According to a study, nearly 1 billion people have some form of disability. Nevertheless, a large number of disabled users browse the internet every day. This is the reason why accessibility has become a key concern in the digital world.
As people with special needs are becoming comfortable with technology, internet usage among the disabled is consistently increasing. This is not only helping people with impairment access the information and entertainment over the internet but is also allowing companies to become more relevant to their target audiences.
Considering this, it has become essential for companies to create an accessible website to cater to the needs of all kinds of internet users. Here are a few simple tips to develop a disabled-friendly website.
Alternative content, such as a textual description of the image, can help people with visual impairment understand the message on the image. When the image could not be seen, as would be the case with blind users, the content of the image might be accessed through its alternate text. This can be particularly helpful when using informative images, such as infographics.
The exception to this rule is when the image is used for decorative purposes only. In such a case, the alternative text should be left empty so that the assistive tools may avoid distraction and focus more on the important content on the page.
Studies reveal that approximately 8 percent of the world’s population is affected by colour vision deficiency. Therefore, using certain colours throughout the website can prevent these people from understanding your message. With that in mind, keeping the needs of such individuals is essential to convey your message to the desired audiences accurately.
Besides this, the use of contrasting colours can help people with learning disabilities distinguish and understand the content.
In order to meet the needs of both the groups, make calls-to-action and other key features more noticeable adding underlines or stylised elements.
Those using screen readers may not understand where the link will take them. However, it is recommended that you add contextual descriptions to the links to allow users to understand their purpose. For example, for a link that is redirecting users to the ‘About Us’ page, you can use a description like ‘click here to learn more about our company’ to make it more clear and understandable.
If you are looking to make your website more accessible, contact us and speak with our website development specialists today! We also specialise in managed IT support.