Having an accessible website is not only a technical issue, but also an ethical necessity and a key factor in improving the experience of all users.
Good web accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can use and navigate websites without difficulty, but also improves overall usability for any user, regardless of their technological abilities or limitations.
Today we want to give web accessibility the importance it deserves, the benefits it brings to both users and businesses, and the best practices that designers and developers can apply to ensure that their websites comply with accessibility standards.
What is web accessibility?
Web accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing websites so that they are usable for people with different types of disabilities, including visual, hearing, cognitive, speech, mobility and neurological disabilities.
It also covers the limitations that some users may have depending on the type of technology they use, such as older browsers, small screens or slow internet connections.
Web accessibility is based on standards established by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international organisation that develops guidelines such as the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), ATAG (Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines) and UAAG (User Agent Accessibility Guidelines).
👉 Find out: What is user-centred web design?
Why is web accessibility important?
An accessible website has many advantages that go beyond facilitating access for people with disabilities.
Social inclusion
Web accessibility is essential to ensure that all users, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, can access the information and services offered by a website. This reinforces the right of all people to participate fully in the digital society.
Regulatory compliance
More and more countries, including Spain, are adopting regulations to require websites to be accessible. For example, the European Union has the Web Accessibility Directive, which obliges public institutions to comply with web accessibility standards.
Improving SEO and overall site performance
Web accessibility does not only benefit users with disabilities. Many good accessibility practices, such as creating ‘alt’ tags for images or structuring HTML correctly, also help search engines to better understand the content of a page.
As a result, implementing web accessibility improves search engine optimisation (SEO).
Broader public outreach
By making a website accessible, the potential audience reach is extended. Approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, which represents a significant number of potential users who may feel excluded if a website is not designed with accessibility in mind.
Tips for improving web accessibility
The good news is that improving web accessibility doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some key recommendations for designers and developers to start applying to their projects.
Use alternative text for images
Images are an essential element on many web pages, but for visually impaired users they can be an obstacle. Be sure to provide a clear description of images using the ‘alt’ attribute in the HTML code.
Provides subtitles and transcripts for videos
Videos should be accessible to users with hearing disabilities. Including subtitles and providing transcripts of important dialogue and sounds is an excellent practice. Many video platforms already offer tools to create subtitles automatically, which makes this task easier.
Design understandable and easy-to-navigate interfaces.
Good organisation of information and simplicity in design are key to improving accessibility. Use hierarchical headings (H1, H2, H3…) to structure the content and provide clear navigation.
In addition, links should be descriptive and not limited to words such as ‘click here’.
Ensures colour contrast
Contrast between text and background is crucial for users with visual impairments, such as colour blindness. Make sure there is sufficient contrast between the colours so that the content is legible for everyone.
There are online tools such as the Contrast Checker that allow you to measure contrast easily.
Easy keyboard navigation
Not all users can use a mouse. Therefore, it is essential that your site is navigable only with the keyboard. This means making sure that interactive elements such as forms, drop-down menus and buttons are accessible using tab keys and other keyboard combinations.
Check accessibility with online tools
There are several tools that can be used to assess the level of accessibility of a website and offer suggestions for improvement, as mentioned above.
Some of the best known are WAVE, Lighthouse and AXE, which allow you to analyse the code and structure of the site and give you a report on possible accessibility problems.
Accessibility levels according to WAI
The WAI sets out three levels of conformance in its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG):
- Level A: This is the minimum level of accessibility, addressing basic problems that could prevent access to a web page.
- Level AA: This level includes the criteria of level A and adds requirements that improve accessibility for a wider range of people. It is the most recommended level and the one required by most standards.
- Level AAA: This is the highest level of accessibility. It is recommended for websites that need to be accessible to all people, including those with more severe disabilities. However, it is not always possible to meet all the criteria of this level for all websites.
Doowebs, experts in web accessibility implementation
Web accessibility is not only a moral and legal obligation, but also a great opportunity to improve user experience and reach a wider audience. Implementing accessible practices benefits both people with and without disabilities, improving SEO and overall usability.
By following the recommendations and tools available, designers and developers can ensure that their projects are more inclusive and accessible to all.
Remember: making the internet a more accessible place is everyone’s responsibility.
At Doowebs, as specialists in web design, we are very aware of the implementation of web accessibility practices, offering solutions adapted to the needs of each project and guaranteeing that the web pages comply with current regulations and the best practices in the sector. Contact us!