Digital accessibility has not been a priority for many companies until recently. However, now that they know their website isn't accessible, they want to fix it and are unsure where to start.
In this article you will find:
- Introductory resources
- Suggestions for high priority and low effort issues to address first
- Steps to takes to go beyond basic compliance
- Tips to sustain a website’s accessibility
Introductory Resources
You can start by testing the accessibility of your website with many online tools. Automated testing is not a shortcut because it will not catch everything, but it can be a good place to start.
If your website uses a third party platform, ensure that the platform has built in accessibility features. For example, Wordpress, a popular content management system, has built-in accessibility features. This makes it easier for a content creator to focus on the elements they can control by following the tips described in 5 Ways to Make Your Blog More Accessible.
If you’re considering hiring an accessibility vendor, be sure to read questions to ask a digital accessibility vendor. Remember that there is no such thing as quick fix. For example, accessibility overlays might seem tempting, but they are not likely to bring your site to compliance nor are they sustainable.
High priority and low effort
Imagine coming home to find someone has made an absolute mess of your house. There are books, papers and toys all over. Pieces of a broken glass are on the kitchen floor. Your carefully alphabetized books are all mixed up. There’s a pile of dirty towels on the couch. Where should you start?
To prioritize clean up, the first step will be to pick up the broken glass, someone could get hurt stepping on it. The towels might be a good early choice, too, because throwing them in the laundry won’t take long. Alphabetizing books might be last on the list as they are a lower priority.
Consider a similar approach in cleaning up website accessibility. What are high priorities for meeting the needs of customers with disabilities? What can we do to establish needs based on priority and effort.
High priority issues
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) levels: A, AA, AAA Level A guidelines are the minimum guidelines.
If a page does not include video or audio, there are several guidelines that are not applicable. These include:
- WCAG guideline 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded)
- WCAG guideline 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded)
- WCAG guideline 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded)
- WCAG guideline 1.4.2 Audio Control
To better understand audio and video WCAG guidelines, check out A Beginner's Guide to Developing Accessible Video Experiences. Consider temporarily removing these elements until they are accessible.
The WCAG guideline 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold addresses web content that flashes. Not only does flashing content present an accessibility barrier, but it can cause seizures.
Low effort issues
Some examples of low-effort items that are also high priority include:
- WCAG guideline 1.1.1 Non-text Content - any content that isn’t text needs a text alternative.For most websites, this means giving images alternative text. Websites with a CAPTCHA must provide an alternative to CAPTCHA
- WCAG guideline 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) - any audio, including video with audio, must have captions.
- WCAG guideline 1.4.1 Use of Color - web content can never reply on color alone for meaning.
- WCAG guideline 1.4.2 Audio Control - a user must be able to stop or pause any audio that automatically plays
- WCAG guideline 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold - a website cannot have any flashing elements that flash more than three times in any second
- WCAG guideline 2.4.2 Page Titled - websites must have descriptive titles
- WCAG guideline 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) - the purpose of a link should be clear from the text of the link. For example, no links with the only text “click here.”
- WCAG 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable - some websites have time limits on input sections. This can be a problem for some people with disabilities. Businesses can quickly comply by removing time limits, or keep them by providing the user with an option to turn the time limit off.
- WCAG Guideline 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide - the user must be able to pause, stop or hide any content that moves or automatically updates. This can include advertisements. Businesses can quickly comply by removing these elements, or keep them by providing the user with the ability to control them.
Beyond level A compliance
After dealing with high priority compliance guides, develop a plan to tackle other issues. You can revisiting any level A items you temporarily addressed by removing or simplifying them.
Look into WCAG level AA criteria and level AAA criteria. These are more advanced and require more time to learn and implement. Level A compliance is the bare minimum. Companies should strive to excel beyond the minimum for their customers.
Moving forward
Now that you’ve begun improving the accessibility of your website, you’ll need to sustain these measures. You need to make all future updates to your website accessible. You might also need to make changes as assistive technologies adapt and as WCAG updates its guidelines.
Instead of making and then fixing inaccessible content, take a “born accessible” approach. Document steps for content creators and developers to follow these guidelines in future updates of the website. Stay current on assistive technologies and follow updates from WCAG.
And remember, you can keep up to date with the world of accessibility by following Accessibility.com’s blog.
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