When designing your website, accessibility is an important part of the user experience and one you cannot ignore. Accessibility is not just for ease of use it is a legal requirement and one you must meet to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Luckily, there are solutions and software platforms, such as accessiBe, that are designed to help you meet these requirements. When reading accessiBe reviews you’ll quickly see a list of satisfied customers noting how the software has helped them and their companies with website design.
Accessibility Defined
Accessibility in terms of website design refers to websites whose features and content are accessible by those with disabilities. It is important to remember that disabilities are varied, and your solutions should be broadly focused on making your website accessible to everyone. Accessibility also refers to a person’s material conditions such as the speed of their internet or the type of hardware they have access to.
Assistance Solutions That Help Users Engage With Websites
There are several reasons a person may need accessibility assistance when viewing a website. Some of the most common solutions to help visitors include the following:
- Visual Corrections: vision can be affected in numerous ways and this impacts how you engage with the printed context of a website. Various design concepts focused on improving readability can help make a website easier to read.
- Audio Clarification: many websites make use of audio media. However, it is important to add other methods of accessing audio content. The addition of transcripts and subtitles makes audio tracks far more accessible.
- Physical Navigation and Entry:Â many websites are built around only one method of engagement i.e. clicking with a mouse pointer. However, not every computer user makes use of a computer mouse. Adding keyboard shortcuts and the ability to engage with a website through alternative input methods improves accessibility.
- Content: another consideration is how information and content are communicated to the visitor. Content should be written with engagement as a consideration. Overly complex and long pages can reduce the overall ability of your website toefficiently communicate the information you want to provide to your visitors.
Technology issues can also limit your ability to access a website. Older computers can limit your ability to access modern websites. Your devices also matter as smartphones and smartwatches require specific accessibility features as they are each unique platforms. Internet issues such as a lack of speed or a weak connection can also impact accessibility.
Reasons To Improve Accessibility
The reasons for improving your website accessibility include many important points. As previously mentioned, there are legal requirements concerning accessibility, and failure to meet these requirements can result in regulatory violations. Ethics are also of the utmost importance. Creating a broader internet that is accessible and available for all is a guiding vision for many in the industry. Full accessibility is a worthy goal and allows everyone to interact with your site, and what it offers.
Finally, you also have to consider your business. Commonly 20 percent of all your visitors will experience some barriers accessing your content without accessibility features and tools. Without accessibility, you lose 1/5th of your possible customers before they even visit your site. Also, there is the bonus of the increased performance of websites designed with accessibility. When your website is designed with accessibility in mind, it uses uniform design standards and streamlined design concepts.
Final Thoughts         Â
Accessibility covers a wide range of specific needs that can impact how your visitors interact with your website. By making use of accessibility design tools you have proper support to ensure your website’s design functions as it should and also provides a superior user experience.
