If you are currently in the process of building a website for your business, it’s important to bear in mind that accessibility should be something that is factored in from the very start. Sadly, accessibility is something that often gets overlooked when building a website, but assuming that all users are going to have the same abilities as you won’t get your business site off to the best start. Here’s a checklist from accessiBe to help you make sure that your business website ticks all the boxes.
User Interface
Most business owners know that their website should have a simple and easy user interface. However, it’s important to consider it from the point of view of many different users, including those with diverse abilities. For example, adding keyboard navigation support to your user interface will enable users with devices that emulate keyboards to more easily access the site. Providing a sitemap and site voice search may make it easier for users with screen readers.
Readable Content
Go through the content on your site to ensure that it is accessible to all. You can usually find free tools online to determine how accessible your site and its content really are. Along with having good color contrast and readable font sizes, it’s important to consider how your content is tagged, and whether it can be easily picked up by screen readers.
Descriptions for Imagery
Imagery is often one of the biggest aesthetic focal points of your website, but for users who are blind or partially sighted, it may not mean a thing. Many blind users will access the web using a screen reading device, which relies on text and tags to relay the information on your website to the user. Providing text descriptions of photos, artwork, videos and other imagery that is used on your website is important since this is something that the screen reader will be able to pick up on, allowing the user to get the fullest experience when visiting your site.
Sometimes, a few simple changes can make your website much more accessible to a wider range of users, improving your customer base and reputation.
