Building an Accessible Website: What This Means
As you go through the process of designing a website, you will see that there are a lot of moving parts involved. You need to make sure that your website is attractive to search engines, and you must make sure it loads quickly. On the other hand, you also need to think about individuals with disabilities. There is a chance that someone with a disability might need to interact with your website. In that case, you must make sure it loads quickly and responds appropriately. If you use a tool such as accessiBe, you will make it easier for someone with a disability to interact with your website. What does it mean for you to build an accessible website?
- Always Have Alternatives To Images and Media
If you are thinking about search engine optimization, you have probably thought about different images and media you can use. This is important for making sure your website stand out from the crowd, but you need to have alternatives available. For example, there are some people who might not be able to see images on your website. That is where having a meta description is helpful. Someone can use a screen reader to read through the description and interpret the information conveyed by the image.
There is also a chance that you might have a video that plays on your website. There is a chance that someone might not be able to see the video, so make sure the audio is still clear. That way, someone can listen to the video as it plays. Furthermore, if someone cannot hear the information in the video, make sure you have captions that load. That way, they still have the opportunity to read through the captions.
Captions are also important for interviews. There is a chance that you may have an audio interview on your website that is important to the products and services you provide. If someone cannot listen to the audio interview, make sure they can still read the captions.
- Give Your Users To Ability to Control When Automatic Content Starts
Do you have a carousel design? This is a popular design option that a lot of modern websites use. Unfortunately, this also means that some of the content may play automatically. Keep in mind that people with disabilities might take longer to interact with your website. You do not want the content to play automatically if they have not had time to interact with the content that is already in front of them. Instead of assuming that everyone wants the content to start automatically, make sure there are controls available. You might want to use image sliders, play and pause buttons, and other features that can make it easier for people to interact with your website design. Do not forget to rely on accessiBe reviews that can help you understand how important it is to give uers the ability control automatics content with these controls.
- Give Options for Different Font Sizes
Finally, you need to present your visitors with different options for various font sizes. You may have one font size on a phone and another font size on a computer. You need to make sure that your website adjusts based on the platform that someone is using. On the other hand, some people with disabilities may also have their own preferences. People with visual disabilties might want to make the font larger to make it easier for them to see everything on the screen. You must make sure that you present your visitors with options for various font sizes. That way, they can see your information clearly.
Build a Website That Is Accessible To Everyone
Building a website is no easy task, and it is not something you need to handle on your own. You might want to reach out to an expert who can help you navigate the process of building an accessible website. That way, you can make sure that nothing is overlooked. Keep in mind that there are also tools you can use that can help you address common mistakes that people frequently overlook. Remember that you also need to build an accessible website because you do not want to open yourself up to the risk of litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.