There are several concepts that tend to play a major role in web design and ensuring your website has the right elements to serve as an advertising medium, and one of the single most important here is accessibility. Ensuring your site is equally accessible to all people, including those with disabilities, is a huge deal – not only for obvious moral reasons, but for strong search engine rankings and other areas that impact your marketing.
At BWP Communications, our extensive range of marketing services includes high-quality web design solutions that will keep your site accessible and within all necessary guidelines at all times. What do we mean when we talk about accessibility in web design, why is it so important, and what are some of the key areas to evaluate with accessibility in mind? Let\’s have a look.
What is Website Accessibility?
For those who are just learning about web design, it is important to note that website accessibility refers to the ability of all visitors, regardless of ability or disability, to browse and use your website. This means that no matter if a person is blind and using screen reader software, a person has low vision who needs enlarged text, or someone with motor control issues needing keyboard navigation on the site, those users can access all elements of the website.
Why is Website Accessibility Important?
Website accessibility is incredibly important for several reasons. For starters, it is simply the right thing to do – everyone should be able to access websites no matter what their abilities may be. It simply makes sense to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to explore your site.
Beyond this, accessibility is becoming a larger and larger factor within both legal and marketing areas. Many large bodies, such as the EU with its 2020 Web Accessibility Directive, are poised to enact laws and regulations that require companies with web presence to have their sites accessible. This means that if you don’t meet these standards, you could face penalties or other ramifications. As well, search engine rankings are increasingly taking accessibility into account when scoring sites.
For these reasons, having an accessible site is extremely important for any business. Our next few sections will go over some broad themes that play a role in accomplishing this, all of which we\’re happy to assist you with.
HTML, Tags and Headings
For many websites, some of the most important elements to consider when it comes to accessibility are related to HTML and its associated tags. Essentially, these elements serve as instructions for the browser on how to display a website, but also provide additional information that can help those with disabilities access more of your site.
For instance, headings play an important role here – they can be used to provide structure to the page, and allow screen readers to skip through sections with ease. These should be used when appropriate, and always in a hierarchical manner – i.e., you don’t want a <h3> heading followed by an <h1>, as this can confuse the structure of the page.
Alt Text for Images
Another important element to consider is alt text for images. This is simply a snippet of text that goes along with the image, and describes it in brief. This helps those who are using screen readers understand what the image is depicting, and can also help with SEO rankings.
Let\’s say, for example, that you have a picture of a car on the homepage. Rather than just leaving it as is, alt text allows you to provide an additional bit of information – such as \”red sports car parked in front of green trees.\” This provides more context and clarity to those who may be using assistive technology.
Menus, Forms and Tables
As people are navigating your site, one of the key elements to consider is making sure forms are easy to complete. This means ensuring they’re laid out in a way that\’s logical and easy to understand, and should also include labels for any input fields.
In addition, menus should be laid out clearly and always provide clear paths for users to take. If you’re using tables for data representation, be sure to include the appropriate headings and rows that make it easier to understand.
Compatibility With Screen Readers And Other Assistive Technology
To accommodate those using screen readers, it’s also important to ensure that your website is compatible with these programs. This will allow people to navigate through the site without encountering any errors or issues.
There are also other programs and elements that you may want to consider, such as providing additional fonts or colors for those with colorblindness. Doing some research into different types of assistive technology can help identify potential areas where your site could be improved.
Alternative Keyboard Support
Finally, it\’s important to make sure that your site can support alternative keyboard formats, such as braille or multilingual keyboards. This will ensure those with disabilities can use the full range of your site without difficulty, and that all users have a positive experience no matter what type of input device they’re using.
These are just some of the ways that you can improve accessibility for your website. By taking the time to make sure these elements are taken into account, your business can benefit from having a site that’s accessible to all – and get the SEO and marketing benefits that come with it.
For more here, or to learn about any of our web design or other digital advertising services, speak to our team at BWP Communications today.