Web Design Agency in Toronto Shares 10 Website Accessibility Best Practices
Being accessible to every potential user seems an obvious goal when building a website, but it’s often overlooked, despite its many user experience (UX), SEO, and other benefits. Without optimizing for accessibility, a website can isolate millions of users who have vision, hearing, cognitive, or other disabilities. Website accessibility best practices are key to creating inclusive digital spaces.
16% of the world’s population lives with a significant disability. Taking steps to remove barriers preventing differently abled people from accessing a website not only broadens your audience but also enhances overall usability and compliance.
| As Curtis Priest, CEO of Pixelcarve says, “Web accessibility is not just about creating great experiences for users, it’s about making sure every user can access a great experience.” |
Let’s explore what web accessibility is, who it serves, who it benefits, and top practices being used today to make websites accessible to all, with insights from a leading Toronto web design agency.
What is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility means designing websites so that all users, including those with disabilities, can easily navigate and interact with them. It’s not just about creating a masterful customer journey or amazing CX. It’s about ensuring everyone, regardless of their abilities, has equal access to the content and features on a website.
Web accessibility has its roots in the early development of the internet, but it gained significant traction in the late 1990s with the introduction of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines set the standard for ensuring websites are accessible to people with disabilities.
Many countries now have legal requirements for web accessibility, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S. and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in Canada, which mandate that websites must be accessible to avoid legal penalties.
Examples of these requirements include:
- Adding alt text to images
- Providing captions for video and audio content
- Ensuring full navigation for keyboard users
Why is Web Accessibility Necessary?
Web accessibility is crucial because it ensures that everyone, regardless of ability, can access and interact with digital content. People with disabilities often face significant challenges when using the web, which can lead to exclusion from essential services, information, and opportunities that others take for granted.
Many differently abled people become caught in what’s known as the digital divide, the gap between those who have access to the internet and digital technologies and those who do not.
For individuals with disabilities, this divide is even more pronounced. When websites are not accessible, it reinforces this divide, leaving millions of users without equal access to information, education, and essential services like online banking, shopping, and healthcare.
Types of disabilities that make accessing websites challenging:
- Vision disabilities: 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment. Users who are blind or have low vision may struggle to interpret content without screen readers, while poor color contrast can hinder those with color blindness.
- Hearing disabilities: Individuals with hearing impairments miss out on vital information when videos lack captions or transcripts.
- Motor disabilities: Users with limited mobility may find it difficult to navigate sites that rely heavily on mouse interaction, especially if no keyboard alternatives are available.
- Cognitive disabilities: Complex layouts, inconsistent navigation, or dense information can overwhelm users with conditions like ADHD or memory impairments.
- Learning disabilities: People with dyslexia or similar disorders may have trouble reading poorly structured text or content that lacks visual clarity.
How Can You Improve the Accessibility of a Website? 10 Web Accessibility Best Practices
Improving website accessibility ensures a more inclusive experience for all users. Implementing these best practices will not only help your site comply with legal standards but also enhance usability for a broader audience.
1. Provide Alt Text for Images
Ensure all images have descriptive alt text to help visually impaired users understand the content through screen readers.
2. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility
Make sure all website functionality can be accessed and navigated using only a keyboard. This is vital for users with motor disabilities.
3. Use Sufficient Color Contrast
Text and background colors should have high contrast (minimum 4.5:1 ratio for normal text) to be readable for users with low vision or color blindness.
4. Add Captions and Transcripts to Media
Videos should include captions, and audio content should have transcripts to assist users with hearing impairments.
5. Create Accessible Forms
Provide clear labels, instructions, and error messages for all form fields. Ensure that forms are easy to navigate using assistive technologies.
6. Use Descriptive Links
Avoid generic link text like “click here.” Instead, use descriptive text that clearly conveys the destination or purpose of the link
7. Structure Content with Headings
Organize content with proper headings (
, , etc.) to help users with screen readers navigate and understand the page hierarchy.
8. Design for Mobile Accessibility
Ensure your website is responsive and accessible on mobile devices, with text that can be zoomed and buttons that are easy to interact with.
9. Minimize Flashing and Animations
Avoid using rapidly flashing content or excessive animations, which can cause discomfort or seizures for certain users.
10. Use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) Appropriately
ARIA roles and attributes enhance the accessibility of complex, dynamic content by helping screen readers and other assistive technologies understand interactive elements.
However, ARIA should only be used when native HTML elements can’t accomplish the task, as misusing ARIA can create more accessibility issues.
Benefits Beyond Accessibility: How Web Accessibility Boosts Business
Of the top 1 million web pages in the world, over 96% do not meet current accessibility requirements. However, businesses that prioritize web accessibility not only create inclusive online experiences but also gain substantial business advantages.
Let’s explore a few ways these benefits extend beyond accessibility.
Improved SEO
Accessible websites often perform better in search engine rankings. Techniques like using alt text for images, providing transcripts for videos, and having structured content with headings make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your site. As a result, accessibility practices directly contribute to better visibility and organic traffic.
Enhanced User Experience
Web accessibility enhances UX by making websites easier to navigate for everyone. Clean layouts, clear navigation, and text that’s readable across devices create a smoother, more intuitive user experience. An accessible site benefits all users, not just those with disabilities, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement.
Broader Market Reach
When websites are accessible, they open the door to a larger audience. By accommodating users with disabilities, businesses can tap into a previously underserved market. This can lead to higher conversions, customer loyalty, and positive brand reputation as your site becomes welcoming to all.
Avoid Non-Compliance Risks
The consequences of not having a website compliant with accessibility regulations are increasing, with significant legal and financial ramifications. In addition to providing comfortable experiences to all users, using best accessibility practices can save you from paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
Choose Web Design Services in Toronto with Accessibility in Mind
When it comes to web accessibility, it’s never too early – or too late – to get started. Whether you’re building a new website or refreshing an existing one, implementing and improving web accessibility is always a good idea.
At Pixelcarve, we are committed to web designs created with the user in mind. This means web accessibility is considered in every project. With over 26 years of experience as a top web design firm, we know how to build digital experiences that every one of your users can access and enjoy.
To learn more about our web design services in Toronto, request a free consultation.
