Making your website more accessible may seem unnecessary to some but there are many reasons why you should, and you may be surprised to learn that it will have great benefits for your company too. Fortunately, companies like accessiBe are making the job of website accessibility much easier.
Why make your website accessible?
It is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people in the world have a disability so there are many more people who could view your website if it was made accessible to them. People are becoming much more aware that with a little bit of thought and consideration, disabled people can enjoy many of the things that others take for granted. Also, aside from it being the right thing to do, it could be that by not making your website accessible, you are breaking the law.
How can you make your website more accessible?
There are many different ways as there are many different disabilities. But let us look at some tips so you get the idea of what is involved.
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Using alt text with images.
It is important to use alt text when using images. This allows users of screen reader to understand the images so the message must be clearly conveyed.
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Put thought into your colour choices.
Certain colours are harder for some with disabilities to process and can hide the message on your page. Others rely on colour to help them distinguish one part of the page from another. So be mindful of the colours you use and in addition to colour, use other symbols to help separate the page up and make it easier for ones to process.
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Make forms clear.
Each form on your website needs to be labelled and easy to understand. A common way this is done is by using an asterisk on fields that are required.
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Make it fully keyboard accessible.
Some with disabilities can find it difficult, or impossible, to use a trackpad or a mouse. So, make it easy for them to navigate your page by using only a keyboard.
Summary
Website accessibility is now recognised by many as vital for companies in the push for equality for all. It is the right thing to do and is in keeping with legal requirements. By using some of the suggestions above, you can be on your way to an accessible website.
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