For a website to be truly accessible, it must be perceivable, understandable, and operable to all users. These users also include those with auditory, cognitive, and or motor impairments. There are international standards that your website must meet to achieve true accessibility.
It is no longer an option for companies to ensure that their website is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. True accessibility takes the inclusion of every individual a priority to the information stored on the site. It is also one of the marketing digital skills in which a business must make sure to invest. Here are some tips for making your website more accessible to customers;
- Publish a website accessibility statement
This statement explains the level of accessibility that the company is committed to achieving. A website accessibility statement would cover the legal ends should legal action be taken against your company for segregation or discrimination.
- Get web accessibility technology
There are tools from the web that can be added to the website to adjust the spacing, color, et cetera to help people with impairments. Online sites, like WordPress business, help to design all-inclusive websites. Read on WordPress Business review here.
- Understand the guidelines
The guidelines are there to create a standard for web content accessibility that involves all individuals, organizations, and governments. There are two of these guidelines: The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative that is a collaboration between industry, disability organizations, accessibility researchers, et cetera, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that is aimed at providing a single and shared standard for all people no matter from where they are.
- Use large prints
The use of small prints can be quite frustrating to users with disabilities, especially if the page contains vital information, such as the terms and conditions, return policies, and delivery options. Correctly sized texts will ensure that the reader can see this information comfortably.
- Ensure alt tags throughout
The correct “alt text” to images will help those with disabilities, especially the visually impaired ones. It will utilize screen readers, so they better understand an on-page image. It has been found that this is a common oversight, and sometimes there is a lack of constancy by companies in adding the alt tags on their websites.
- Combine both speaking and writing
Try making the website narration-inclined. That is, try using narrations to explain the critical visual elements on the screen. This will also help to make the site available to all users. There is much software developed for this purpose, like Google’s Talkback and Apple’s VoiceOver.
- Subtitles
Research has found that many people watch content with the sound off. You could try inputting the subtitle feature that will help viewers get the critical information from your website with their preferred mode of watching it: with the sound on or off.
- Improve the contact options
Try to provide as many customer contact options as possible. Providing only an email address excludes those without access to digital technology, and providing only a phone number segregates those with hearing impairments.
There are various reasons why accessibility is essential, but the most basic is to have an all-inclusive community of potential customers.
