How to Make Your Website Accessible for Everyone

Creating an accessible website is not just about making your content available to as many people as possible,it’s about ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can easily access and navigate your site. Accessibility in web design refers to the practice of making websites usable by people with a variety of disabilities, such as visual, auditory, or motor impairments. By incorporating accessibility best practices, you help solve common challenges for users, making your site inclusive and ensuring that all visitors have a positive experience. At Web Design Denver, we believe that accessibility should be a priority for every website, especially as digital inclusion becomes increasingly important in today’s world.

What is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility means ensuring that your site is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Disabilities can range from visual impairments (e.g., blindness, low vision) to auditory disabilities (e.g., deafness) and motor impairments (e.g., difficulty using a mouse). In simple terms, accessibility in web design involves making your content and functionality usable regardless of a person’s physical limitations or the devices they are using.

Key aspects of website accessibility include:

• Visual Accessibility: Making sure that visually impaired users can access your content through screen readers or other assistive technologies.
• Auditory Accessibility: Offering alternatives like captions for videos, or audio descriptions for those with hearing impairments.
• Motor Accessibility: Designing user interfaces that can be navigated with a keyboard or alternative devices, not just a mouse.

By making your website accessible, you ensure that you are inclusive, increase the usability of your site, and help meet legal requirements for accessibility (such as the ADA or WCAG standards).

Why is Website Accessibility Essential for Your Website?

Making your website accessible is not just the right thing to do it also benefits your business and brand in several important ways:

1. Expands Your Audience: Accessibility enables a larger group of users to interact with your website. By reaching people with disabilities, you expand your target audience, potentially attracting new customers or clients. 
2. Improves SEO: Accessible websites often perform better in search engine rankings. Many accessibility features, like proper use of HTML tags and alternative text for images, align with SEO best practices, making your website easier for search engines to index. 
3. Legal Compliance: In many regions, websites are legally required to be accessible to people with disabilities. Compliance with accessibility guidelines (e.g., WCAG) can help you avoid potential lawsuits or fines. 
4. Enhanced User Experience (UX): Accessibility improves the overall user experience for everyone. Features like easy navigation, text resizing, and voice commands can enhance the site’s usability, making it easier for users to interact with your site, regardless of ability. 
5. Improves Conversion Rates: Accessible websites are more user-friendly, which means visitors are more likely to stay on your site longer and complete the actions you want, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. 

Key Features of an Accessible Website

To make your website fully accessible, there are several key features and components that you should integrate into your design:

1. Alternative Text for Images: Use descriptive alt text for all images on your site. Alt text allows screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users, making your content more accessible. 
2. Keyboard Navigation: Ensure your website can be fully navigated using a keyboard alone. This includes allowing users to tab between interactive elements (links, buttons, forms) without needing a mouse. 
3. Color Contrast: High contrast between text and background makes content more readable for users with visual impairments. Ensure that your text contrasts well against the background, especially for body text and headings. 
4. Captions and Transcripts for Multimedia: Provide captions for videos and audio descriptions for any multimedia content. Transcripts of audio or video content allow users with hearing impairments to access the information. 
5. Clear and Simple Navigation: Keep navigation consistent and intuitive. Use clear headings, menus, and breadcrumb navigation to guide users, especially those using screen readers. 
6. Accessible Forms: Label each form field clearly and ensure that users can navigate through forms with ease, using only a keyboard. Include error messages that are descriptive and easy to understand. 

Best Practices for Making Your Website Accessible

Incorporating accessibility into your web design requires thoughtful planning and execution. Here are some best practices that will help you create a more accessible website:

1. Follow WCAG Guidelines: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the industry standard for web accessibility. These guidelines cover a wide range of accessibility concerns, including text alternatives for images, audio content, color contrast, and navigability. Ensuring your website complies with WCAG standards will help make it accessible to a broader audience. 
2. Conduct Regular Accessibility Audits: Regularly test your website using accessibility tools like WAVE or Axe to identify potential issues. These audits help you spot areas of your website that may need improvement. 
3. Make Navigation Keyboard-Friendly: For users with motor disabilities, ensure that all interactive elements can be accessed and controlled using a keyboard. Test keyboard navigation regularly to make sure it’s smooth and efficient. 
4. Test with Assistive Technologies: Regularly test your site with popular assistive technologies like screen readers (e.g., JAWS, NVDA) and voice control tools. This will help ensure that users with disabilities can easily interact with your site. 
5. Avoid Flash and Auto-Play Elements: Flash and auto-play videos can be difficult for users with disabilities to control. Avoid using these elements or make them easily stoppable for users. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Website Accessibility

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to make mistakes when implementing accessibility. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

1. Neglecting to Test Across Devices and Browsers: Accessibility issues can vary between devices and browsers. Make sure your website is compatible across all platforms and that your accessibility features work consistently. 
2. Using Poor Color Choices: Using colors that are too similar can make text hard to read for people with color blindness. Use color contrast tools to ensure your design meets accessibility standards. 
3. Overlooking Accessible Forms: Forms are often an overlooked aspect of web accessibility. Ensure that every form field is clearly labeled and provides error messages that are easy to understand. 
4. Ignoring Mobile Accessibility: With mobile usage on the rise, it’s essential to ensure that your mobile site is as accessible as your desktop version. Use a mobile-first design strategy to optimize accessibility across devices. 

Conclusion

Making your website accessible is essential for creating an inclusive, user-friendly experience. By adhering to web accessibility best practices, you expand your reach, improve SEO, and ensure that your website complies with legal requirements. Remember, a well-designed, accessible website enhances the user experience for everyone, not just people with disabilities.

If you’re ready to make your website more accessible and inclusive, follow these best practices and ensure that your site reaches the widest audience possible. Start optimizing your site for better accessibility today and create an experience that everyone can enjoy.