Website Accessibility in 2024: Did you know? What is web accessibility? Website accessibility is the practice of making websites usable for all live visitors, including those with disabilities. This includes people with physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, speech, and neurological disabilities. This means ensuring that people who experience difficulties or limitations have the same or a similar experience as those who do not.
Website accessibility is very important for a number of reasons. Showeblogin finds mainly two reasons to make your site accessible to everyone. The first one is that, it is a matter of civil rights. Because, people with disabilities have the same right to access information and services available online as anyone else. Second, website accessibility is good for business and profession.
By making our website accessible to a wider audience, we can reach more potential customers and clients. You may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for creating high quality AI SEO content and making your site accessible to everyone.
Web Content Accessibility
Website SEO content accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. By making web content accessible, we can help ensure that everyone has equal access to the information and services they need.
Making web content accessible is not only important for people with disabilities. It also benefits older adults, people with limited technology skills, and people using mobile devices. That is why, Showeblogin suggest each and every website owner and web developers to make site accessible to everyone.
If you are a web developer, there are many resources available to help you make your websites more accessible. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) website is a good place to start. You can also find accessibility tools and plugins for many popular web development platforms including WordPress website.
If you are a website owner, you can make sure you create website that is accessible to all. Showeblogin recommends to comply with ADA law and conform with WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 guidelines at every step of your web accessibility journey. You can also have your website tested by a qualified accessibility auditor.
Web Content SEO Accessibility Check
Accessibility involves a wide range of disabilities, including visual, physical, auditory, cognitive, speech, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.
To do a quick SEO accessibility check, you can follow these steps:
- Check your page titles and meta descriptions. Make sure they are clear, concise, and accurately describe the content of your page. Keyword research and use only relevant keywords, but avoid keyword stuffing.
- Check your headings. Use heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content and make it easier for search engines to understand.
- Check your images. Add alternative text (alt text) to all of your images. Alt text is a brief description of the image that is read by screen readers. Read Showeblogin image SEO guide.
- Check your links. Make sure your links are clear and descriptive. Avoid using generic link text like “click here”. You may prefer to go through internal link SEO, External link SEO and Backlink SEO best practice.
- Check your keyboard accessibility. Make sure your website can be navigated using only a keyboard. This is important for users who cannot use a mouse.
- Consistent Design: Use a consistent design throughout your website. This will make it easier for users to navigate your site, regardless of their ability.
- Fonts and Colors: Use large fonts and high contrast colors. This will make your content easier to read for users with visual impairments.
- Animated Images: Avoid using animations and flashing images. These can be triggering for users with certain disabilities.
- Video and Audio Content: Provide captions and transcripts for all video and audio content. This will make your content accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Once you have completed your SEO accessibility check, make any necessary changes to your website. Then, retest your website to make sure that the changes have resolved the issues.
By following these tips, you can make your website more accessible to all users and improve your SEO at the same time.
Website Accessibility Tools
Website accessibility check tools are tools that can help you to identify and fix accessibility issues on your website. This is important because it can help you to improve the user experience for people with disabilities, and it can also help you to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Website accessibility check tools are used to identify and evaluate accessibility issues on websites. These tools can help to ensure that websites are accessible to people with disabilities, such as those who are blind, low vision, deaf, or hard of hearing, or have other mobility or cognitive impairments.
To use a website accessibility check tool, simply enter the URL of the website you want to test. The tool will then scan the website and generate a report of any accessibility issues it finds. The report will typically include a list of the issues, as well as instructions on how to fix them.
It is important to note that website accessibility check tools are not a substitute for manual testing. While these tools can identify many common accessibility issues, they may not be able to identify all issues, especially those that are more complex. It is always a good idea to have a person with a disability test your website to ensure that it is truly accessible.
You can also use a variety of tools to help you with your SEO accessibility check. Some popular tools includes the following:
Accessibility Insights
Accessibility Insights (www.accessibilityinsights.io) is a set of tools that help developers find and fix accessibility issues in web apps and Windows apps. It is a free and open-source project developed by Microsoft.
Accessibility Insights for Web is a browser extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux computers. It provides two primary features:-
- FastPass
- Automated checks
- Tab stops
- Assessment
- Automated checks
- Manual tests
Accessibility Insights for Windows is a desktop app that runs on Windows computers. It provides three primary features:-
- Live Inspect
- FastPass
- Troubleshooting
UserWay
UserWay (www.userway.org) is a digital accessibility company that provides a suite of tools to help businesses make their websites and online platforms accessible to people with disabilities. UserWay’s products and services are used by over 1 million websites worldwide, including many Fortune 500 companies.
UserWay is a good option for businesses that are looking for a comprehensive and affordable way to make their websites and online platforms accessible to people with disabilities.
Accessibility Checker
The Accessibility Checker (www.accessibilitychecker.org) by Intent Based is a valuable tool for any website owner who wants to ensure that their website is accessible to all users. It is especially important for websites that are subject to accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States.
This makes it easy to identify and fix accessibility problems, even for those who are not technical experts. Here are some of the features of the Accessibility Checker by Intent Based:
- It is free to use.
- It is easy to use.
- It is compliant with WCAG 2.1.
- It generates detailed reports of accessibility issues.
- It provides guidance on how to fix accessibility issues.
If you are serious about making your website accessible to all users, I encourage you to try Accessibility Checker.
