Accessibility in web design should be an important consideration for all companies and businesses. Designing a website that is accessible, means creating an online resource that can be used effectively by all users, and to achieve this, there are some specific web design guidelines you will need to consider, as well as practicalities for your web design. So what are the most effective web design options to improve accessibility? Well, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. We provide, high quality, effective, web design solutions for local companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area, including Wigan and Southport. As a result, we have produced this guide to everything you should know about designing an accessible website.
What are the most important web design considerations to improve accessibility?
To meet the needs of all users, you need to be prepared for any eventuality. And the people that often struggle with websites, and the content on websites, are those who are blind or deaf. But you can take some simple steps to make sure that your website will be accessible to all. And these include:
- Planning for screen readers- screen readers are commonly used by people with a visual impairment or disability to access websites. A screen reader can basically read the content of a website out loud. However, just because your website looks good, and looks well laid out, doesn’t mean it will make sense to listen to. The screen reader needs to use your labelled headings, to organise the information appropriately when speaking your content. So website without correct <h1> to <h6> header tags will be difficult to read. At the same time, filling in the alt tags on your images can also provide an auditory description of the image, thanks to the screen reader. And this is another step that is easy to implement.
- Audio content- for users with a hearing impairment, any video or audio content on your website might be completely inaccessible. And if this is the case, you could simply include a detailed script, or transcript, of the content, for users to read. Subtitles or captions can also be effective. If you also make sure this is accessible for screen readers, those who are visually impaired or blind, will also be able to enjoy any video or audio content too.
- Colours and contrast- finally for users who are colour blind, the colours you use on your website just might not be effective. Especially if you use colours to co-ordinate sections of information.That’s why, you should always make sure to pair colour co-ordination with text labels, or icons, to visually display the difference in another format. You will also need to consider the contrast between the background colour, and the text. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, specify that the contrast ration should be 4.5:1 for the perfect result.
For more information or advice about designing an accessible website, get in touch with the experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.