Bridging the Accessibility Gap: The Importance of Digital Inclusion in Governance

As digital resources continue to dominate nearly every aspect of our lives, their accessibility for all users becomes an increasingly relevant concern, more so in the case of government websites and services.

Digital Inclusion for All

Tony Stephens, a Baltimore-area resident and a legally blind individual, faces significant challenges when it comes to accessing his son’s school grades online. As with many visually impaired individuals, he relies on screen-reading software to navigate the web. However, this can prove ineffective if websites are not programmed to be compatible with assistive technology.

This issue is not just a matter of convenience but an essential factor contributing to societal inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Global Accessibility Awareness Day, observed on May 18, has been put in place to initiate discussions and increase understanding about digital access and inclusion.

Understanding Accessibility Needs

Digital accessibility isn’t limited to one specific disability; it requires a comprehensive understanding of different needs. For instance, while blind users may require alternative text descriptions for images, deaf or hard-of-hearing users need captioning or sign language interpreters for audio content. People with mobility impairments might require adaptive hardware for device navigation, and those with cognitive or learning disabilities might perform best with an uncluttered interface and straightforward language.

The Reality of Inaccessibility

Inaccessibility creates an exhausting loop of barriers, as detailed by Chris Danielsen, a fully blind individual. His experiences with accessing digital government services have often been frustrating, leading to a sense of defeat and the failure to accomplish simple tasks due to significant hurdles.

Inaccessibility can also lead to severe consequences. There have been instances where blind individuals have lost benefits they were entitled to, simply because they couldn’t interact with or fill out essential forms on government websites.

In another instance, a resident from Georgia was stranded during a hurricane because the evacuation information was published in an inaccessible PDF file. Situations such as this underline the vital implications of digital accessibility in governance.

Towards Inclusive Governance

Emerging technologies have brought accessibility within easier reach, and disability advocates want government agencies to keep this in mind when designing their digital services.

“Born accessible” is a term which refers to digital material that can be created in a fully accessible manner from the outset. When this happens, it eliminates barriers for individuals with disabilities, who indeed prefer engaging with digital resources, given the right accessibility tools.

Government agencies need to prioritize accessibility in all their services from the very beginning. When procuring services, officers should ensure vendors have proficiency in developing inclusive digital platforms. Usability testing should be conducted not just by people with disabilities, but with other underrepresented members of the community too.

Conclusion

By ensuring that digital services are made accessible from design to deployment, government agencies are being accountable with taxpayer money and making their communities more inclusive. It’s a win for everyone involved, and it’s a step towards a more inclusive future.

#DigitalInclusion #Accessibility #InclusiveGovernance #BornAccessible

[Reference Link](!https://www.govtech.com/biz/data/advocates-government-is-failing-residents-on-accessibility)

The Definitive Guide: Leveraging Influencer Marketing for B2B Businesses

In an ever-growing digital world, influencer marketing has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for businesses to reach their target audience and drive tangible business results. Particularly for B2B marketers, navigating the various platforms and choosing the right influencer and content can be a complex maze. In this in-depth guide, we will examine the prime influencer platforms, highlight their key demographics, offer insights into well-performing content, and share how to find the perfect influencer for your campaign.

Introduction to Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing, akin to word-of-mouth marketing, is a complete game changer for B2B marketers. It fosters authentic and relatable connections with your target audience, helping establish your brand’s presence as a frontrunner in your niche.

Impact of Influencer Marketing for B2Bs

Influencer marketing offers B2Bs the opportunity to partner with thought leaders and industry professionals who boast a strong presence amidst their peers. By aligning your brand with an influencer who mirrors your brand’s values and goals, you can ensure a synergic and profitable collaboration.

Micro-Influencers: The Unsung Marketing Heroes

Due to their smaller following, micro-influencers often provide more cost-effective solutions than their macro counterparts. They usually charge less for sponsored content, making them an ideal choice for B2B companies with smaller marketing budgets. Their authenticity and close relationships with their followers make their endorsements valuable and credible.

Costs Involved in Influencer Marketing

The expense of influencer marketing depends heavily on the influencer’s reach, engagement rate, and specific niche. Additionally, another factor to consider is the cost per engagement (CPE), which can be calculated by dividing the total spend by the number of engagements.

Choosing The Optimal Social Media Platform for B2B Influencer Campaigns

TikTok: The Newbie Disrupting the Social Media Landscape

The Gen Z and millennial favorable app, TikTok, offers a unique opportunity for B2B marketers to reach a wide and diverse audience in an engaging and creative manner.

