98% of the web is not accessible to individuals with a disability.
This guide can help to make your website and social media presence more inclusive to those with disabilities.
98% of the web is not accessible to individuals with a disability.
This guide can help to make your website and social media presence more inclusive to those with disabilities.
Recent research has revealed that most websites in America do not meet accessibility requirements. In fact, from a legal perspective, 98% of the web is not accessible to individuals with a disability, according to a 2020 Web Accessibility Annual Report. This is in spite of the fact that at least 26 percent — about one in four — adults in the United States experience some form of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Major disability rights organizations in the United States, such as the Ruderman Family Foundation, have responded to these findings by calling for all national websites to become fully accessible by 2025, yet many of those responsible for managing those websites are unsure of where to begin. Whether you’re a blogger or business owner, you want to make sure that your online presence is useful and reachable for anyone who wants to visit your pages, including users with a disability. Fortunately, creating an accessible website or social media page does not need not to be difficult or costly.
This article will help you get started with a list of tips, as well as free resources to guide you through the process. Additionally, we’ve compiled tips from Accenture’s UI Designer and accessibility enthusiast, Nikki Kuhn, on how to design an accessible website. But first, let’s define online accessibility and explain its importance.
Accessibility focuses on the way a person with a disability can access or take advantage of a site, system, or application, according to Usability.gov. There are several ways that accessible online content is presented, such as through sound and sight. In addition, keyboard controls or voice navigation can also be utilized to enhance usability. In this way, users with disabilities can access the exact same information as others.
Consider the following reasons to better understand why accessibility is vital for your website and social media.
Trilogy Education Services, a 2U Inc. brand, recently hosted a Tech Talk titled “Designing for Accessibility,” which focused on the dos and don’ts of accessible design, how to conduct an accessibility review, and more best practices delivered by Accenture’s UI Designer, Nikki Kuhn. The following are some key tips that Nikki provided.
Choose Your Colors Carefully
Color contrast on your site is essential — it allows visitors to easily distinguish between various parts of the page. Ensure the hues and saturations of your palette are not too similar.
Make Your Forms Accessible
When your site includes a form, such as a sign-up form, you should make sure that each field is clearly labeled. Labels can help inform readers of what they’re expected to do.
Make Your Website Screen Reader-Ready
Screen readers read alt-text and header tags, so it’s important to make sure they are descriptive. Reading the text and viewing the image should deliver the same message.
Use Appropriate Font and Sizing
Justified text can make your content hard to read. It is important to ensure that your font is a legible size while avoiding decorative options. Try using EM or REM for font sizes.
Add Keyboard Navigation
Navigation can be a challenge for users with a disability. Keyboard accessibility allows users to navigate your site using arrows and tab keys rather than a mouse.
Follow WCAG Best Practices
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide standards and best practices for making your web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
Click here to view a more accessible version of these tips.
Some of these tips may require advanced knowledge of website development. We recommend contacting your webmaster or website builder for support in implementing these practices. However, if you are already proficient in web development and coding, the free resources below can help you get started.
We hope that you now have a better understanding of accessible design. Perhaps you are now wondering how to proceed with improving accessibility on your own site or social media accounts. The free resources below can help you get started with this and more. Free accessibility training resources are also provided to help you learn more about the theory and fundamentals of accessible design.
The inclusion of these resources is for educational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement by UT Austin Boot Camps.
The following section contains accessible information from the website tips widget in this post.
Website Tip 1: Choose Your Colors Carefully
Color contrast on your site is essential — it allows visitors to easily distinguish between various parts of the page. Ensure the hues and saturations of your palette are not too similar.
Website Tip 2: Make Your Forms Accessible
When your site includes a form, such as a sign-up form, you should make sure that each field is clearly labeled. Labels can help inform readers of what they’re expected to do.
Website Tip 3: Make Your Website Screen Reader-Ready
Screen readers read alt-text and header tags, so it’s important to make sure they are descriptive. Reading the text and viewing the image should deliver the same message.
Website Tip 4: Use Appropriate Font and Sizing
Justified text can make your content hard to read. It is important to ensure that your font is a legible size while avoiding decorative options. Try using EM or REM for font sizes.
Website Tip 5: Add Keyboard Navigation
Navigation can be a challenge for users with a disability. Keyboard accessibility allows users to navigate your site using arrows and tab keys rather than a mouse.
Website Tip 6: Follow WCAG Best Practices
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide standards and best practices for making your web content more accessible to people with disabilities.
The following section contains accessible information from the social media tips widget in this post.
Social Media Tip 1: Add Video Descriptions
If you frequently share videos on social media, consider incorporating live transcribed video, closed captions, descriptive audio, or a descriptive transcript.
Social Media Tip 2: Use Descriptive Image Captions
Image captions with descriptions and alternative text (also known as alt text) can help readers better visualize images even if they cannot see them.
Social Media Tip 3: Use Text With GIFs
Most social media platforms do not allow adding alt text to GIFs. Alternatively, you can add captions or text to describe the GIF.
Social Media Tip 4: Use Inclusive Language
You should avoid using terminology, tone, or phrases that suggest stereotyped or discriminatory views about particular people or groups.
Social Media Tip 5: Use Accessible Text
Screen reading technology does not do well with copy that includes emojis, special characters, or full caps. It is best to limit the use of these in your social media posts.
Social Media Tip 6: Capitalize First Letters in Hashtags
When using a hashtag, capitalizing the first letter of each word can make it easier for those with a screen reader to read and understand the text.
Free Resources to Help Make Your Social Media More Accessible