Different people consume online content differently, and if a website is badly designed or missing certain elements, this is only amplified if you have a disability. In other words, millions of users rely on websites to be accessible.
According to World Health Organization figures, one in six people globally live with a disability. That’s a whopping 16% of the population; however, people with disabilities are often the last in line to have their needs considered when it comes to a company’s online presence. Many websites and tools are developed with accessibility barriers, making them difficult or impossible for some people to use. Below outlines the ?what” of web accessibility, why it requires your attention, and 5 simple ways to implement these considerations into your website.
What is Web accessibility?
For people with disabilities a day without the Internet is often a reality, and in times of a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions become even more obvious. With more and more services are being digitised and online, this leaves people with disabilities disadvantaged and often unable to get basic needs met. As a real example, think of all local bank branches that have closed, with customers being directed to online banking instead – without accessible websites and apps, people with some disabilities would face real difficulties accessing services.
“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect. – Tim Berners-Lee
Web accessibility comes by to kick these problems to the kerbside. It is about designing websites that take our differences into account. More specifically, a website is truly accessible when everybody, irrespective of their hardware, software, language, location, or ability, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the web.
Who does web accessibility benefit?
Web accessibility supports social inclusion for users with special needs, disabilities, and/or impairments. However, website accessibility also benefits the following:
- People that use smartwatches, smart TVs, or devices with small screens
- People with temporary disabilities such as a broken hand
- People with a slow internet connection or a limited/expensive bandwidth
- Old people with changing abilities due to ageing
- People with situational limitations such as an environment where audio can’t be played
Why should you make your website accessible?
Making your website accessible isn’t just a moral duty and social commitment – it’s the law. There are four web accessibility laws in the UK that organisations need to comply with:
- The Equality Act (2010)
- Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations
- BSI 8878 Web Accessibility Standard
- European Accessibility Act (EAA)
If your reach extends to other territories such as the United States, then legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) can apply, and businesses that don’t comply with the A.D.A., can often face a very real threat of being sued. For example, in 2016, pizza restaurant chain Domino’s was sued by a blind California resident, who claimed that the company’s mobile application was incompatible with his screen reader.
Since getting sued can be an expensive affair, it is best to remember that prevention is better than finding cure. What’s more, improving accessibility on your website will benefit you, too. After all, it is a great way to build brand reputation, reach out to a wider audience, expand your potential user base, and boost revenue.
Benefits of complying with UK accessibility laws
Being complaint with UK accessibility laws is a legal requirement, but it does bring a number of additional benefits:
- Avoid potential legal action: Non-compliance can lead to fines and reputation-damaging legal action.
- Inclusive user experience: Accessibility laws and standards ensure that accessibility issues that might hinder a disabled users’ experience are avoided.
- Reach a wider audience: Making your digital content more accessible opens it up to more people, potentially increasing your customer base.
- Improved rankings: Identifying and fixing accessibility issues can improve SEO rankings.
5 ways to make your website accessible
The significance of website accessibility is going to continue increasing, and for good reason. Given below are 5 things you can do to ward off accessibility issues and potential lawsuits and to make for an inclusive user experience.
Add images with Alt tags
Alt tags, also known as alt attributes, alt text, or alt descriptions are the little words that pop up when you hover your mouse over an image. This field can be used to communicate the message of an image to those that would otherwise miss it.
Alt tags should be used to describe an image as accurately as possible. Assistive technologies such as screen-readers can be used to read this text aloud, thus conveying to the user what the image is about. As if that wasn’t enough, alt tags can also help improve your site’s SEO.
Make your site keyboard-friendly
In simple words, for a website to be accessible, one should be able to navigate it without the use of a mouse. This is because people with mobility disabilities may not be able to use a mouse properly. Furthermore, several assistive technologies rely on keyboard for navigation. The tab and arrow keys are most commonly used to navigate using a keyboard, meaning users are able to access your site’s major features using these few buttons and these few buttons alone.
Choose colours with care
Different people perceive colours differently. Particularly, it is important to avoid pairing the colors red and green because 99% of those colourblind suffer from red-green colour deficiency – the inability to distinguish between (shades of) red and green. Another good practice is to make generous use of white spaces or borders.
Leverage content that’s easy to consume
Put simply, do everything in your capacity to increase readability of your text. Some simple ways to do this include:
- Use headers to structure your content correctly. Clear headers will make your content much easier to understand and digest.
- Enable resizable text that doesn’t hamper your site’s design. This can prove incredibly helpful for users with visual impairments.
- Minimise the use of tables as much as possible tables can be highly confusing for screen readers users.
- Make buttons with hyperlinks larger so that those with mobility disabilities are able to click on it easily.
The takeaway: Website accessibility matters
Making your website accessible to everybody should be a top priority, especially because it is quite easy to accomplish. Not only will this make for a more inclusive society, but it will also bring you more traffic and conversions in the long-run!
