In her talk at WordCamp 2023, Sumner Davenport discussed the importance of accessibility for all websites. She explained how accessibility is not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone. She also provided tips on how to make websites more accessible.
Davenport’s talk was well-received by the audience, and it helped to raise awareness of the importance of accessibility. She is a passionate advocate for accessibility, and she is committed to making the web a more inclusive place for everyone.
Accessibility is important for everyone. It’s about making sure that everyone can use your website, regardless of their abilities. This includes people with disabilities, such as people who are blind, deaf, or have mobility issues. It also means making sure that your website can be used by people who use different devices and browsers.
Accessibility is a legal requirement in many countries. But even if it’s not required by law, it’s still the right thing to do. Making your website accessible is not only good for your business, but it’s also good for society as a whole.
What is accessibility?
Accessibility is the practice of designing products and services so that they can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities. This includes people with disabilities, people who are older, and people who use different devices and browsers.
There are many different types of disabilities, and each one can affect a person’s ability to use a website in different ways. For example, people who are blind may use a screen reader to access websites. People who are deaf may use sign language interpreters or captions to understand videos. And people with mobility issues may use a keyboard or mouse instead of a mouse.
Why is accessibility important for businesses?
Accessibility is important for businesses for a number of reasons.
1. It’s the right thing to do
Everyone deserves to have equal access to the information and services that are available online. This includes people with disabilities.
2. It’s good for business
When you make your website accessible, you’re opening up your business to a larger audience. People with disabilities are a large and growing market, and they’re more likely to do business with companies that are accessible.
3. It’s required by law in many countries
For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities.
4. It makes your website more user-friendly for everyone
Many of the accessibility features that benefit people with disabilities also benefit people without disabilities. For example, using clear and concise language and providing descriptive alt text for images makes your website easier to use for everyone.
How to make your website more accessible
There are many things you can do to make your website more accessible. Here are a few tips:
- Make accessibility a part of your web development from the start
- Use clear and concise language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms.
- Use descriptive alt text for images. Alt text is text that describes an image for people who cannot see it.
- Use captions and transcripts for videos.
- Make sure your website is keyboard-navigable. This means that people should be able to use their keyboard to navigate through your website without having to use a mouse.
- Use high contrast colors. This will make your website easier to read for people with low vision.
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This means that your website should be easy to use on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Addressing common concerns about accessibility
Some businesses may be hesitant to make their websites accessible because they are concerned about the cost or the complexity of the process. However, there are many resources available to help businesses of all sizes make their websites accessible.
Another common concern is that making a website accessible will make it less attractive or less user-friendly for people without disabilities. However, this is not the case. In fact, many of the accessibility features that benefit people with disabilities also benefit people without disabilities.
Making accessibility a priority
Making accessibility a priority is good for everyone. It’s the right thing to do, it’s good for business, and it makes your website more user-friendly for everyone.
Getting started with accessibility
If you’re not sure where to start with accessibility, there are many resources available to help you. Here are a few suggestions:
- Visit the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) website: https://www.w3.org/WAI/
- Read the WAI’s Quick Reference to Web Accessibility: https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/
- Take the WAI’s Accessibility Fundamentals course: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/accessibility-fundamentals/
Accessibility is important for everyone. It’s about making sure that everyone can use your website, regardless of their abilities. There are many things you can do to make your website more accessible, and it’s worth the effort.
The views expressed herein are personal and do not reflect the views of any of my clients, partners or employers. Some links may be affiliate links and are an endorsement of the product or service.
Photo Credit: Photo by Jack Kolpitcke on Unsplash