The Web Is For Everyone

Tips for Enhancing Your Website's Accessibility and Creating Inclusive Web Experiences

an woman in a wheelchair accessing the web on a tablet and 3 different devices: 2 tablets and 1 phone representing visual, auditory and motor impairment in the background

Why is Web Accessibility Essential?

Web accessibility is crucial for a number of reasons as it touches various aspects of society, including social inclusion, economic opportunities, and legal compliance.

a man sitting in a wheelchair next to a man on a laptop, and 3 different screens with figures representing visual, auditory and motor impairment in the background

Practical Tips for Improving Website Accessibility

Level up your website's accessibility with these awesome tips.

<body>

 <header>

   <h1>Accessibility in the Web<h1>

 </header>

 <main>

   <section>

     <h2>Introduction<h2>

       Web accessibility ensures an inclusive online experience

<p>

       for all users, regardless of disabilities.

<p>

   </section>

   <section>

     <h2>Guidelines<h2>

     <ul>

       <li>Use proper HTML structure.<li>

       <li>Provide alternative text for images.<li>

       <li>Ensure color contrast for readability.<li>

       <li>Make your website keyboard accessible.<li>

     </ul>

   </section>

 </main>

 <footer>

   <p>© 2023 Accessibility in the Web. All rights reserved.

 </footer>

</body>

HTML

Semantic HTML

Semantic HTML improves accessibility by allowing assistive technologies to navigate and interpret web content accurately, benefiting users with disabilities and enhancing overall accessibility, use tags such as header, nav, main, section, article, etc.

Colors

Contrast

Contrast is crucial for accessibility because it affects the legibility and visibility of content, especially for individuals with visual impairments or certain types of color blindness

Low Contrast

This has low contrast ratio and it's bad for reading

High Contrast

This has high contrast ratio and it's good for reading

Images

Alt Tags for Images

Images on a webpage provide valuable content, but they can create barriers for users with limited or impaired vision. Assigning alt tags to images is essential as it provides a description of the images, enabling users to understand them through screen readers. Alt tags also contribute to higher SEO scores on search engines like Google.

alt= orange tabby cat wearing black and white jacket

Keyboard Navigability

Enhance Keyboard Navigation for Improved User Experience

By designing websites with keyboard navigation in mind, you provide an inclusive browsing experience, allowing users with disabilities, motor impairments, or personal preferences to access and interact with your content easily.

Language

Language Identification

By using the lang attribute appropriately, you enhance the accessibility of your website by ensuring that assistive technologies and language-specific features can properly interpret and present the content

<html lang="en">

...

<p>We must worry about accessibility.<p>

<p lang="es">Deberíamos preocuparnos por la accesibilidad.<p>

Forms

Assertive Forms

Don't

Rely solely on color for indicating errors: Avoid using color as the sole means of indicating errors in your form. While using color, such as red, can be helpful, it should be accompanied by additional visual cues or descriptive error messages.
Use excessive form fields: Avoid overwhelming users with an excessive number of form fields. Keep your forms concise and only ask for the necessary information. Long forms with too many fields can discourage users from completing the form.

Provide labels for your inputs: This is an essential practice that improves form accessibility and usability. By providing clear labels for your form inputs, users can easily understand the purpose of each field and provide the required information.
Provide descriptive error messages: When form submission fails, display clear and specific error messages that explain what went wrong and how to fix it. Avoid generic error messages that do not provide useful information to the user.

Aria

Accessible Rich Internet Applications

ARIA is a set of special attributes for accessibility that can be added to any markup language, but is especially suited for HTML.

<div>

  <button

   type="button"

   id="toggleButton"

   aria-controls="content"

   aria-expanded="false"

   <span>

     What is ARIA?

   </span>

   <span>

     <i class="ph-bold ph-caret-down"></i>

   </span>

 </button>

</div>

<div aria-hidden="true">

<p>

    By utilizing ARIA attributes and roles, developers can improve the accessibility..

  </p>

</div

Tests

Accessibility Tests

Accessibility tests help ensure that websites or applications are usable and accessible.

Automated Tests

Use automated accessibility testing tools to identify common accessibility issues and ensure compliance with accessibility standards. These tools can scan your website and provide you with a detailed report of accessibility violations and suggestions for improvement.

Manual Testing

Manual testing involves evaluating your website's accessibility by using assistive technologies, such as screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and other accessibility tools. It allows you to experience your website from the perspective of users with disabilities and uncover issues that automated tests may miss.