Accessibility 101: Four key guidelines for websites

Websites are increasingly becoming a key part of people's everyday lives. We use them for everything from keeping in touch with loved ones to booking appointments and managing our finances.

With so much of our lives moving online, it's more important than ever that websites are accessible to everyone. Accessibility means that people with disabilities can use and understand a website. It also makes it easier for everyone to use, regardless of their level of tech-savviness.

There are many factors to consider when making a website accessible, but here are four key guidelines to get you started:

Use fonts and text effectively

When writing content for your website, use clear and concise language. Avoid jargon and acronyms where possible. If you do need to use them, make sure you explain what they mean. Say just enough to get your point across simply and effectively.  On your website, a single line of text should not exceed 75 characters. Any time that you will have a longer body of text on your website, ensure that it is left-aligned. This makes it much easier to follow and read.

Heading hierarchy

Your website's content should be well-organized and easy to scan. One way to achieve this is to use a heading hierarchy. This means using headings and subheadings to break up your text and help readers understand the structure of your content.

The most important information should be at the top of the page and in the largest font. Accompanying details can be beneath in smaller text.  This makes it easy for readers to scan the page and find the information they need.

Color contrast

It's important to use a color scheme on your website that has good contrast. This means that there is a big difference between the colors of the text and the background. For example, black text on a white background has very high contrast.

Color contrast is important for two reasons. First, it makes your website easier to read for everyone. Second, it's especially important for people with vision impairments.

There are a few different ways to check the color contrast of your website. One option is to use an online tool like WebAIM's Color Contrast Checker. Another option is to download a color contrast plugin for your web browser. These plugins will highlight areas on a website that do not have enough color contrast.

Use alt text for images

Alt text is the text that appears in place of an image on a website. Alt text allows people with vision impairments to understand what is on the page. Additionally, it helps search engines index your website's content.

The most common use for adding alt text is to assist visitors to your website who may have difficulties reading text from a screen for a variety of reasons.

Screen readers used for accessibility purposes can read out the descriptions of images that have alt text assigned to them.

However, alt text can also be helpful when images aren't loading properly on a website. For example, if an image doesn't load properly, its file name or alt text will appear instead. If you owned a bookstore, would you rather have an improperly loaded image say The cover of 'Wonder' by R.J. Palacio" or "IMG_98875.jpg". Odds are, it will be way more helpful for a visitor to shop on the website if they are still able to have an idea of what the images are meant to be.

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Conclusion

It's important to consider best practices when building a website to ensure optimal search engine optimization and accessibility. By following the guidelines outlined above, you can create a website that is easy to use and navigate for all visitors.

Book a discovery call with us today! We would be more than happy to chat with you about your website and how we can help you create a beautiful, functional, and accessible site.