YouTube: The Video Content Pioneer

YouTube, known for its longer-form educational content, is an ideal platform for B2B marketers that aim to generate in-depth and valuable content, highlighting them as thought leaders.

Instagram: The Visual Content Haven

Instagram, with its primary focus on aesthetically pleasing content, is a potential goldmine for brands wanting to emphasize the visual aspects of their products or services.

LinkedIn: The B2B Hub

LinkedIn, traditionally a professional networking and recruiting platform, serves as a potent platform for B2B influencer marketing, increasingBrand trust and credibility.

Facebook: The Original Roots

Facebook, while favoring content from friends and family, remains an effective platform for influencer marketing as it can bolster reach and visibility for branded content.

Twitter: The Platform for Brevity

Though Twitter may not lead in influencer activity, it still brings a sizable user base to the table and offers potential influencers.

Building a Successful B2B Influencer Marketing Strategy

The key to creating a winning strategy lies in thorough research and precisely selecting influencers who align with your brand’s values. Developing a comprehensive content strategy along with leveraging the influencer’s audience can drive optimal results.

leveraging Influencer Content Across Various Platforms

Re-using influencer content across all your channels is an effective way to maximize your investment and reach a broader audience.

Deciding on the Right Influencer for Your B2B Business

Choosing the ideal influencer for your business depends on your industry and specific marketing goals.

Final Notes

Influencer marketing opens a doorway to reach the target audience and drive real business results. Through strategic planning, thoughtful influencer selection, and the smart use of multiple platforms, your B2B enterprise can reap the benefits of genuine engagement and a fortified online presence.

Tags: #InfluencerMarketing #B2BMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #DigitalMarketing

[Reference Link](!https://zenmedia.com/blog/social-media-platforms-for-b2b-influencers/)

Comprehensive Guide to ADA Website Compliance in 2023

Explore a precise ADA compliance checklist for your website, the importance of staying updated, and recommended ADA compliance tools.

The Essence of ADA Compliance

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a fundamental law that offers protection to people with disabilities. The legislation not only prevents discrimination but also mandates business owners and employers to provide reasonable accommodations to all individuals.

Websites, although not explicitly stated in the ADA, fall under areas of public accommodation. Several courts across the U.S. have upheld this, necessitating all websites to be ADA compliant. Due to the absence of specific guidelines for ADA website compliance, websites observe the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

Understanding the ADA Compliance Checklist

Every website owner needs a comprehensive checklist for ADA compliance. This list serves as a guideline to ensure your website is ADA-compliant and accessible to users with disabilities.

Level A Compliance – Navigating Your Website

  • For easy navigation, allow users to navigate your site using screen readers and the keyboard.
  • Make sure the language of each page is identifiable in code for accurate rendering by assistive technologies.
  • If any form inputs are incorrect, notify users distinctly and provide suggestions for rectification.
  • Structures like forms need proper labeling.
  • Use descriptive labels on buttons and links for efficient navigation.
  • Headings and titles must maintain a sensible hierarchy, with no links or heading tags left empty.

Language and Text Compliance

  • Incorporate text captions for videos and audio files for those with hearing impairments.
  • Use supported languages based on the location of your website.
  • Avoid shortcuts that might confuse screen readers. Prefer ‘strong’ and ’em’ tags over ‘b’ and ‘i’ respectively.

Compliance with Media and Colour

  • Provide a transcript or description for videos and audio content.
  • Websites should utilise alt text for non-text content like images.
  • Ensure there are no strobing or flashing visuals that could trigger seizures in some visitors.

Design and Aesthetics

  • Keep your website design easy to navigate, consistent, and visually pleasing.
  • Ensure no major validation errors occur which could hinder differently-abled users from easily navigating your website.
  • Content and media should not become distorted when elements are in focus and zoomed in upon.

Leverage High-end ADA Compliance Tools

For swift and straightforward compliance, it’s advisable to take advantage of efficient tools and services like UserWay and accessiBe. These platforms run scans and rectify your websites, allowing you to focus on your content and services rather than escalating legal issues.

Stay Up-to-date with Your Checklist

Periodically updating your ADA compliance checklist is crucial. As people discover and relay new accessibility issues, authorities and lawmakers revise the guidelines and regulations. An updated checklist ensures compliance and enhances the user experience for differently-abled individuals.

