how to resolve them.
If you are using Astra as theme check out this article about how to create a sticky navigation for astra.
Info: Make sure to check your theme in terms of accessibility. If you want to change it: Astra Pro (/go/astra-pro) and Themeforest (/go/themeforest) offer great wordpress themes.
Conclusion
Improving your website’s accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating a better, more inclusive online experience for everyone. By following these practical steps and making accessibility a priority, you can ensure that your website is usable by as many people as possible. Remember, a more accessible website is not only ethically responsible but also beneficial for your SEO, user experience, and overall business success. Start making these changes today and make the web a better place for everyone!
