Creating Web Content That’s Fully Accessible
Millions of people go through life with challenges and disabilities that inhibit them from effectively understanding information online or offline. As people who are working with online content, we have a unique advantage – we can make that content much more accessible to people with disabilities by designing our pages and producing content that is accessible to everyone.
Designing for accessibility ensure that all types of people regardless of ability can more easily get the information you are providing online. There are a variety of things people can do to make their information more accessible.
- Focus on end users rather than your own preference. If you want your website to be easily understood by a variety of people, you will need to design and write content with that in mind.
- Place things correctly. Read up on intuitive web design and understand where people naturally look for page elements like search bars or headings. Creating a design that adjusts for this can make it easier for people to find information on your site.
- Take Internet speeds into account. Some people may be working on slower internet, so if you decide you want a really rich flash based website you may alienate users who can’t load it. The most common work around for this problem is to offer an adjoining text only or plain HTML version of the site that allows you to showcase your core content in a paired down way.
- Consider using text as a substitute for the images on your site. People who are visually impaired sometimes utilize automated screen readers which allow them to read the text on the site. If you are using an image to describe something, users with screen readers will completely miss your point. ALT attributes on your images create workarounds for people who use screen readers so they can get a sense of the full site.
In addition to these tips, you can also look at utilizing easier to read colors or slightly larger fonts in order to make the content more readable. To learn more about web accessibility, schedule a consultation with one of our web design experts.
