What is Accessibility?
Before you can confidently understand how to promote accessibility within web design, you'll need to be clear on what accessibility is. The main goal of creating an accessible environment is to allow equal access for those who may have a disability or limitation of some kind. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 10% of the world's population lives with a disability of some form. To put that into perspective, 10 out of every 100 people that visit your site would be unable to access it appropriately if there were no available accommodations. Ultimately, this means that there is a fairly significant chance that you could lose potential customers.
Some of the most common areas that inhibit adequate access to everyday elements are visual, auditory, cognitive, physical, and speech disabilities. In web design, we know how vital it is to be able to visually see the text on the screen. But for those without sight, how do we compensate? This critical question leads us to the following topic: how we can accommodate disabilities in web design.
Visual Accessibility
Approximately 285 million people are impacted by visual disabilities worldwide. If you think about it, that's a whole lot of people who could have trouble accessing the information on your site. Even within visual impairments, there is a wide range of disabilities, which can complicate things even further. For example, let's say you've put months of work into developing a neutral, super simplified color scheme for your website. Although this design might appeal to most, an impaired user that attempts to read the text might not be able to see anything at all if the text color is too close to the background color.
Another important consideration to make when accommodating your site visually involves the presence of flashing lights or a strobing effect. Some users are not only sensitive to this form of light exposure, but it can even induce seizures. Because of this, it is vital to include some sort of warning or disclaimer prior to entering the site. As funky and eye-catching as these additions can be, they present a real danger to some groups of people.
For users with visual impairments, there will need to be intentional accommodations in place that allows for equal access to the information. Some of the most powerful ways to make your web design visually accessible are by providing sharp contrasts between texts and backgrounds, including toggles for text adjustment, and using explicitly clear labels for any clickable buttons. When screen readers verbalize your site's text, it is essential that users can understand where to navigate without the same amount of context that a visually able person would have.
One more fantastic and easy-to-implement tool is the use of headings. This seems obvious enough, but you'd be surprised how many web designs neglect to include this. For those that rely on a screen reader to verbalize the page's content, it saves immense amounts of time and energy to hear the headline first and then decide if they are on the correct page or not. For example, imagine you're looking for the services page, and you have to sit through five minutes of audio just to find out you've landed on the about us page... Not exactly ideal.
Auditory Accessibility
For users that experience auditory impairments, the methods you can take to improve accessibility are actually quite simple. In fact, many web designers may be including auditory accessibility without even knowing they're doing so. What a lovely surprise, right?
Within any effective web design, there will be a call to action. In many cases, this can be a phone number, an email, or a chatbox to use for contact purposes. For users that are either deaf or hard of hearing, phone calls are typically inaccessible. It is crucial to ensure there are multiple modalities of communication so that users of all levels of ability can get a hold of your business.
If your web designs include any sort of video or audio, subtitles are the perfect way to accommodate auditory disabilities. Specialized platforms, like accessiBE, will provide ADA-compliant subtitles for your videos, including background noise descriptions and time-synchronized text. This can streamline the entire process and promote a feeling of inclusivity within your website. Another route you can consider is summarizing the points made within the video in the form of text underneath, where it's easy to find. Either way, those with auditory processing issues will be able to access the information and take action in the same way that those without any disabilities would.
Physical Accessibility
While physical disability is a broad term that could take on many different meanings, the implications for website accessibility tend to refer to motor function. Basically, this means that users may not be able to use a mouse or cell phone in the same way that others can. Because of this, keyboard navigation is the number one most important tool you can utilize in your web design. This function allows users to move freely throughout the site by simply hitting the tab button. This is an essential tool for users who struggle with hand-eye coordination or fine motor skills.
In addition to the keyboard navigation tool, your design should include an element that tells users where they are currently at. Without proper highlighting or illumination of the toggles, there is no way for the user to know which one they're actually on. You can imagine how frustrating it might be to need to get to the contact page, but every time you click, you end up on the home page yet again. Bold, contrasting highlights or shadows should be present as they navigate with their keyboard to help mitigate this potential issue.
Cognitive Accessibility
Clarity is key when it comes to making your site accessible for those with cognitive disabilities. Some commonly experienced issues for these users are increased confusion, inability to focus or multitask, and trouble processing information. Streamlining your content can make a world of difference for these users. One commonly seen method to accomplish this is by utilizing a neatly organized navigation bar at the top of your webpage. Users can clearly see where they need to go to move about the site, and they can continue to come back to it if they reach a point of confusion.
One of the many popular design trends as of late involves a minimalistic feel. Many web designers opt for clean, simplified interfaces that eliminate unnecessary visuals or information. Believe it or not, this is also considered a form of accessibility for users with cognitive disabilities. Simplification of web design allows for a decreased risk of sensory overload and increases users' ability to focus. When you eliminate all of the unnecessary information, you can guide users to your call to action quicker and more effectively.
Those with cognitive disabilities like ADHD certainly have a decreased focus time. Still, a recent study showed that the average adult could only focus for a measly 8 seconds. So even though your accessibility might be designed for those with specific disabilities, it's actually going to improve the successful use of your website for all users.
A great example of this could be a user with ADHD. If the interface is filled with bright contrasting colors, pop-ups, and excess jargon, the opportunity to find and access the information is dramatically decreased. On top of that, maintaining a consistent theme throughout the entire site can help users with cognitive disabilities by eliminating the need for them to reorient themselves on each new page. This consistency is a helpful tool, and honestly, your website will flow better for all users as a result.
Evaluate Accessibility Early and Often
Even if you've gone ahead and implemented all of the measures mentioned, it's important to actively enter the web design on your own to ensure it is working properly. The smallest of details could impact user ability, so the more frequently you're checking in, the better. When things slip through the cracks, it can be easier for potential customers to walk away.
If, after reading this, you're feeling overwhelmed and the concept of integrating accessibility into your web design seems like a challenge you aren't prepared to take on yourself, there are plenty of incredible resources that can help. AccessiBE is a web accessibility solution that has become an innovator within the market. Their goal is to cultivate an inclusive environment within the virtual community, and they've already managed to help thousands of websites increase their accessibility through their platform. AccessiBE even offers a free auditing tool that can tell you immediately if your site is compliant with ADA and WCAG regulations. Their easy-to-use system can help you improve your web design and create a site usable by all visitors.
When it comes to making your web design accessible for those with any form of disability, clarity is going to be your most important consideration. You'll need to be explicitly clear regarding how to move about the interface. Users should never have to try to guess or spend a significant amount of time figuring out how to navigate your site. If this is the case, the likelihood that they will admit defeat and exit the site is pretty high. Because of this, you want to do everything in your power to ensure all areas of the site are easy to locate and navigate.
