Web accessibility is the intentional design of web pages to accommodate for the wide variety of people with and without disabilities using the internet. Given its distinction as a human right from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, access to information and communication on the web must be designed to allow for as many people to use varying features on a website as can be
Designing for web accessibility can accommodate a large variety of disabilities. The W3C1 highlights sets of disabilities which can inhibit people from interfacing with a website properly:
- Auditory
- Cognitive
- Neurological
- Physical
- Speech
- Visual
This also includes non-disabled people but are generally afflicted in some shape or form. Making a website accessible to everyone allows for a wider market to access the site and be more satisfied working with the website, driving more to utilize your brand in turn.
Some forms of accessibility features that can come in handy:
Audio
Closed captioning transcriptions provides viewers with an easy way to follow communications in a video.
Sign language side videos allow for deaf viewers to watch a video without falling behind.
Visual
High color contrast for easier readability of text.
Zooming in a web page to increase text size even up to 400% zoom percentage.
Warning of flashing elements or minimizing/removing the use of them for ease on the eyes
Links are clearly identifiable and inform the reader where the link will take them
Textual
Including alt text and captions for images, audio, and videos in case of comprehension difficulty or internet issues.
Clearly organized text grouping and proper titles/headings to differentiate content
There’s plenty other ways to improve web accessibility on your website, but the ones described here can improve your site’s accessibility for others almost immediately. Consider what you can adjust to improve the accessibility of your website so that more can enjoy what you have to offer.
References
- W3C. (2024, March 7). Introduction to Web Accessibility. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/
↩︎