It’s time to check your website for accessibility.
BY Jennifer Owers and Mark Rayman
What is accessibility?
For years, we’ve been telling our clients that websites need to be accessible as a part of their overall search engine optimization (SEO) strategy—but what exactly does that mean?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines web accessibility as how websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so people with disabilities can use them. This means as more people rely on the Internet to distribute information and tools, we need to ensure that everyone, including people of all abilities, can access it. Because of this, web accessibility is critical. It helps ensure that people with disabilities have the same access to information on the internet as everyone else. Web accessibility also helps meet 508 compliance, which is often a requirement of many businesses.
Does my site need to be accessible?
Yes! All websites require some level of accessibility—from A to AAA compliance. We recommend AA for routine use of your website by most people or for government websites, and AAA if you or your organization are trying to reach an audience that has developmental or physical disabilities that prevent them from using a website with ease.
How can I tell if my website is accessible?
Some indicators of an accessible website are:
- The use of clear and descriptive content, such as descriptive headings, alt tags (for images), and providing transcripts or captions for videos.
- High-contrast colors and easy-to-read fonts and graphics.
- Clear navigation and structure by using consistent menus, descriptive labels for links and buttons, and a logical reading order for the content.
- The use of accessible technology and tools (such as AccessiBe), ensuring compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Another great test is running your website through an accessibility checker. This will point out our areas for improvement and also give a baseline to compare improvement.
Get in touch with us to ensure your website meets W3C standards and is usable by all your audience members!