Let’s talk about the C Word
The C Word.
A word that could be offensive to some of your visitors when they come to your website. If I found it on your website right now, you would be shocked and embarrassed to say the least! You would feel terrible that so many people had read it and just left without you ever knowing about it.
That is what happens when you use it on your website without giving it a second thought.
I now want to give you that second thought.
I am talking about Click Here. You see it everywhere:
“CLICK HERE to sign up for our newsletter”
“CLICK HERE to read our latest blog”
“CLICK HERE to see our special offers”
Imagine you are blind and you use a screen reader. You are told to “Click Here”. Click where? I do not know where “Here” is because I cannot see the web page.
It is like going into a meeting full of people, all siting down. You give a stirring speech that gets everyone excited and here is your rallying cry:
“Do you BELIEVE in this? Do you WANT this? Then STAND UP NOW!”
Except there are some people there who are wheelchair users who cannot stand up. How do you think they feel?
Here is an alternative
So, you could say this instead?
“Do you BELIEVE in this? Do you WANT this? Then STAND UP NOW or RAISE YOUR HAND!”
Or
“Do you BELIEVE in this? Do you WANT this? Well, if you are able to, Stand up now, Raise Your Hand or Shout Out “YES”!
Do you see the difference? The message is the same but the words used are inclusive and not exclusive.
Let us go back to CLICK HERE. What can you use instead?
It is so easy. Use “follow this link” instead.
“follow this link to sign up for our newsletter”
“follow this link to read our latest blog”
“follow this link to see our special offers”
Just making that simple change immediately tells your visitors that you want to be inclusive. Even if your website has accessibility issues that might take a long time to resolve, this simple change will go a long, long way to telling your visitors that you really care about them.
Would you like to learn more?
I am running another Website Accessibility Workshop on Monday 1st June, 10:00 to 11:00am. This event is currently free to attend to the places are limited, so please register today.
Website Accessibility is an issue for every website, whether a public body or a private company. Come along and get a proper understanding of what it is, how it affects you, and the steps you need to take to ensure you comply with the law and give all your visitors equal access to your website.
Register now by following this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/events/websiteaccessibilityworkshop6795291578043777024/
If you were interested in finding out more about having an Accessibility Audit for your website, why not book yourself in for a free 15-minute conversation by following this link:
https://calendly.com/cliveloseby/accessibility-audit-free-initial-consultation
Clive Loseby
Access by Design and Run Your Own Website. Accessible Website Design, Chichester.
