Online accessibility: an essential strategy

Daniel Pearson at KnownHost explains the critical importance of enhancing website accessibility for all in the internet age

 

Websites are an essential resource as a gateway to information, services, and opportunities, but for internet users with a disability, accessing and navigating web pages can be a frustrating experience.

 

Online accessibility is an often-underappreciated struggle but ensuring that your website is fully accessible can be achieved by creating an inclusive online environment that caters to every individual, regardless of their abilities.

 

Here, I share five essential improvements and strategies website owners should consider enhancing their website user experience and accessibility to provide equal access for all.

 

Understand the importance of accessibility

It’s crucial for websites to be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities of all kinds.

 

It’s estimated 16 million people in the UK live with some form of disability, yet 90 percent of websites are deemed inaccessible to people with disabilities.

 

Accessibility is an important part of the design of a website and should be considered throughout the development process. It focuses on how a disabled person accesses or benefits from a site, system or application.

 

Accessible sites present information through multiple sensory channels, such as sound and sight and they allow for additional means of site navigation and interactivity beyond the typical point-and-click-interface like keyboard-based control and voice-based navigation.

 

The combination of a multisensory approach and a multi-interactivity approach allows disabled users to access the same information as nondisabled users.

 

By making a website accessible, businesses are ensuring all of their potential users, including people with disabilities, have a decent user experience and are able to easily access their information.

 

Beyond mere compliance, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and social responsibility not only empowers people with disabilities but also fosters a positive brand image and attracts a wider audience.

 

Conduct a website accessibility audit

Creating an accessible website not only improves the user experience for individuals with disabilities but also represents a substantial market opportunity. Globally, people with disabilities control over £9.7 trillion in disposable income.

 

By conducting comprehensive accessibility audits, website owners can identify barriers to and areas of improvement necessary to cater to this untapped market.

 

We recently conducted our own accessibility audit on the fifty most profitable eCommerce companies in the US. Only seven websites included scored a perfect 100/100 on the Google Lighthouse overall scores.

 

By present standards, Google Lighthouse scores below 70 should be considered to have poor website accessibility. Colour contrast issues and the number of small text scenarios were the most common issues found.

 

An accessibility audit involves an in-depth review of the website’s design, functionality and content, evaluating its compatibility with assistive technology and accessibility guidelines. The results of such audits serve as a foundation for creating a roadmap to a more inclusive website.

 

The earlier in the process that businesses can run an audit, the better. When preparing for a website redesign or migration, organisations should take advantage of this opportunity to integrate accessibility practices right from the start. It’s much less labour-intensive to prevent accessibility issues than it is to back and fix issues after publishing a website.

 

Some of the widely used features we enjoy today were in fact originally designed for people with disabilities, like autocomplete text and voice control functions on smartphones. So, by improving a site’s accessibility, it’s a great way to boost usability across the board.

 

Implement web content accessibility guidelines

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are the gold standard for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.

 

A recent report found that 96.3 percent of website home pages had WCAG failures. The most common failures include low-contrast text, missing alternative text for images and empty links.

 

While WCAG compliance is not a legal requirement, private businesses must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate people with disabilities under the Equality Act of 2010, so it would still benefit an organisation to strive for WCAG compliance.

 

As website hosting experts, we emphasise the importance of embracing these guidelines to create an inclusive online space.

 

The WCAG principles can be summarised into four main categories: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. To align websites with these principles, website owners should:

• Ensure all non-text content has suitable text alternatives, enabling screen readers to interpret images, videos, and other multimedia elements.
• Design websites with intuitive navigation and keyboard operability, allowing users to access all content without relying on a mouse.
• Employ clear and concise language, consistent formatting, and logical organisation to enhance content comprehension.
• Prioritise compatibility with different devices and assistive technologies, ensuring that websites remain functional and accessible across various platforms.

By aiming for WCAG, businesses in the UK can enjoy higher levels of user retention, better search engine positioning and an improved customer experience.

 

Accessibility enhancement

Practical guidance plays a crucial role in improving website accessibility.

 

Visual enhancements, such as providing sufficient colour contrast, alternative text for images, and resizable text, significantly contribute to improving accessibility for users with visual impairments. Do not rely on colour as a navigational tool or as the sole way to differentiate items.

 

Keyboard navigation is crucial for those who cannot use a mouse, so website owners should ensure that all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard input and tagged to work with voice-control systems.

 

Creating clear and concise content helps all users understand the information presented. Use headings, lists and descriptive texts to create an organised and understandable user experience for all visitors.

 

Also, incorporating multimedia accessibility, including providing captions and audio descriptions for videos, makes content accessible to individuals with hearing impairments.

 

Accessibility should overlap with other best practices like mobile web design, device independence, multi-modal interaction, usability, design for older users and search engine optimisation (SEO).

 

Testing and user feedback

In the pursuit of an inclusive online environment, thorough testing and user feedback are paramount. Website owners, designers and hosting experts should collaborate to create websites that cater to the diverse needs of their audience.

 

During website development, conducting usability tests with individuals with disabilities provides invaluable insights into potential barriers.

 

Beyond development, website owners should proactively seek user feedback to monitor ongoing accessibility improvements. Consulting individuals with disabilities is an essential step in understanding the unique challenges they face while navigating the web.

 

Their perspectives will guide website owners in making continuous enhancements, furthering the mission of creating a truly inclusive online space.

 

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Daniel Pearson is CEO at KnownHost

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com