Did you know that around 12 million people over age 40 in the United States have vision impairments?
Vision impairments, along with hearing impairments, can make it difficult for people to use the internet.
If you have a company website that you want to be accessible for any type of person, there are tips to follow.
Continue reading to discover how you can make an accessible website for your company!
You need to design a website by installing all the latest web accessibility tools & features.
Therefore, you need to design a website’s landing page or home page,
by first doing a Shopify split testing or A/B testing, so as to compare which web page variation is perfect, according to certain web compliance rules.
And, this is where an expert like “TridentAB” can help conduct such a user flow testing, by incorporating an easy-to-use editor.
This is a mandatory requirement here in the US. Else, you must be prepared with lawsuits,
if your site does not adhere to the web accessibility standards 508 or complies with ADA
guidelines. Therefore, you need to consult with domain specialists like “Accessibility park”
for having a WCAG compliant site.
Utilize Large Fonts
One of the best ways to make an accessible website is by providing different font choices for readers.
Smart marketing teams think about computer users who have a difficult time seeing and need a larger font. If you don’t want to set the entire webpage at a huge font, consider giving customers the option to select their font size.
Many websites are incorporating this feature so that everyone can get information. This is a perfect way to make your customers feel seen and appreciated.
Provide Audio
When it comes to people who are hard of hearing, you must consider adding audio to your site.
Many people are recommending audio description services when designing a website. These services allow you to create a button that users can press to have information read aloud to them. If you are dealing with a population of people who have vision impairments, this is an excellent feature.
Whether someone is blind, dyslexic, or has partial vision, they will appreciate this service. You can also provide video by using different types of content that go beyond vision.
Develop a Simple URL
If you are looking for website design ideas to make your site more accommodating, consider your URL.
When creating your website, you should strive to have a simple URL that is easy to remember. Although URL can quickly get taken, do your best to avoid adding numbers and letters that look alike. People who deal with dyslexia and neurological impairments have a difficult time getting to these sites.
Try your best to create a simple and catchy URL that applies to your business. The shorter that the link is, the better. When you add in too many characters, consumers can get confused and type in the wrong address.
Use White Backgrounds
Increasing website accessibility includes many things. One of which, you must focus on background colors.
People with visual disabilities or overstimulation can get overwhelmed with contrasts of colors. Try to avoid using dark or bright colors on the background of your site.
White backgrounds are recommended, especially when paired with black writing. This helps make the words and content stand out without overstimulating the consumer. White and black are also good colors for people that are color blind or have a hard time focusing.
Create Clear Titles
Whether someone has an impairment, disability, or is healthy, you should always use clear titles.
Labeling your tabs and pages properly will make your marketing more effective and your website more accessible. When people don’t understand the tabs that they are clicking on, they will likely visit a competitor’s page. Think about the organization of your website and ensure that the words you are using are precise and accurate.
It is also important to create clear titles so that people who have visual or audio impairments can understand the content. Not everyone visiting your site will be able to look at your content to help give the right perspective of the page they are on.
Be Descriptive
An excellent way to make your site more accessible is by being descriptive with all of your content.
If you have photos, videos, or charts posted on your site, be sure to describe them. Below the image, you should include an Alt image, which is simple a description of what you are showing.
These descriptions should be clear and relatively short. Depending on what is in the picture, you can sum it up in a sentence or two. This will help people with vision impairments understand what they cannot see and can get further help from someone if needed.
Avoid Blinking & Flashes
Many people in the United States have epilepsy or are prone to having seizures.
Keeping this population in mind is important when you are creating your website. Adding blinking and flashes can catch people off guard and trigger seizures. These features can also make it difficult to read for people with vision impairments.
Although blinking and flashing can be a great way to draw in the reader’s attention, it is often not worth it. Instead of using these methods, use different contrasts of color or try bold outlines.
Offer Keyboard Support
People that have vision impairments often use their keyboards to navigate sites and programs.
You can incorporate intuitive navigation that correlates with a keyboard to make your site more accessible. Users should have the ability to look at different tabs and drop-down screens with their keyboards.
Since the mouse is difficult to use with partial or full vision impairments, they must rely on their keyboards. It can be beneficial to work with a web design team to set these features up.
Many people recommend including instructions for people who want to use the site with a keyboard. This is a great way to help them understand how to navigate your information and how to find help.
Do You Have an Accessible Website?
Unless you have an impairment, you likely haven’t thought much about creating an accessible website.
The internet is a great place to market and grow your business, but many companies fail to meet the needs of the consumer. By being conscious of impairments and disabilities, you can make your site more accessible and attractive to users.
Incorporating audio and enhanced vision features is a great way to get people of all ages and backgrounds to your site. These features, along with many others, keep consumers feeling satisfied and acknowledged.
Be sure to check out our blog for more articles about smart marketing and the web design process!
