How to Make Your Website Accessible: A Web Development Guide
So you’ve recently redesigned your website. Excited to welcome more customers, you quickly notice a gap. Some users are leaving without making a purchase. After a bit of research, you learn that individuals with disabilities are struggling to navigate your website.
Your next step? Focus your digital agency web development efforts on making your website accessible for everyone. With the guidance of your chosen agency, strive for inclusivity, and business growth will follow.
Understanding Web Accessibility Standards
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide the foundational standards that guide website accessibility. These guidelines outline technical and design principles to ensure websites are accessible to users with various disabilities.
WCAG includes three compliance levels: A, AA and AAA. While Level A sets the minimum standard, Level AA is often the target for most sites as it balances accessibility and feasibility. Lastly, Level AAA offers the highest level of accessibility. Adhering to these standards makes your website easier for everyone to navigate.
Important: Accessibility improvements benefit a diverse range of users, including those with visual impairments, motor limitations and cognitive disabilities.
Designing for Visual Accessibility
Clear, readable text is crucial for accessibility. High-contrast colours, suitable text sizes, and easy-to-read fonts all contribute to a comfortable reading experience. Make sure your colours meet contrast ratios specified by WCAG (such as 4.5:1 for normal text) to ensure clarity. Tools like the WebAIM Colour Contrast Checker can help you fine-tune these aspects.
You should also add alt text to images for users who rely on screen readers. This allows them to ‘hear’ a description of the image. For example, the more descriptive ‘A black cat lying on a white windowsill’ is far more helpful than ‘cat photo.’ Keep in mind that the alt text should convey the content or function of the image in a way that adds context to the surrounding content.
Creating a User-Friendly Navigation System
Aim for a straightforward layout to help all users find their way around your website easily. You need it to be consistent to further simplify navigation, especially for users with cognitive and motor impairments.
For example, logical organisation and clear headings ensure that users don’t have to reorient themselves with each page—reducing the mental load required to interact with your website.
Some users, particularly those with mobility impairments, rely solely on keyboards. So, make sure your website is keyboard-friendly, meaning all interactive elements like buttons and menus can be accessed with the Tab key.
Making Multimedia Content Accessible
Add captions to your videos so users with hearing impairments can engage with your content fully. Transcripts provide a written record of audio content and can improve understanding for all users, making your content easier to follow.
For visually impaired users, audio descriptions add context by describing key visual elements in videos. These descriptions ensure they can experience the full depth of your content without missing essential visual cues.
Testing for Accessibility Compliance
There are tools you can use to test your website’s accessibility. While they can identify potential barriers in design, it’s also good to check manually. Conduct usability testing with individuals who have disabilities to uncover issues that automated tools might miss.
If, upon testing, you notice accessibility gaps, it’s time to hire a digital agency that understands website accessibility. Consider a digital agency like G Squared, which embraces accessibility and can help you create a space that promotes inclusivity while fostering engagement.