Wrapping up

Considering the legal repercussions and the potential exclusion of a significant section of your visitor base, it is essential to make your website ADA-compliant. Make sure you’ve gone through the latest checklist and chosen the right tools for ADA compliance.

Tags: #ADACompliance #WebAccessibility #WCAG #WebsiteDesign #UserExperience
[Reference Link](!https://www.accessibilitychecker.org/blog/ada-compliance-checklist/)

Web Accessibility: A Backbone of Digital Equality in the European Union

The digital world continually experiences an unprecedented boom. More and more life essentials happen online – grocery shopping, accessing news, medical consultations, banking, etc. However, with this exponential growth comes the risk of digital exclusion for some population sections, including those with disabilities. That’s where web accessibility steps in.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility is a digital realm notion that allows everyone, including people with disabilities, to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the internet. It has become crucial in creating a digital Europe where everyone can actively participate in the digital economy and society.

The Importance of Web Accessibility

Web accessibility presents a myriad of benefits for both users and businesses. By ensuring that websites and apps are “accessible,” businesses can tap into an underutilized customer base and therefore experience economic gain. There are approximately 100 million people in the EU living with a form of disability. If businesses tailor their online interfaces to suit these potential customers’ needs, the results could be overwhelmingly positive.

Simple adjustments such as providing an option to listen to a text when there is insufficient light or users are multitasking, or adding subtitles to videos in noisy environments, can significantly enhance user experience across all user categories, not just those with disabilities.

The European Law and Web Accessibility

To ensure that all Europeans get to enjoy a full and active part in the digital economy and society, the European Commission put forth Directive (EU) 2016/2102, also referred to as the Web Accessibility Directive. This Directive necessitates that all public sector bodies’ websites and apps become “more accessible”. However, exceptions are available for broadcasters and live streaming. A technical standard underpins this directive to explain what “accessible” entails.

Key Aspects of the Web Accessibility Directive

The Directive pushes for the following regulations:

  • All websites and mobile apps must feature an accessibility statement. This statement should highlight non-accessible content and alternatives alongside contact information.
  • All digital platforms should constitute a feedback mechanism. This setup allows users to flag accessibility problems or request information posted via non-accessible content.
  • Member States should carry out regular monitoring of public sector websites and apps. The results from this assessment should be reported to the Commission every three years.

Complementary Legislations

The Web Accessibility Directive works hand in hand with the European Accessibility Act and other legislative inputs that support persons with disabilities in different areas, including electronic communications, audio-visual media services, ebooks, eCommerce, and ICT equipment.

Evaluation of the Web Accessibility Directive

In 2022, the European Commission held a review of the Web Accessibility Directive, building upon a public consultation carried out in 2021. This process presented an in-depth insight into the Directive’s application in practice, compiled from the Member States’ first accessibility monitoring reports and a supporting study. The results from these assessments are publicly available on the EU Publications portal.

Implementation and Monitoring

Since September 23, 2018, all the EU Member States have transposed the Directive into national law. They are required to periodically monitor websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies for compliance with accessibility requirements. The next series of reports is expected in December 2024.

The European Commission also offers financial support to research and deploy web accessibility and accessible technology solutions through various project activities.

Ensuring web accessibility is a step towards inclusive digital growth as we push the boundaries of what’s possible in the online world.

Tags: #WebAccessibility #DigitalInclusion #EULegislation #DigitalEconomy

[Reference Link](!https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility)

Designing Accessible Web Content: An Inclusive Approach

The Internet is an expansive realm of information, a global platform connecting individuals, businesses, and institutions alike. However, there is a significant group of users who often get overlooked in this digital journey – people with disabilities. As developers, designers, trainers, and content creators, we can no longer overlook this essential user base. Everyone, including people with disabilities, should find it easy to navigate and understand web content.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web Accessibility refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to, websites by people with disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, generally all users have equal access to information and functionality.

Why is it Important?

Web accessibility is not just about delivering a better user experience for people with disabilities; it can also help others such as older people with changing abilities due to ageing improve their online experience. It encapsulates all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech, and visual disabilities.

Accessibility Guidelines: WCAG 2.0 and 2.1

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and 2.1, released by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), provide a comprehensive set of recommendations for making web content more accessible. They are organised around four principles:

  1. Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.

  2. Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable.

  3. Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.

