Top Tips on How to Make a Website Accessible

Need to know how to make a website accessible? Here are the essential steps to fixing accessibility issues like improving keyboard navigation, adding alt text to images, and ensuring high contrast colors. Follow these tips to create a website that’s inclusive, user-friendly, and legally compliant.

Key Takeaways

• Web accessibility is essential for ensuring inclusive digital experiences for all users, particularly people with disabilities, and adherence to WCAG guidelines is crucial for compliance and engagement.
• Key principles of WCAG—perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust—serve as foundational elements in creating accessible websites that accommodate diverse user needs.
• Regularly updating accessibility features and conducting comprehensive testing, both automated and manual, are vital strategies for maintaining compliance and enhancing user experience.

Understanding Website Accessibility

Web accessibility is the practice of ensuring that websites and digital content can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. This includes individuals with auditory, physical, visual, cognitive, neurological, and speech disabilities.

The goal is to eliminate accessibility barriers that prevent interaction with or access to websites, ensuring that all website visitors can participate fully in the digital experience. Compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG is not just a legal obligation; it’s a commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.

The importance of web accessibility is underscored by the fact that over a quarter of adult Americans belong to disability communities. Websites must conform to WCAG 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2 at Level AA to be considered accessible, as outlined by the world wide web consortium’s guidelines.

This ensures that digital content is usable by all, including those with visual impairments who rely on screen readers or individuals who navigate web content using only a keyboard.

Making your website accessible not only ensures compliance with legal requirements but also attracts a broader audience, enhancing their engagement with your content. This is particularly important for website owners. Additionally, making websites accessible is crucial for creating an inclusive online environment.

History of Accessiblity Laws

The cornerstone of accessibility law in the U.S. is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990. While the disabilities act predates the internet as a central part of daily life, it prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in places of public accommodation, which has increasingly been interpreted to include websites and digital services.

Initially, the law focused on physical spaces like restaurants, hotels, and public transportation, but as technology advanced, so did interpretations of the ADA’s scope.

The turning point came in the 2000s and 2010s as businesses and state and local government services expanded online. A number of lawsuits began to shape legal precedent, notably National Federation of the Blind v. Target Corp (2006), in which the court ruled that Target’s website must be accessible to blind users under the ADA.

Since then, thousands of lawsuits have been filed annually against businesses whose websites or mobile apps failed to meet accessibility standards.

Federal agencies have also taken steps to guide compliance. In 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was amended to require federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.

This includes websites, software, and digital documents. The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) of 2018 further emphasized the need for accessible, user-friendly federal websites and services.

Today, the ADA provides guidance to state and local governments, as well as public-facing businesses, to make their websites accessible to those with disabilities.

Key Principles of WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are based on four key principles:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust These principles form the foundation of web accessibility, ensuring that content is accessible to all users, regardless of their disabilities.

Firstly, content must be perceivable, meaning users must be able to perceive the information being presented (e.g., text, images) with their senses. Secondly, further information on user interface components and navigation must be operable, allowing users to interact with the interface effectively, meeting the success criteria.

Thirdly, information and the operation of the interface must be understandable, ensuring users can comprehend the content and navigation. Lastly, web content accessible must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. By adhering to these principles, you can create a fully accessible website that meets the diverse needs of all users.

Implement Keyboard-Only Navigation

Users with motor disabilities often cannot navigate a website using a mouse. Therefore, keyboard-only navigation is crucial for enabling them to access web content effectively. Key considerations include:

• Ensure all interactive elements are accessible using only the keyboard, primarily through the tab key.
• Provide a visible focus indicator, such as a highlighted border, to clearly signal which element is currently in focus.
• The focus indicator should provide necessary visual feedback.

Recognizing the challenges faced by users who rely solely on keyboards can significantly improve design. For instance, users may get stuck in overlays or struggle with dynamic content. By addressing these issues and conducting user testing on your website’s keyboard navigation thoroughly, you can create barriers to ensure a smoother and more inclusive user experience.

Ensure Screen Reader Compatibility

Screen readers are a lifeline for visually impaired users, converting on-screen text into speech or braille. Include alt text for images to ensure compatibility, as it allows screen readers to describe visual content to users. Consistent navigation features like ‘skip to main content’ links are also crucial as they help screen reader users access important content quickly.

