Ways of Making Website More Accessible for the Users

SUMMARY: Everybody has a website, and it may be accessible to the majority of the people in the world. But is it accessible for people with disabilities or impairments? Have you ever thought of optimizing your own website for people with special needs? If you did, then read this article till the end. We have covered this topic from scratch and it consists of all the information that you need to know.

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In this article, we have covered the topic of making website more accessible. Including examples of disabled-friendly websites and highlights of the accessibility guidelines. This serves as a comprehensive guide, for anyone looking to make their website more accessible.

Website accessibility holds immense importance as it promotes equal access to information and services on the Internet. When websites are designed and optimized with accessibility in mind, they break down barriers. As they empower individuals with disabilities to fully participate in the online world. It enables them to access educational resources, employment opportunities, government services, and e-commerce platforms.

In this article, we shall discuss making websites more accessible. This includes examples of bad accessibility websites and guidelines. By prioritizing website accessibility, businesses and organizations demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and diversity. So the following topics shall be explored:

• What is the definition of website accessibility
• What are the accessibility guidelines
• How to implement SEO for a website
• What are examples of disable-friendly websites

What is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility refers to the practice of designing websites in a way that ensures equal access and usability for all users. This is to ensure that there are no barriers and challenges that prevent users with disabilities from accessing them. And the main goal is to implement design for web accessibility and make it uniformly available to everyone. Therefore, making a website more accessible for even users with impairments, and special needs.

It involves creating an inclusive online environment. Which allows individuals with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments to perceive, navigate, and interact with web content effectively. The benefits of website accessibility extend far beyond compliance with legal requirements.

Some of them are:

• Helps disabled people to overcome barriers that hinder their online experience.
• Helps people with visual impairments to perceive and understand web content effectively.
• Involves keyboard accessibility and assistive technologies to support users with motor disabilities in navigating websites seamlessly.

How to Make Your Website More Accessible

Website accessibility, especially for disabled users refers to the practice of making website more accessible that ensures equal access and usability. It focuses on creating an inclusive digital environment. Where people with impairments can navigate and interact with web content effectively.

By implementing accessibility features, website creators strive to eliminate barriers and provide an equitable online experience for all users. Here are some ways to make your website more accessible:

Alternative Text (alt text)

Provide descriptive alt text for images on your website, enabling individuals with visual impairments to understand the content through screen readers or other assistive technologies.

Clear And Consistent Navigation

Design intuitive navigation menus with clear labels and hierarchical structure. This helps users with cognitive or motor impairments to easily navigate through the website and locate desired information.

Captions And Transcripts

Include captions for videos and also make sure to include transcripts for the audio files. This ensures that individuals with hearing impairments can access the information presented in multimedia formats. This helps in designing web accessibility.

Keyboard Accessibility

Ensure that all functionalities and interactive elements on your website can be accessed using a keyboard alone. This enables individuals with motor disabilities who rely on alternative input methods to navigate and interact effectively.

Readability And Plain Language

Use clear and simple language in your website content, avoiding complex jargon or ambiguous terminology. Consider providing text customization options, such as font size adjustment or high contrast mode, to accommodate users with cognitive or visual impairments.

For more tips and tricks on content creation, check out our comprehensive guide on "Content Creation Strategies" to enhance your online presence.

What are Website Accessibility Standards? 

Accessibility standards are certain principles you must follow while developing a website to be more accessible to everyone. Including users with impairments and disabilities. These standards help website owners to avoid complications and provide a website for everyone.

According to the ADA web accessibility standards and requirements, there are certain things that you can implement for uniform accessibility. They are:

Perceivable

Provide text alternatives for non-text content. These can be images, videos, and audio. Ensure that all visual and auditory content can be presented in multiple ways. Thus, allowing users to choose the format that suits their needs. Make sure that content can be easily perceivable by individuals with various disabilities, including visual impairments and hearing impairments.

Operable

Ensure that all functionality on the website is operable through a keyboard alone. As some users may not be able to use a mouse or touch input. Provide clear and consistent navigation menus. Hence, allowing users to understand and predict how to move around the website. Make interactive elements, such as buttons and form controls, easily identifiable and usable.

Understandable

Use clear and simple language to facilitate comprehension. Thus, helping users understand the structure and relationships between different elements. Provide instructions and cues that are easy to follow, ensuring users can complete tasks without confusion.

Robust

Make sure the websites you build are compatible with a wide range of assistive technologies. Utilize standard web technologies and coding practices to ensure proper interpretation by assistive technologies.

The website's page speed optimization significantly improved user experience and led to a notable increase in organic traffic.

What are Disability Friendly Websites Examples? 

Creating disability-friendly websites goes beyond meeting basic standards of making website more accessible. These websites demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity by providing accessibility. Such as features that cater to the needs of individuals with disabilities. Some examples of these are:

Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform that enables the creation of online communities and membership sites. It prioritizes accessibility by offering features such as Keyboard accessibility and screen reader compatibility. The platform supports multimedia content with closed captioning and provides transcripts.

BBC

BBC is renowned for its commitment to accessibility across its digital platforms. BBC provides accessibility settings that allow users to customize the appearance. Including font size, and color schemes according to their preferences. The website offers a text-to-speech feature that allows users to have the content read aloud. Hence, it benefits individuals with visual impairments or reading difficulties.

Built by Silo

Built by Silo offers high color contrast. Hence, making text and graphical elements easily readable for individuals with visual impairments or color blindness. The website ensures that all interactive elements can be accessed and operated using a keyboard alone. Thus, enabling users with motor disabilities to navigate and interact without relying on a mouse.

What are Examples of Websites with Bad Accessibility?

Many websites prioritize accessibility and strive to provide an inclusive user experience. But unfortunately, there are some examples that fall short in terms of accessibility features. And these websites fail to understand the benefits of making websites more accessible. Some example scenarios of websites like these are:

• Lack of clear and consistent navigation makes it difficult for users with disabilities to find and access specific content.
• Websites that rely heavily on JavaScript for essential functionality. This can be problematic for users who rely on assistive technologies that do not fully support or interpret JavaScript.
• Websites that feature videos without captions or transcripts. Hence, they are inaccessible to individuals with hearing impairments.
• Websites that lack keyboard accessibility. Some interactive elements cannot be operated solely using a keyboard. This poses challenges for individuals with motor disabilities who rely on keyboard navigation.

Conclusion

Website accessibility is crucial for developing inclusivity and equal access. By implementing accessible design, websites can accommodate the diverse needs of disabled users. Enabling them to navigate, consume content, and interact effectively. Accessibility not only benefits individuals with disabilities but also enhances the user experience for all visitors. Thereby, promoting a more inclusive and user-centric online environment.

In this article, we have explored the process of making website more accessible. This includes some examples of friendly websites and the guidelines one can follow. By prioritizing accessibility, website owners can ensure equal access to information, and opportunities for all individuals regardless of their disabilities.

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