By Renae Weaver on Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Category: Web Design

9 Practical Tips to Make Your Web Design Disability-Friendly

In our last post, we talked about making your website colour-friendly to users who have difficulties with colour. But have you ever thought about making your website design disability-friendly?

Approximately one billion people in the world have a disability, that's a huge chunk of the market! Every day websites prevent millions of users that are disabled from hopping online and having a trouble-free experience. I want to highlight some simple steps you can incorporate into your website to make it disability-friendly.

1. Use ALT tags - For users that are visually impaired and use a screen reader (a software program that reads text on a website out loud), the ALT tags describe out loud what the image is to the user. Make sure you describe your images accurately and briefly.

2. Describe your links - Instead of just writing click here, write out a mini description of what the user will be clicking on. Also, underline your links and make sure there is colour contrast between your normal text and the hyperlink. This will help people who are colour-blind. 3. Mastering Color Psychology in Web Design - Be aware of the colours you're using and how you're getting your messages across. See our last blog post for more information on using colours in web design (https://selectmarketing.net.au/marketing-blog).4. Increasing Accessibility with Subtitled Videos - If you have a lot of video material on your website, make sure it has subtitles. YouTube provides tools that allow you to do that. This will help people who are deaf.5. Optimise User Experience - For users that have problems with mobility clicking a small area can be extremely difficult. Make wider areas for users to click.

6. Leverage ARIA Roles for Enhanced AccessibilityARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles enhance the accessibility of dynamic website elements for users of assistive technologies. By incorporating ARIA attributes, you can provide additional context and functionality for screen reader users. Collaborate with your web developer to implement ARIA roles effectively.

7. Enhance Form Accessibility - Avoid using placeholder text in forms, as it may be inaccessible to users with visual impairments. Instead, utilize <label> tags or ARIA attributes to provide clear labels for form elements. Prioritize text and background contrast to improve form readability for all users.

8. Minimize Reliance on Tables - While tables have their uses, they can pose accessibility challenges for users of screen readers. Whenever possible, use CSS for data presentation to ensure compatibility with assistive technologies. When using tables, provide clear headers and captions to aid navigation for users with disabilities.

9. Finally keep it simple – For users with learning disabilities or who are older make sure the information on your website is straightforward to read/navigate. Break text into paragraphs and make sure it's big enough to read. Logically, this might not work for all websites but it's something to take into consideration. By incorporating these accessibility features into your website, including alt text for images and optimized URLs, you're not only fostering a more inclusive and user-friendly experience but also positioning your website for success. At Select Marketing, we specialize in providing top-notch web design services on the Gold Coast that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity. Don't miss out on reaching a broader audience and enhancing your brand image. Contact us today to make your website truly accessible to everyone!
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