Dynamic content can pose challenges if not properly annotated with ARIA roles. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles provide semantic meaning to web elements, helping screen readers interpret the content correctly.

Use High Contrast Colors

Using high contrast colors is vital for aiding users with visual impairments and ensuring your entire website is compliant with accessibility standards. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend maintaining specific contrast ratios to accommodate users with color vision deficiencies, ensuring sufficient color contrast. Normal text requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1, while large text must have at least 3:1.

Enhanced contrast requirements under WCAG Level AAA demand a ratio of 7:1 for normal text. User interface components must achieve a contrast of at least 3:1 against adjacent colors. By adhering to these guidelines, you ensure that all users can read and interact with your website’s content effectively.

Provide Alt Text for Images

Alt text is essential for conveying the content and context of images to users who cannot see them. It serves as a textual substitute for visually impaired users and enhances accessibility by helping screen readers describe images.

Effective text alternative should be specific and clearly describe the image, ideally between 80 to 100 characters long, as missing alternative text can hinder the user experience. Using descriptive alt tags can further improve the clarity of the images presented.

When writing text alternative, consider the following points:

• Focus on the content and purpose of the image.
• For complex images, such as charts or infographics, summarize the key insights and data trends.
• Only meaningful images should have alt text.
• Decorative images should use empty alt attributes to avoid cluttering the screen reader’s output.

Structure Headings Properly

Proper heading structure is crucial for helping users and assistive technologies navigate content effectively. Organizing information with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs enhances clarity and assists users in locating relevant content quickly. Use the <h1> tag for the main title and subsequent <h2>, <h3> tags for subsections to reinforce the hierarchy of information.

Avoid skipping heading levels, as this can mislead users about the content structure. Descriptive headings improve accesibility technology’s navigation and overall document clarity. Consistency in heading structure ensures a seamless user experience, particularly for those relying on assistive technologies.

Add Captions and Transcripts for Videos

Captions and transcripts are vital for individuals with hearing impairments, ensuring they can access video content effectively. Video captions come in two forms: open captions, which are permanently displayed, and closed captions, which users can toggle on or off. Transcripts provide a written copy of the audio content, enhancing accessibility for various user needs.

Auto-generated captions should be reviewed for accuracy to meet WCAG Level AA standards. Providing captions and transcripts not only helps deaf or hard-of-hearing users but also benefits all viewers by making content more understandable and engaging.

Design Accessible Forms

Accessible forms are essential for users who rely on assistive technology. Key features include clear and concise labels, grouped related form fields, and informative validation messages. Grouping related questions using fieldsets helps users understand the form structure better.

Use semantic HTML for custom forms to improve accessibility, ensuring interactive elements like buttons are properly identified. Providing clear error messages that are screen reader-friendly is crucial for an accessible form experience.

Implementing accessible web forms ensures an effortless experience with navigating, completing, and submitting forms.

Maintain Responsive Design

Responsive design guarantees that content adjusts to different screen sizes on digital platforms. This adaptability improves the overall user experience. This is particularly important for people with certain disabilities who may rely solely on their phones to access the internet. To ensure content is available at any screen size, use:

• Flexible grids
• Layouts
• Images
• CSS media queries

Fluid layouts in responsive design allow content to adjust automatically while maintaining the same order, regardless of the device used. Regularly updating accessibility tools ensures that websites evolve to meet the needs of people with disabilities and enhances the user experience for all website visitors.

Avoid Color-Only Information

Color blindness affects over 350 million people globally, making it essential to avoid using color as the only method for conveying information. Supplement colors with symbols and icons to enhance communication effectiveness. Incorporating symbols alongside color helps individuals with color vision deficiency better understand the conveyed message.

Utilizing textures or patterns in visual elements can distinguish items, making the content more accessible for individuals with color vision deficiencies. This approach is particularly useful in graphs or charts, enhancing the ability to provide valuable insights for all users to differentiate information.

Use Descriptive URLs and Link Text

Descriptive URLs and link text improve accessibility by providing context and clarity to users. Descriptive URLs help users understand what to expect when they click a link, enhancing navigation and usability. Using descriptive link text clarifies the link’s purpose for visually impaired users, allowing them to gauge the relevance and benefit of the link.

