When we talk about digital accessibility, we generally refer to the practice of making digital content accessible to people with disabilities. Nowadays, when the internet is an essential part of our lives, everyone should be able to access information and use it with ease. However, people with disabilities often face barriers when using websites, such as images without alt text, videos without captions, and forms that are not navigated with a keyboard.
In this post, we’ll discuss digital accessibility services and how accessibility testing services help website owners to make their websites accessible. We’ll cover common accessibility barriers, the types of disabilities that web accessibility testing services address, and the legal requirements of accessibility testing, by the end of the post. You’ll be able to better understand what digital accessibility is and the steps you can take to make your website accessible to all.
What are Some Common Barriers to Accessibility
Despite it being important to be digitally accessible, many websites still have accessibility barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing their products and services. Some of the common barriers are:
Images without Alternative Text:
When coming to images, people who are blind or have low vision cannot see them; instead, they use screen readers to access the website. Screen readers cannot read images if there is no alt text that describes the image’s content.
Videos without Captions:
Accessing videos without captions can create an issue for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, as they rely on captions to understand the video content. Without captions, they may miss important information or be unable to access the content.
Lack of Keyboard Navigation:
Individuals with motor disabilities may not be able to use a mouse, and they usually rely on a keyboard to access websites. When the website is not navigable with a keyboard, it might result in them being unable to access the content.
Small Text or Low Contrast:
Reading small tests with low contrast can result in individuals with visual impairment having difficulty accessing the content on a website.
What are the Benefits of Digital Accessibility Services
Digital accessibility services play a crucial role in ensuring that websites are accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities, and offer various benefits. Some of which include:
Increased Compliance with Accessibility Standards:
With the help of accessibility testing services, you can make sure that your website is compliant with accessibility standards such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This can help website owners avoid legal issues and penalties and improve their reputation as an inclusive and accessible business.
Improved User Experience:
Removing accessibility barriers can make it easier for users to navigate and use. This can enhance the overall user experience, not just for those with disabilities.
Increased Reach and Customer Base:
By making your website accessible, you can increase your customer base as you can now also reach the audience with disabilities. This can lead to increased sales and a larger customer base.
What are the Steps to Make Digital Accessibility Services Work?
There are several typical steps to follow in the procedure of testing and remediation to ensure website accessibility. The process can vary depending on the specific requirements but typically include the following steps:
Accessibility Audit:
In this step, the website is audited to identify the barriers. This may involve manual and automated testing.
Prioritization of Issues:
The next step is to prioritize the issues based on their severity and impact on the users.
Remediation Plan:
The next step involves creating a plan to address the accessibility barriers. This may involve a combination of automated tools and manual fixes.
Remediation:
In this step, the accessibility barriers are addressed using various techniques, such as adding alt text, adding captions, and ensuring keyboard accessibility.
Testing:
Now, the website is tested again to ensure that there are no more accessibility issues and that all the issues have been addressed.
Ongoing Maintenance:
As websites are constantly evolving and changes are being made, ongoing maintenance is necessary to ensure that accessibility is maintained over time.
Tools Used to Test Accessibility
Web accessibility testing services may include the usage of various tools and techniques to address accessibility issues, some of which are mentioned below:
Automated Testing Tools:
These tools are the ones that can quickly identify the common accessibility issues on a website, such as missing alt text and broken links.
Manual Testing:
This involves testing a website manually with the use of assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation to ensure that a website can easily be accessed using these tools.
Assistive Technology:
Digital accessibility services may separately use some assistive technology to test and ensure website accessibility.
Code Remediation:
This involves making necessary adjustments to the website’s code to ensure that it is accessible, such as adding labels to form elements and ensuring proper usage of headings.
The Types of Disabilities Addresses Under Accessibility Testing Services
Digital accessibility testing can address a wide range of disabilities; some of the examples of how it helps people with disabilities access websites include the following:
Visual Disabilities:
With the help of web accessibility testing services, the adding of alternative tests for images, ensuring proper color contrast between text and background, and providing audio descriptions of visual elements. This helps people with visual impairments access and understand website content.
Auditory Disabilities:
By using accessibility testing services, you can provide captions and transcripts for audio/video content, as well as ensure that your website is accessible using the keyboard. This can help people who are deaf or hard of hearing access and understand website content.
Cognitive Disabilities:
With the help of using simple language, clear instructions, and consistent navigation, people with cognitive disabilities can access and understand website content.
Motor Disabilities:
Making your website accessible through keyboard navigation and providing alternative input methods, such as voice recognition software, can help people with motor disabilities access and navigate website content with ease.
What are the Legal Requirements For Digital Accessibility?
In many countries, including the United States (US), digital accessibility is not just a moral obligation but also a legal requirement. In the US, ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) requires all businesses and owners to make their websites and digital content accessible to people with special needs.
And other countries have their own laws and regulations, such as AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) in Canada and EAA (European Accessibility Act) in the European Union.
If you are not compliant with accessibility standards and guidelines, the consequences can be severe. Failing to comply with accessibility guidelines can result in your business facing legal penalties and fines. Additionally, it may also damage your reputation with a loss of customers who value inclusivity.
Conclusion
Overall, digital accessibility services are essential for making a website accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. By making sure that you address the common barriers to accessibility and employing tools and techniques to make your website accessible, it can help your business and organization create a more inclusive online experience.
Moreover, complying with legal requirements related to accessibility standards can help you in avoiding any legal consequences, and it is also helping you to create a more welcoming environment for all users. It can also help you in improving your brand reputation and serve better to customers.