Creating a More Inclusive Internet
Access Audit And Accessibility Test Guide
In the ever-evolving digital world, ensuring your website is accessible to everyone is paramount. Creating a site that works for all users, including those with disabilities, is not a trend — it is a necessity. Inclusive web practices ensure that your digital presence is welcoming and usable by everyone. This guide provides tips and tricks for enhancing website accessibility, with a nod to the importance of meaningful accessibility test insights and local leadership in web practices.
Embracing The Basics Of Inclusive Website Practices
An inclusive approach begins with understanding the core principles that make a website usable. These principles ensure that your site is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Implementing these foundational elements ensures that your website can be easily navigated and understood by all users, including those using assistive technologies. These same principles form the backbone of every thorough accessibility test and access audit we deliver.
Use Semantic HTML
Semantic HTML involves using HTML elements for their given purpose as much as possible. This practice is crucial for screen readers to interpret and read the content correctly to users with visual impairments. For instance, using <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, and <footer> elements provides structure and meaning to your web content, making it more accessible.
Ensure Keyboard Navigation
Many users rely on keyboards, rather than a mouse, to navigate websites. Ensuring your site can be fully navigated using keyboard shortcuts is essential for accessibility. This means all interactive elements like links, buttons, and forms should be operable with keyboard commands alone.
Alt Text For Visual Content
Providing alternative text for images, videos, and other visual media allows users with visual impairments to understand the content through screen readers. Alt text should concisely describe the image or function it serves on the page, providing context and improving the user experience for everyone.
Create Accessible Forms
Forms are a crucial part of many websites, used for everything from search functions to online purchases. Labelling each form element clearly, providing instructions and error messages, and ensuring every form field is accessible via keyboard are key steps in creating accessible forms.
Ensure Sufficient Colour Contrast
Colour contrast is an often overlooked aspect of website accessibility. Ensuring high contrast between background and text colours makes your site readable for users with visual impairments, including colour blindness. Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker can help you evaluate and adjust the colour contrast on your site.
Advanced Accessibility Features
Beyond the basics, there are several advanced techniques and considerations that can further enhance the accessibility of your website.
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Landmarks
Use ARIA landmarks to define regions of the page (e.g., navigation, main content, search). This helps users with screen readers to navigate the site more efficiently, providing shortcuts to major sections of the page.
Responsive And Mobile-Friendly Design
With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets to access the web, ensuring your site is responsive and mobile-friendly is crucial for accessibility. A responsive design adapts to various screen sizes, making it easier for users with mobility impairments to access your site on any device.
Test With Real Users
One of the best ways to ensure your site is truly accessible is to conduct an accessibility test with real users, including people with disabilities. This provides far more insight than any automated tool and is essential when preparing for an access audit.
Implementing Accessibility With Local Developers
For those involved in digital work in and around Chichester, incorporating these accessibility tips and tricks is not just about compliance; it is about embracing a broader vision of inclusion. Local businesses and developers can lead by example, creating websites that welcome everyone and stand up to scrutiny when an access audit is performed.
Conclusion
Creating an accessible website is an ongoing journey, not a one-time task. By following these tips and tricks, digital professionals can ensure their sites are more inclusive, providing equal access to information and services for all users. Whether working in Chichester or anywhere else, prioritising accessibility improves usability for everyone, especially when confirmed through a proper accessibility test and supported by a documented access audit.
Caption: A clown in a black and white stripy jumper and wearing a hat is juggling apples
Would You Like To Find Out More?
If you would like to find out more about website accessibility, please follow these links:
- Discuss an access audit of your website
- Watch my TED Talk
- Find out more about how we conduct an accessibility test
- Book a 1-hour consultation on digital inclusion
- Learn how we test websites manually
- Read more about our inclusive design process
Clive Loseby
Access by Design
Beautiful, WCAG Compliant, Inclusive Website Development
Delivering Outstanding WCAG 2.2 Accessibility Reviews
Award-Winning Web Services in West Sussex
