Accessibility

Websites are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to be accessible for users with disabilities.

When we talk about accessibility, we're often discussing a vision-impaired audience, but the considerations aren't limited to this group. Hearing impaired users or those with motor difficulties also require particular accommodations.

KEEP ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN MIND

Assistive technologies range from Braille-displays to mice that can be controlled by a user’s feet. The most common kind of assistive technology is the screen reader, which reads aloud what appears on a user’s computer screen.

When creating content, remember that you have no control over how the user will be interacting with that content.

TIPS FOR ACCESSIBLE CONTENT

Good accessibility is also good usability, and it even aids in search engine optimization. The following guidelines will benefit all users, regardless of ability or need.

  • Use semantic markup. Headings should outline the structure of the page. All body copy should be contained within paragraph tags.
  • Add properly formatted alt text to images. Alternative text describes images for users who cannot see them.
  • Avoid PDFs whenever possible. PDFs preserve the original formatting of a document but introduce a number of problems, from difficulty viewing on mobile to large file sizes and long download times.
  • Make PDFs accessible. When a PDF must be used, it should be specifically tagged for accessibility.
  • Format and use tables properly. Tables should only contain tabular information, and should never be used for layout. Always include a header row so users can determine the relationship between columns, rows and cells.
  • Include all content as text on the page, not as an image. Use HTML-based text instead of text as an image. If you must include an image that contains text, summarize the text in the image's alt tag.
  • Write inline links as calls to action. Each link must stand on its own. Users who rely on accessibility are able to browse a list of all links on a page, as if the links were plucked out of the paragraphs. Because the links lose the context of their sentences, the blue, underlined text must describe the destination.
  • Provide captions for all videos. Don't rely on YouTube's auto-captioning; always edit captions for accuracy. This doesn't just benefit users who can't hear. It's also a good practice for users who don't have access to audio.