  4. Robust: Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

For a customizable quick reference on how to meet these guidelines, you can refer to How to Meet WCAG 2: A customizable quick reference.

How People with Disabilities Use the Web

Understanding how people with disabilities interact with the web is crucial to creating accessible content. This not only includes those who use assistive technologies like screen readers but also users who navigate the web in unconventional ways. For example, someone with motor disabilities may use a keyboard over a traditional mouse for navigation.

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG)

Apart from standards for web content, there is also a set of guidelines for authoring tools used in the creation of web content, known as Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG). They aim to make the authoring tools accessible, so people with disabilities can create web content, and to help developers produce more accessible web content.

In conclusion, creating an accessible web is a combined effort from all its authors. It not just helps make the internet a more inclusive space but also aids in improving overall user experience for everyone.


Tags: #WebAccessibility #WCAG #ATAG #InclusiveWebDesign

[Reference Link](!https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/)

The Importance of Website Accessibility and How to Achieve It

In the era of digital transformation, websites have become indispensable tools for businesses, organizations, and individuals alike. Having a website is not enough. It needs to be accessible to everyone, including individuals with varying degrees of abilities. This brings us to ADA compliance which ensures equal access to information and services for all.

What is ADA Compliance?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all electronic and information technology be accessible to people with disabilities. According to the Department of Justice, web accessibility becomes extremely crucial as an alarming percentage of services have moved online, thereby making websites indispensable for daily living.

Why is Accessibility Important?

By prioritizing accessibility, websites can reach wider audiences, including individuals with disabilities, and provide a more inclusive digital environment.

Just imagine a website being as inaccessible to a person with disabilities as a staircase entrance is to a person using a wheelchair. To avoid such digital barriers, it’s essential to ensure web accessibility.

The ADA’s requirements apply broadly, encompassing public-facing web pages and even electronic documents.

How to Implement Web Accessibility: A Guide

Understanding accessibility requirements can be complex, but here are some handy tips to ensure that your website complies with these guidelines:

Using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The WCAG, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), outlines specific guidelines to make online content more accessible to people with disabilities. They provide three levels of compliance – A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest).

Accommodating Different Media Types

For instance, offer closed captioning in videos for those with hearing impairment or those unable to use audio in public places.

Providing Descriptive Texts

Use alt-text for images. This is a brief description that helps screen readers understand the content of the image, offering an equivalent user experience to those who cannot see them.

Simplifying Navigation

Ensure that your website is easily navigable. Implement keyboard navigation shortcuts and allow users to skip directly to the main content. Organize and structure content using headings for easy comprehension.

Easy-to-Use Forms

Forms must be easy to understand and use. Every field should have a label, and the submission buttons should clearly express the result of the action.

The POUR Method

When in doubt, refer to the WCAG’s POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) framework to evaluate your website’s accessibility.

Ensuring website accessibility may seem like a daunting task. However, by incorporating these strategies, we can create a more inclusive web environment that is open and usable for everyone.

Tags: #ADACompliance #WebAccessibility #WCAG #POURMethod
Reference Link

Making your website accessible to everyone: A comprehensive look at web accessibility

Web accessibility may sound like a buzzword, but it’s definitely worth your attention as a business owner. One in every five people has an impairment making online information difficult to access. If your site isn’t accessible, this significant percentage of potential customers might go to your competitors instead. In this blog post, we’ll delve into what web accessibility is, its impact on businesses and how you can make your site more accessible.

Table of Contents

  1. What is web accessibility?
  2. Understanding different types of disabilities
  3. The significance of web accessibility
  4. Standards of Accessibility
  5. Four key principles of web accessibility
  6. Key components of web accessibility
  7. The legality surrounding web accessibility
  8. Steps to create an accessible website
  9. Testing for your website’s accessibility
  10. Web accessibility examples
  11. Conclusion

What is web accessibility?

Web accessibility aims to make your website usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. It ensures your site is compatible with assistive technologies, like screen readers and offers content that can be read and heard by everyone.

Understanding different types of disabilities

Common disabilities that make web accessibility essential include:

  • Cognitive disability
  • Visual impairment
  • Hearing impairment
  • Neurological impairment
  • Mobility disabilities

The significance of web accessibility

Web accessibility isn’t just a moral duty, but also a legal and business necessity. It widens your business’s reach, improves SEO and ensures compliance with legal obligations.

Standards of Accessibility

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are the internationally recognised guidelines that define standards of web accessibility.

