Website accessibility can be an overlooked concern in website creation and development. Website accessibility refers to the ability of people who have disabilities or limited abilities to use a website. Lack of website accessibility can lead to frustration, and even business failure if websites are not constructed properly. Read on for more information about what site accessibility is and why it’s important!
This term was first used in 1995. This term covers all disabilities that could affect your ability to access the internet. This includes:
Millions of people suffer from a variety of disabilities, impairments, and special needs. Some websites may be difficult or impossible to access due to these conditions. It would be possible for everyone to access the web if they designed websites with accessibility in mind.
Designing for accessibility on the web is also beneficial to people with disabilities. It is beneficial for people who use mobile phones and other devices with smaller screens, such as those with disabilities. It is also useful for older people who have less internet knowledge.
Importance of Website Accessibility
It’s easy for those with disabilities to forget what a privilege it is. It’s not possible to imagine a different world.
Imagine that you couldn’t hear the video. Imagine that you couldn’t read the text on a website. Imagine that you couldn’t use the mouse.
Web accessibility is also important for legal reasons. To recognize the need for accessibility, countries around the globe have amended their disability laws.
Businesses may face severe financial penalties if they fail to make accessible websites. Not only are there potential financial penalties, but accessibility is also important.
You want your website to be as popular as possible. If your website isn’t accessible, millions of potential customers will be excluded. This will prevent millions of customers from visiting your site, and they may choose to go to other sites that are more accessible.
The most important thing is how crucial the internet is for our society in so many areas of our daily lives. Online resources can be accessed for education, employment, government, as well as health.
The UN recognizes this. The UN considers access to information and communication technology a fundamental human right.
Website accessibility does not only benefit the disabled, as we have already mentioned. It facilitates the inclusion of older people, people from developing countries, as well as people living in rural areas.
Making Your Website Accessible
If you don’t know where to begin, creating an accessible website can seem overwhelming. To make things easier for website owners and web designers, WAI created guidelines. These guidelines are very detailed and worth taking the time to read, but we’ll just go through the main points.
These guidelines address four areas that must be considered to make websites accessible.
They must first be perceivable. This means that they must be able to be seen and heard by people. This could be done in a browser, or by being compatible with assistive technology such as screen readers.
Websites should also be accessible. This means that disabled internet users can interact with the content. This refers to optimizing your website so that it can be navigated using a keyboard, mouse, or other assistive technology.
Websites must be strong. According to the guidelines, web content must be accessible via a variety of technologies. Therefore, designers should ensure that websites can be accessed by a variety of technologies.