Ensuring that hyperlinks provide standalone context improves clarity, particularly when links are printed or copied. This practice not only aids visual assistive technology users but also enhances the overall user experience by making navigation more intuitive.

Consistent Navigation

Consistent navigation aids users with cognitive disabilities by:

• Maintaining the same layout and order of essential features across a website.
• Helping users with memory challenges by providing consistently arranged elements, reducing frustration caused by unpredictable layouts.
• Preventing confusion by keeping navigation menus in a uniform location across the website.
• Supporting efficient content discovery, particularly for those with cognitive impairments.

Having a search bar in the same position on each web page enhances navigation for users with cognitive disabilities and web browsers, allowing them to find specific information more easily on web pages.

Consistent navigation not only improves accessibility but also creates a more user-friendly website where users navigate easily.

Allow Text Resizing

Allowing text resizing aids individuals with low vision, enabling them to adjust text size for easier reading. Text should be resizable up to 200% to ensure that all content remains readable and functional. When text is resized, it should not cause any clipping, truncating, or obscuring of the content.

This feature is crucial for better readability for individuals with vision impairments. Implementing text resizing options ensures that your website is accessible to a broader audience, enhancing the overall user experience.

Avoid Auto-Playing Media

Auto-playing media can frustrate users, especially people with disabilities, as it may hinder navigation and conflict with assistive technologies like screen readers. The majority of web users find autoplay features annoying, leading to a poor user experience. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend that any media that autoplays must include controls for users to pause or stop playback.

Providing controls to pause or stop auto-playing media enhances accessibility for all users. By following this guideline, you ensure a more inclusive and user-friendly website.

Include an Accessibility Statement

An accessibility statement conveys a commitment to an inclusive user experience, providing details about features, known limitations, and contact information for support. It’s a reflection of your dedication to ensuring equal access for all users, including people with disabilities.

The Department of Justice ensures website accessibility for people with disabilities, reflecting a legal commitment to inclusivity and nondiscrimination and effective communication. Including one not only demonstrates your commitment to accessibility but also provides a clear point of contact for users who may encounter issues.

Make Online Documents Accessible

The accessibility of online documents extends the web accessibility principles to all content types, including digital accessibility and accessibility requirements. This includes compliance with legal requirements such as the ADA’s general requirements and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Web accessibility experts can help remediate online documents effectively.

Using a built-in Accessibility Checker in Word can identify and provide fixes for accessibility issues. Remediating online documents can be challenging, especially with a high volume and complexity. However, ensuring that all digital content is accessible is crucial for an inclusive user experience.

Regularly Update Accessibility Features

Regularly updating accessibility features is important to stay compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and address new challenges. Regular updates ensure that your website continues to meet guidelines and remains accessible to all users. This proactive approach helps in overcoming emerging accessibility challenges, providing a better user experience for everyone.

Updating these features regularly can also lead to increased audience reach and potential sales growth. Continuously improving your website’s accessibility not only ensures compliance with legal requirements but also enhances the usability and inclusivity of your digital presence.

Testing Website Accessibility

Testing for website accessibility is crucial to ensure that all users can access and navigate your content without barriers. Tools like axe DevTools and Lighthouse are essential for checking compliance with accessibility standards. These free tools can identify and fix barriers for users relying on assistive technologies.

However, these tools may miss certain issues that manual assessments can catch. Manual assessments involve experts reviewing websites to identify accessibility problems that automated tools might overlook, providing valuable insights into assistive technology.

An industry-standard suite of accessibility evaluation tools that combines these two methods is WAVE. These testing tools dive deeper than automated tools by facilitating manual evaluation as well as automatic. Through browser extensions, APIs, and and reporting, WAVE has been used on millions of web pages to help improve accessibility issues.

Combining both automated and manual testing methods provides a comprehensive approach to make your website fully accessible.

Summary

Creating an accessible website is a multifaceted process that involves understanding and implementing various principles and guidelines. From ensuring screen reader compatibility and using high contrast colors to designing accessible forms and maintaining responsive design, each step plays a crucial role in making your website inclusive and user-friendly.

By following the tips outlined in this blog post, you can make your website accessible to a diverse audience, enhancing both usability and legal compliance. Embrace the opportunity to create a digital space where everyone feels welcome and valued. Together, we can build a more inclusive web for all.

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