Tech Accessibility: Don’t Exclude Millions

In an increasingly digital world, ensuring that technology is accessible to everyone is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. Professionals have a responsibility to create inclusive experiences, and failing to do so can exclude a significant portion of the population. Are you ready to make sure your digital creations are truly for everyone?

1. Understand the Importance of Accessibility

Accessibility in technology means designing and developing digital products, services, and content that people with disabilities can use effectively. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, and speech impairments. Creating accessible experiences isn’t just about compliance; it’s about expanding your reach and ensuring everyone has equal access to information and opportunities. I’ve seen firsthand how small changes can make a huge difference in someone’s ability to interact with a website or application.

Here’s what nobody tells you: accessibility isn’t a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and adaptation. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. The key is to keep learning and improving.

2. Implement Alt Text for Images

Alternative text (alt text) is a short, descriptive text that provides context for images on a webpage. This is crucial for users who are blind or visually impaired, as screen readers use alt text to describe the image. Without alt text, these users would miss out on important visual information. Alt text also benefits users with slow internet connections, as it’s displayed if the image fails to load.

1. Identify the Image’s Purpose: Before writing alt text, determine the purpose of the image. Is it purely decorative, or does it convey important information?
2. Write Concise and Descriptive Text: Keep your alt text brief and to the point. Aim for around 125 characters or less. Describe the image accurately and avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of.”
3. Add Alt Text in HTML: In your HTML code, add the alt attribute to the <img> tag. For example: <img src=”example.jpg” alt=”A group of people collaborating on a project”>
4. Test with a Screen Reader: Use a screen reader like NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) to ensure your alt text is read correctly.

Pro Tip: For purely decorative images, use an empty alt attribute (alt=””) to signal to screen readers that the image can be ignored. This prevents unnecessary announcements that can be disruptive to the user experience.

3. Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast

Color contrast refers to the difference in luminance between text and its background. Insufficient color contrast can make it difficult for users with low vision or color blindness to read text. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold) against its background.

1. Use a Color Contrast Checker: Use a tool like the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker to test the contrast ratio between your text and background colors.
2. Adjust Colors as Needed: If the contrast ratio is too low, adjust either the text color or the background color until it meets the WCAG guidelines.
3. Consider Color Blindness: Be mindful of color combinations that may be difficult for users with color blindness to distinguish. Avoid relying solely on color to convey important information.

Common Mistake: Assuming that because you can see the text clearly, everyone else can too. Always test your color contrast with a checker to ensure accessibility for all users.

4. Use Semantic HTML

Semantic HTML uses HTML elements to convey the meaning and structure of content, rather than just its appearance. This helps screen readers and other assistive technologies understand and interpret the content correctly. Using semantic HTML also improves the overall organization and maintainability of your code.

1. Use Headings Correctly: Use <h1> to <h6> tags to create a clear hierarchy of headings and subheadings. Don’t skip heading levels (e.g., going from <h1> to <h3>).
2. Use Lists for Lists: Use <ul> (unordered list) or <ol> (ordered list) tags to create lists of items. This provides a clear structure for screen readers to interpret.
3. Use <nav> for Navigation: Use the <nav> tag to mark up your website’s navigation menu. This helps screen readers identify the main navigation links.
4. Use <article> and <section> for Content: Use the <article> tag to represent self-contained content, such as a blog post or news article. Use the <section> tag to divide content into thematic sections.

Pro Tip: Use the W3C Markup Validation Service to validate your HTML code and ensure it is semantically correct.

5. Make Forms Accessible

Accessible forms are essential for allowing all users to submit information and interact with your website or application. This includes providing clear labels, instructions, and error messages.

For more on reaching a broader audience, see our article on accessibility myths busted.

1. Use Labels for Form Fields: Use the <label> tag to associate a text label with each form field. This provides a clear description of the field’s purpose. Use the “for” attribute in the <label> tag to link it to the corresponding form field’s “id” attribute.
2. Provide Clear Instructions: Provide clear and concise instructions for filling out each form field. Use the <aria-describedby> attribute to link instructions to the form field.
3. Provide Error Messages: Display clear and helpful error messages when users make mistakes in filling out the form. Use the <aria-invalid> attribute to indicate that a form field contains invalid data.
4. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility: Make sure users can navigate and interact with all form fields using only the keyboard. Use the “tabindex” attribute to control the order in which form fields are focused.

