ACCESSIBILE WEB DESIGN
Not all disabilities can prevent people from using a computer but many conditions can deprive people of exploring the internet and reading screens. These could be autism, cerebral palsy, impaired vision, deafness, and difficulty in grasping objects. Without the proper measures in place, these problems can prevent people from using smartphones or computers.
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If you happen to reside in the US, you must have heard of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), an integral part of web compliance standards. Many governments around the world have been able to come up with similar policies on web compliance. Ignoring these laws may not have any legal implication on your business. However, you are likely to lose a massive amount of traffic. This is because you will have a site that doesn’t cater to the needs of different users. Such action can make your business less competitive.
Web Design for Accessibility is more important than you are imagining.
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That someone is disabled doesn’t mean they can’t access the content of your website. In fact, a website can only be said to have met all the requirements for accessibility web design when it can be used by people who have physical challenges. They should have unrestricted access to information on your site without any problem.
How To Make Your Website Accessible?
Well-Structured Webpages
It is recommended that your website content has been properly arranged to help people check them out. Effectively make use of H1, H2, H3, H4 and more. If you have got posts, ensure there are headings and subheadings. This is important when it comes to Web Designing for Accessibility.
Keyboard Accessible Elements
People who are blind usually depend on screen readers. This helps them to check out information on the internet. With this technology, no mouse will be needed.
Alt Text For The Image
The concept of accessibility web design doesn’t imply that images shouldn’t be included. Instead, web designers need to be cautious about how tags are assigned to them (images). With alt texts or tags, visually impaired individuals can read short descriptions on your site without problem. Ensure that your alt texts are accurate, concise and crisp.
Setting Links Correctly
This is very important to ensure you are getting enough conversions as expected. For instance, linked texts should be underlined. Also, they need to have another color (preferably blue).
Appropriate Fonts
Ensure you are using the right fonts that are easy to read. Fonts that look too tiny aren’t good for people with visual impairment. Also, your font sizes shouldn’t be small.
Color Contrast
Ensure that colors are used brilliantly on your site. This will enable users to differentiate between elements easily. The best place to make use of color contrast is between backgrounds and texts. With this, your site’s message won’t be compromised.