accessibility isn’t just a buzzword.
It’s about making the web a truly inclusive space for everyone.
I’ve been working on accessibility for a while now and I’ve found that a basic accessibility audit is a great place to start.
It’s like giving your website a quick health check.
Yo, wanna make your site actually accessible and not just throw the word around? 🤯
I got you. Check out this guide for a basic accessibility audit. It’s like a quick health check for your website: Get the Guide Now!
Let’s make the web a better place, one website at a time. 💪
Start with the Basics: Perceivability
Yo, wanna make your site actually accessible and not just throw the word around? 🤯
I got you. Check out this guide for a basic accessibility audit. It’s like a quick health check for your website: Get the Guide Now!
Let’s make the web a better place, one website at a time. 💪
The first step is to make sure your website is perceivable. This means that the content can be accessed by users with different abilities particularly those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers.
Images Videos and Audio
Think about all the images videos and audio content on your website. Every image that provides essential information not just decoration should have an alt attribute. This attribute provides a textual description of the image which is crucial for screen reader users. Remember keep it short and descriptive not a keyword-stuffed mess.
Now for videos and audio captions or transcriptions are essential.
You’re making your content accessible to a wider audience including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
It’s a simple but impactful step.
Color Contrast
Color contrast is vital for readability especially for people with visual impairments.
Install a Chrome extension that lets you view your website in grayscale.
Then take a good look.
Are there areas that are difficult to read? Those are your contrast problem areas.
Don’t just rely on your eyes though.
Use a tool like the Snook color contrast checker to measure contrast levels.
Make sure your text and background colors have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 or 3:1 for large text.
It’s a matter of ensuring readability and comfort for everyone.
Ensuring Operability: Keyboard Navigation
Next we need to make sure your site is operable meaning it can be easily used by people who rely on keyboard navigation or assistive technologies.
Tabbing Through Your Site
Open your website and start pressing the tab key.
Pay close attention to what happens.
Does your site have a skip link that takes users directly to the main content? Ideally you should also see an outline around the first link on the page indicating the focus.
This is a basic but essential step.
As you continue tabbing ensure the focus moves smoothly from link to link in a logical order.
A chaotic jumping focus is a sign of a tab index problem.
This often occurs with form plugins so double-check those.
Understandability: Clear and Readable Content
The next step is to confirm your site is understandable. This means your content is clear concise and accessible to users with various cognitive abilities.
Language and Reading Level
The language of your website should be clearly defined in the HTML code.
Open the Chrome inspector and look at the main <html> tag.
Does it have a lang attribute? If so you’re good to go.
Make sure to use the appropriate language attribute for any portions of your content that are in a different language.
Remember the ideal reading level for most websites is around a 6th-grade level.
While it’s tempting to use complex vocabulary aiming for clarity ensures everyone can understand your content.
Error Messages and Contextual Changes
Error messages should be clear concise and remain on screen until the user corrects the error.
When an error occurs the focus should be brought to the error area.
It’s incredibly frustrating to miss an error message because your site doesn’t direct your attention to it.
Think about contextual changes on your website.
If a user clicks on a link or navigates to a different section does the page layout suddenly shift? This can be disorienting particularly for users with cognitive disabilities.
Make sure your website is designed to maintain a stable layout.
Robustness: Accessibility and Assistive Technologies
Finally we need to ensure that your site is robust meaning it’s compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers.
The Importance of Well-Formed HTML
If your site has well-structured HTML you’re off to a good start.
However remember that modern browsers including Chrome might try to “fix” some basic HTML errors.
It’s best to avoid errors altogether but this can be tricky.
Testing with a Screen Reader
The best way to check your site’s robustness is to use a screen reader.
Safari has a built-in screen reader called VoiceOver.
Enable VoiceOver and browse your site.
If your website doesn’t work seamlessly with VoiceOver you’ll need to address those issues.
Summing Up
Remember a basic accessibility audit isn’t about perfection; it’s about making gradual impactful changes.
Put yourself in the shoes of users with different abilities and ask yourself: would this website be easy to navigate understand and engage with? By considering accessibility you’re creating a more inclusive web experience for everyone.
Yo, wanna make your site actually accessible and not just throw the word around? 🤯
I got you. Check out this guide for a basic accessibility audit. It’s like a quick health check for your website: Get the Guide Now!
Let’s make the web a better place, one website at a time. 💪