Four key principles of web accessibility

For a website to be accessible, it needs to be: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR).

Key components of web accessibility

Web accessibility is determined by the content of the website, the tools used to create the website, the tools used to evaluate the website and user agents.

The legality surrounding web accessibility

In countries like the US and members of the EU, laws mandate websites to be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Steps to create an accessible website

From using alt texts for images to consistent navigation modes, there’s a variety of things you must consider to create an accessible website.

Testing for your website’s accessibility

Tools like WAVE, DYNO Mapper, WCAG Compliance Auditor, and A11Y Color Contrast Accessibility Validator can help you test your website’s accessibility.

Web accessibility examples

The W3C’s website is a great example of a WCAG-compliant site.

Conclusion

As a business owner, ensuring your website is accessible to all potential customers is a smart move. It can improve customer loyalty, increase your business reach, and ensure legal compliance.

Tags: #webaccessibility, #WCAG, #POUR, #SEO

[Reference Link](!https://www.imaginarycloud.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-web-accessibility-for-2022/)

Creating Web Accessibility: A Comprehensive Guide

As a website owner, ensuring web accessibility should be a top priority. ([Download our free Web Accessibility Checklist here]). This practice not only enhances user experience but also demonstrates your commitment towards inclusivity.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility refers to the practice of making your website accessible to all users, irrespective of their abilities or impairments. It involves adhering to design principles, which allow users to have a seamless experience on your website.

The Importance of Web Accessibility

Web accessibility enhances user-friendliness and understanding for all visitors, including those with:

  • Blindness
  • Low vision
  • Learning disabilities
  • Cognitive impairments
  • Deafness
  • Hearing loss
  • Speech disabilities
  • Physical disabilities

Making your site accessible not only complies with ethical and legal standards, but it also boosts brand loyalty and advocacy.

Who Manages Web Accessibility?

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WIP) of The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is responsible for publishing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Legal Implications of Web Accessibility

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act enforces web accessibility. Even though web accessibility isn’t a formal law, there have been cases where companies faced lawsuits for not having an accessible website. Therefore, adherence to WCAG guidelines is essential.

Web Accessibility Standards

WCAG standards are categorized into four major principles:

  1. Perceivable – Users should be able to perceive or understand all information on your website.
  2. Operable – Websites should be easy to navigate and user-friendly.
  3. Understandable – All content on your website should be easily understood.
  4. Robust – The content should be easily interpreted by all visitors, including those using assistive technology such as screen readers.

Tools for Improving Website Accessibility

Several tools are available to test and improve your website’s accessibility. Some notable ones include:

  • WAVE
  • DYNO Mapper
  • SortSite
  • A11Y Color Contrast Accessibility Validator

Brilliant Examples of Web Accessibility

For inspiring examples of web accessibility, consider sites like W3C, The Cram Foundation, US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, Healthmonix, Unilever, The Financial Gym, The White House, and Sandy Liang.

Improving web accessibility goes beyond legal and ethical considerations. It contributes to a positive user experience and fosters customer loyalty and advocacy. Use the mentioned tools and guidelines to create a more accessible website for all to enjoy.

Tags: #WebAccessibility #WCAG #WebsiteDesign #UserExperience

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

(#complete)

[Reference Link](!https://blog.hubspot.com/website/web-accessibility)

The Necessity of ADA Compliance and WCAG Requirements for Websites in 2023

Understanding the Essence of ADA Compliance in Websites

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a piece of legislation that plays a significant role in shaping the nature of website creation in the US. The evolution of this law has also birthed a new legal industry that leverages the courts to hold website owners accountable. The regulations have led to increased lawsuits, particularly in states such as New York, California, and Florida.

Importance of Website Accessibility

Website accessibility is critical due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, it has a legal implications, with non-compliant websites being liable for lawsuits. Secondly, it impacts DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) by ensuring the website is usable for individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, it affects the digital landscape by promoting websites that adhere to world-wide-web consortium (W3C) guidelines. Lastly, compliance with accessibility guidelines presents opportunities to interact with a broader audience.

Interestingly, data shows that in 2023, about 96.3% of homepages are not compliant with an average of 50.0 barriers per homepage.

Website Compliance with WCAG

An authoritative guide on web accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG). The Web Content Accessibility Guideline has been hailed as the de facto standard for digital accessibility.

WCAG website compliance standards include:

Perceivable

  • Text alternatives for non-text content.
  • Captions and other alternatives for multimedia.
  • Content that can be presented differently without losing meaning.
  • Content made easier for users to see and hear.