Common Mistake: Relying solely on placeholder text as labels for form fields. Placeholder text disappears when the user starts typing, making it difficult for users with cognitive impairments to remember the field’s purpose.

6. Ensure Keyboard Navigation

Many users, including those with motor impairments, rely on keyboard navigation to interact with websites and applications. It’s crucial to ensure that all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields, can be accessed and operated using the keyboard alone.

1. Use Logical Tab Order: Ensure that the tab order follows the logical flow of the content. Users should be able to navigate through interactive elements in a predictable and intuitive manner.
2. Provide Visual Focus Indicators: Provide clear visual focus indicators to show users which element is currently focused. This can be achieved using CSS styles like “outline” or “box-shadow.”
3. Avoid Keyboard Traps: Make sure users can always exit an interactive element using the keyboard. Avoid creating keyboard traps, where users get stuck inside an element and cannot navigate away.

I had a client last year who launched a website with a beautiful design, but it was completely unusable for keyboard users. We had to go back and rework the entire navigation system to ensure it was fully keyboard accessible. It was a painful but valuable lesson.

7. Test with Accessibility Tools

There are many tools available to help you test the accessibility of your website or application. These tools can automatically identify common accessibility issues and provide recommendations for fixing them.

Want to make sure your tech is ready for the future? Consider a future-proof tech strategy.

1. Use the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: WAVE is a free online tool that analyzes webpages for accessibility issues. It provides a visual representation of accessibility errors and warnings, making it easy to identify and fix problems.
2. Use the Accessibility Insights Browser Extension: Accessibility Insights is a browser extension that provides a suite of accessibility testing tools, including automated checks, visual inspections, and keyboard navigation testing.
3. Use a Screen Reader: Test your website or application with a screen reader like JAWS (Job Access With Speech) or NVDA to experience it from the perspective of a blind or visually impaired user.

Pro Tip: Integrate accessibility testing into your development workflow. Run accessibility tests automatically as part of your build process to catch issues early and prevent them from making it into production.

8. Provide Transcripts and Captions for Audio and Video

Audio and video content should be accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Providing transcripts and captions ensures that these users can understand and engage with your content.

1. Create Transcripts: Create text transcripts of all audio and video content. Transcripts should include all spoken words, as well as descriptions of important sounds and actions.
2. Add Captions: Add captions to all video content. Captions are synchronized text tracks that display the spoken words and other important information on the screen.
3. Use a Captioning Service: Consider using a professional captioning service to ensure the accuracy and quality of your captions.

For a recent project, we used Rev to generate captions for a series of training videos. It saved us a ton of time and ensured that the captions were accurate and synchronized with the audio.

9. Design for Cognitive Accessibility

Cognitive accessibility refers to designing content and interfaces that are easy to understand and use for people with cognitive disabilities, such as learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and memory impairments.

1. Use Clear and Simple Language: Use clear and simple language that is easy to understand. Avoid jargon, technical terms, and complex sentence structures.
2. Provide Visual Cues: Use visual cues, such as icons, images, and color-coding, to help users understand and navigate the content.
3. Break Up Content: Break up long blocks of text into smaller paragraphs and sections. Use headings and subheadings to provide a clear structure and organization.
4. Provide Consistency: Maintain a consistent design and layout throughout your website or application. This helps users learn and remember how to navigate and interact with the interface.

Common Mistake: Overloading users with too much information at once. Prioritize essential content and break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

10. Stay Up-to-Date with Accessibility Standards

Accessibility standards and guidelines are constantly evolving. It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest recommendations and best practices to ensure that your website or application remains accessible. The WCAG, maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility.

We ran into this exact issue at my previous firm. We had built a website that was compliant with the WCAG 2.0 standards, but by the time we launched, WCAG 2.1 had been released. We had to go back and make additional changes to ensure compliance with the latest standards.

By implementing these accessible technology practices, you can create digital experiences that are inclusive and usable for everyone. It is not just about following rules; it’s about building a more equitable and accessible digital world.

Don’t wait to make a difference. Start implementing these practices today. Begin with the WAVE tool, and make a list of any pages with errors that need fixing. Tackle one error each week, and you will be well on your way to a more accessible and inclusive web presence.