Cynthia Says
Cynthia Says is a web accessibility evaluation tool that helps you identify and fix accessibility issues on your website. It is developed by the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) at WGBH Boston. Cynthia Says is available as a free online tool and as a paid commercial product.
Cynthia Says evaluates your website for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, which are the international standards for web accessibility. Please note that Cynthia Says™ only allows for one page from the St Andrews domain (www.st-andrews.ac.uk) to be submitted per minute.
aXe
Axe DevTools (www.deque.com/axe/devtools) is a free and open-source web accessibility testing tool developed by Deque Systems. It is one of the most popular and widely used accessibility testing tools in the world.
aXe can be used to identify accessibility issues in web pages, mobile applications, and other digital content. aXe works by analyzing the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code of a web page to identify potential accessibility issues. It can also detect issues with the dynamic behavior of a web page, such as focus management and keyboard navigation.
aXe is available as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It can also be used as a command-line tool or integrated into development tools and continuous integration (CI) pipelines.
Siteimprove
Siteimprove (www.siteimprove.com) Website Accessibility Tool is used by a variety of organizations, including government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses of all sizes.
Siteimprove Website Accessibility Tool is a software solution that helps organizations improve the accessibility of their websites and PDFs. It provides automated testing for a wide range of accessibility issues, including:
- Color contrast
- Form accessibility
- Image alt text
- Keyboard accessibility
- Screen reader compatibility
- Structural markup
- WCAG compliance
AccessiBe
AccessiBe (www.accessibe.com) uses a combination of machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify and fix accessibility issues automatically. The accessiBe report is divided into three main sections viz. Accessibility score, Critical issues and Minor issues.
To perform an accessiBe web accessibility check, simply go to the accessiBe official website and enter the URL of your website. The tool will then scan your website for accessibility issues and generate a report that highlights the problems it finds.
Lighthouse
Google Lighthouse is a free tool that can be used to audit the performance, accessibility, and SEO of your website. It provides a detailed report of any issues that it finds, along with recommendations for how to fix them.
UsableNET
UsableNET (www.usablenet.com) is a paid tool that offers a variety of accessibility testing and monitoring features. It can also help you to identify and fix SEO issues on your website.
WAVE
WAVE (www.wave.webaim.org) is a free online tool that can be used to scan your website for accessibility issues. It provides a detailed report of any issues that it finds, along with recommendations for how to fix them.
Once you have chosen a website accessibility check tool, be sure to use it regularly to test your website for accessibility issues. This will help you to ensure that your website is accessible to everyone.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the international standard for web accessibility. They provide a set of guidelines for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Here we have summarized the WCAG for the beginner:
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
Text Alternatives: Text alternatives for non-text content are descriptions of what the non-text content is and what it conveys. It can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.
Here are some examples of how to provide text alternatives for different types of non-text content:
- Images: Include descriptive alt text for all images.
- Videos: Provide captions and transcripts for all videos.
- Audio recordings: Provide transcripts for all audio recordings, such as podcasts and interviews.
- Charts and graphs: Provide text descriptions of charts and graphs.
- Interactive content: Provide text alternatives for all interactive content, such as forms and quizzes. For example, you could provide a text alternative for a submit button that says “Submit this form.”
Time-based Media: Alternatives for time-based media are text-based (but not necessarily text-only) documents that present the same information as the time-based media. They are important for making content accessible to people who are deaf, blind, or have other disabilities that make it difficult for them to consume time-based media.
Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure. Here are some tips to do that:
- Start with a clear outline.
- Use headings and subheadings to break up your text.
- Use clear and concise language.
- Use examples and illustrations to support your points.
- Use visuals, such as infographics, charts, and images, to break up your text and make your content more visually appealing.
Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.
Use sufficient color contrast between text and background. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18px or 14px bold).
Make sure that audio is loud enough to hear, but not so loud that it is jarring. Provide captions and transcripts for audio content.
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable.
Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard. Keyboard focus is a visual indicator that shows which element on a page or screen has the keyboard focus. Users can use the Tab key to move the keyboard focus between different elements.
Use keyboard shortcuts to provide shortcuts to common actions. Keyboard-accessible controls are controls that can be operated using the keyboard. For example, input fields, buttons, and menus should all be keyboard-accessible.
If you are unable to perform any actions using only the keyboard, then your website or app is not keyboard-accessible and you need to make changes.
Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content. There are a number of ways to provide users enough time to read and use content. Here are a few tips:
- Avoid time limits
- Provide pause, stop, and hide controls
- Provide adjustable time limits
- Provide clear and concise instructions
- Test your content with users.
Seizures and Physical Reactions: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions.
Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
Input Modalities: Make it easier for users to operate functionality through various inputs beyond keyboard.
Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
Readable: Make text content readable and understandable.
Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes.
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. Some examples of assistive technologies include screen readers, which read text aloud to blind users; speech recognition software, which allows users to control their computers with their voice; and braille displays, which allow blind users to read and write braille.
To maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies, you should:-
- Use valid and well-formed markup.
- Provide transcripts for all audio and video content.
- Use standard HTML controls and elements whenever possible.
- Provide descriptive labels for all form controls and other interactive elements.
- Use appropriate ARIA roles and states to describe the purpose and behavior of custom elements.
- Provide captions for all video content.
- Use CSS to style your content instead of JavaScript.
- Avoid using images to convey important information.
This is known as the Robustness Principle of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and 2.2.