Operable

  • All functionality should be available from a keyboard.
  • Users should get ample time to read and use content.
  • Prohibition of content that causes seizures.
  • User assistance in navigating and locating content.

Understandable

  • Readable and understandable text.
  • Content operation and appearance should be predictable.
  • Assistance to users to avoid and rectify mistakes.

Robust

  • Maximizing compatibility with current and future user tools.

Path to ADA Compliant Website

The process of achieving website accessibility entails two steps; conducting a website audit, followed by website remediation based on the findings of the audit.

ADA Compliance Audit Best Practices

A website audit should not solely rely on automated audits because WCAG interpretations require nuanced understanding. Automated tools can only detect about 30% of WCAG issues. As such, human testing is necessary. The cost of an audit depends on the size and complexity of your website and your ultimate goals.

How to Reduce Audit Costs

For owners who find full audit costs prohibitive, pragmatic measures have been suggested. Including auditing key pages or resorting to automated-only audits.

ADA Website Remediation

After the audit, the design, development, and content teams can implement the recommendation from the audit findings.

Maintaining Web Accessibility and ADA Compliance

Since websites are frequently updated, to maintain accessibility, schedule periodic WCAG audits. This will ensure consistent compliance with the WCAG guidelines and ADA requirements.

Overcoming ADA compliance may seem intimidating, but breaking it down into phases can help make it manageable.

Tags: #ADAAccessibility, #WebsiteCompliance, #WCAG, #DigitalInclusion

[Reference Link](!https://www.accessibility.works/blog/2023-wcag-ada-website-compliance-standards-requirements/)

Emphasizing Accessibility in Web Design: Best Practices and Inspiring Examples

1 in 7 people worldwide live with some form of disability. As web technology continues to evolve, its design must be inclusive and accessible to accommodate this demographic. This article delves into the basics of accessibility measures commonly employed by websites and highlights websites that exceptional in their accessibility design.

Important Features of Accessible Web Design

Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard navigation is essential for users with limited mobility or fine motor control. Accessible websites allow users to navigate pages using the tab and enter keys.

Alt Text

Alternative text or alt text provides a text equivalent of visual content. This is crucial for users who cannot perceive the content visually or audibly. A good alt text is short, concise, and accurately describes the associated content.

Color Contrast

Color contrast affects text readability. Accessible web design must ensure that the text color significantly contrasts the background color.

Meaningful Links

Accessible websites use meaningful text in their hyperlinks, ensuring that the destination of the link is clear from its context.

Semantic HTML

Semantic HTML improves the comprehension of the page structure for assistive technologies, making it easier for users to navigate the page.

Scalable Text

Accessible web designs must allow users to increase the text size up to 200% without disrupting the page layout or viewing experience.

Minimal Animations and Visual Effects

While visual effects can enhance the page, overuse can detract from the user experience and make the website less accessible. Accessible sites avoid excessive use of animations and any flashing effects that may overwhelm or disorient the user.

Use of ARIA

Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) provide descriptions for specific user interface elements that lack semantic HTML tags.

Exemplary Accessible Websites

This section highlights some of the websites that are doing a commendable job of incorporating the above best practices.

Mighty Networks

Mighty Networks is a platform for creating community apps. Its website features legible text and imagery with some animated effects that do not intrude on the user experience.

Mighty Networks Homepage

1% for the Planet

1% for the Planet commits to donate 1% of their profits towards environmental causes. It’s an excellent example of an accessible website with high-contrasting text, ARIA tags, and thorough HTML page structure.

BBC

BBC sets a standout example for accessible news websites with universally impressive accessibility scanning tool scores. The website’s keyboard navigation is particularly noteworthy.

Built By Silo

Built By Silo, a web design and development agency, shows the possibility of a website being stylish and accessible at the same time.

Eventbrite

Eventbrite, an event management platform, presents a clean and easy-to-understand layout making it highly accessible.

Conclusion

Incorporating accessible design practices when creating a website is a fulfilling process that empowers users with disabilities, impairments, and limitations to engage with your content. These accessible website examples demonstrate just how rewarding including inclusivity in your site design can be.

Note: This post was originally published in October 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Tags: #WebAccessibility #AccessibleWebDesign #WebsiteExamples #InclusiveDesign

[Reference Link](!https://blog.hubspot.com/website/accessible-website-examples)